National Youth Day 2024 – Meet four young women leaders spearheading change and empowering lives

January 12, 2024 Riya Shalgar India 0

National Youth Day 2024

Prachi Mishra, Annu Kumari, Prajakta Koli, and Kaushalya Dawar are among the growing list of women leaders who ardently advocate for women’s rights and climate action

National Youth Day serves as a poignant reminder of the power of youth activism and the significance of young people committed to making a difference and shaping our future.  We spotlight four remarkable women leaders who, through their commitment to positive change, and relentless dedication are inspiring and empowering others.

Prachi Mishra

Prachi Mishra, a 22-year-old Nguvu Change Leader from Odisha, India, leads the #FreeBusForWomen online campaign, aiming to empower women from lower economic backgrounds. She resolutely works to facilitate universal access to fundamental mobility, healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. Prachi believes that while the government has attempted to make education and healthcare more affordable, they remain inaccessible to many girls and women due to financial constraints and restricted means of commuting. The lack of mobility traps them in a vicious cycle of poverty, making it difficult for them to break free. In her online petition, she has urged Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, and Tukuni Sahu, Minister of the Commerce and Transport Department, to provide free passes for women in government buses and to expand government bus services to more districts. Currently, the services cover only four cities, and Prachi firmly believes that her campaign will help ensure equitable access to mobility.

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Annu Kumari

Hailing from Amawan in the Rajauli subdivision of Nawada district, Bihar, Annu Kumari was expected to marry at 20, but overcame societal expectations, diligently working her way to becoming a police constable at the Bihar Police Training Academy, located 300 km away from her village. It all began with her involvement in the Kishori Samooh programme run by the Population Foundation of India, which trains girls in period management, nutrition, and health. Annu went on to become an advocate against early marriage, successfully preventing such unions in her village by alerting local authorities. Taking her mentor Sheela Devi’s advice, Annu prioritized education over marriage. This decision not only led to a career in the police department but also turned her into a valuable member of the Kishori Samooh, a youth platform dedicated to empowering young women facing similar challenges.

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Prajakta Koli

Prajakta Koli, an actor, YouTuber, and social media personality, represented India as the sole content creator invited by Google to speak at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai from November 30 to December 12, 2023. Serving as the UNDP India Youth Climate Champion, she actively engaged in panel discussions, advocating for awareness on climate change, global warming, and biodiversity loss. Koli emphasized the disproportionate impact of environmental changes on marginalized communities and underscored the importance of collective action, sharing inspiring anecdotes of governmental, communal, and individual efforts making tangible differences.

Kaushalya Dawar

A 26-year-old youth entrepreneur from Bijasan village in Barwani Block, Barwani, Kaushalya Dawar is an inspiration to her community. Kaushalya has overcome challenges such as a small profit margin from her boutique shop and limited educational opportunities. Thanks to Transform Rural India (TRI)  which strives to provide underserved Indians like her with equal opportunities and synergises with multiple stakeholders to break the cycle of rural poverty,   she connected with Reena, a youth fellow. Reena recognized Kaushalya’s potential and encouraged her to enroll in the Accelerated Entrepreneurship Development Program (AEDP). Here she expanded her business knowledge via gender-integrated AEDP training. With the support of Reena, she registered her business, enhanced her signage, and enabled digital payments. Securing a Mudra Scheme loan facilitated by the Canara Bank, Kaushalya’s enterprise has thrived, offering employment and basic beauty services. Looking ahead, she aims to provide more job opportunities and invest in her child’s education for a brighter future.

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However, some women are changing this narrative and showing how to break new ground. They are not only contributing to the rural economy but also changing social dynamics within their communities. Hailing from different parts of India, these women are standing up to counter gender bias in climate action, opposing child marriage, and challenging social stigma and prejudices in the heart of rural India through their brave initiatives. Dolly Sarpanch As a two-time woman Sarpanch in Bihar's Gaya district, Dolly wants to encourage greater women's involvement in policy-making processes and is challenging societal norms that associate seats of power with men. She has petitioned the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in Bihar to issue directives to penalise government employees who promote the 'Sarpanch Pati Culture' in Bihar. Her demand is clear: those found supporting male representation on behalf of elected women representatives must face consequences. She has also fought gender discrimination herself, and with the help of Nguvu Collective, an organisation actively working towards empowering change leaders from marginalised communities, she aims to spread awareness about the power of women leaders. Roshni Perween A resident of Kishanganj, Bihar, Roshni is a survivor of child marriage. A Muslim woman from the Surajpuri community, she is now a fierce advocate of women's empowerment and wants to bring change in a community where illiteracy and child marriage is rampant. The Change Leader has garnered significant backing from Nguvu Collective, for her efforts to prevent multiple child marriages within her village. Roshni has embarked on a journey of digital advocacy by initiating an online petition aiming to put an end to child marriage in the Seemanchal region of Bihar by 2024. Mausam Kumari Since 2016, Mausam has held a leadership position within a Kishori Samooh (Adolescent Group) in Bihar, where she actively champions the cause of adolescent health. Recognizing the urgent need for menstrual hygiene, she mobilised her group to collectively procure and distribute sanitary pads with the support of the Population Foundation of India. Mausam also highlighted crucial concerns during a meeting with Bihar Health Minister and Executive Director, of State Health Society Bihar, including the lack of information on adolescent health and the unavailability of sanitary pads for economically disadvantaged girls. Consequently, an adolescent health corner was set up at the Sub-Divisional Hospital in Rajauli. Trained ANMs now offer counseling services, representing a significant stride in meeting the healthcare requirements of adolescents, especially girls, in Bihar. Rohini Patnaik Rohini Patnaik is inspired by the nutritional richness of millet, one of India's oldest staple foods. The leader of a self-help group (SHG), Patnaik decided to establish a 'millets cafe' to bring the goodness of this wholesome grain to the larger community of rural Raipur. Empowered by Transform Rural India (TRI), designers of development solutions that work on bringing equal opportunities to rural areas, she founded this cafe which quickly captured the hearts of Raipur's residents with its diverse and delicious offerings. Its resounding success also drew the attention of Prime Minister Modi, who visited and lauded it. Varsha Raikwar Varsha is much more than a vibrant radio jockey from Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh. Having experienced first-hand how conversations about climate change often exclude women, she now passionately strives to inspire more women to volunteer and join initiatives related to climate action. 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