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When death and hardship knocked at her door, Manju did not let it knock her down. Instead, she decided to enter the male bastion of the Jaipur Railway station and take up the decidedly male profession of "coolie" (porter) - the first woman in the entire North Western Railway region to do so! Here she talks about her insecurities, her concerns and her sources of strength in dealing with surely one of the toughest jobs in the world.

They might have initially contested from the women’s quota, but these ladies have proved themselves so well that they have been winning in the general quota ever since. And why not – when one woman sarpanch is all it takes to get a proper road, electricity, 25 hand pumps, four tube wells, old age pension for 50 women, and much, much more! Meet some amazing women sarpanches of Rajasthan.

Farmers, especially the women farmers, in rural India are often at the receiving ends of long drawn legal battles regarding land and property that often conclude in bringing the families to the brink of poverty. Read about an organization that has tied up with the Andhra Pradesh government to provide free legal aid to farmers in the state and provide some relief from unnecessary harassment.

While growing up in her home state of Mizoram, Pi Sangkhumi witnessed various atrocities and injustice meted out to women. She realized that it was largely due to the archaic laws, regressive customs, and low levels of literacy and awareness among women. She made it her life's mission to make things right, and now, after 40 years of hard work, she has reason to smile!

The wonderful tradition of village women gathering around a common oven to make rotis may have become a thing of the past in that state. But the 'sanjha chulha' (community kitchen) has been rekindled in the villages of the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, albeit with a small modification. Keeping up with the changing times, instead of the earthen oven, it is the sanjha gas that the Shekhawati women are sharing today. There are many advantages of a sanjha gas facility.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, we have been profiling amazing, gritty and inspiring women all of this week. Today, we bring to you the story of an IAF officer, who has scaled many heights, including the daunting Mount Everest!

Being blind can be difficult for anyone to accept. In a country like India, it is sometimes all the more demanding due to societal attitudes and lack of access. Preeti Monga has been visually impaired since age six. Here she recounts, in her own words, the challenges she has had to face and the courage she found to not only overcome them, but also start an organization to help persons with disability. Truly, an inspiring woman.

A unique concept - boat clinics - are offering crucial medical assistance, advice on family planning, and most importantly, hope to the millions living in the many small, flood-prone islands in Assam where hospitals and dedicated medical centres are unheard of, and at many times in the year, inaccessible.

Collecting fodder and firewood to keep the household running would once take four hours of Sunita Arya’s time in Almora district of Uttarakhand every day. Today, she spend just half-an-hour on the same chores. What brought about this almost magical turnaround? The systematic protection of the village forest, thanks to an effective 'van panchayat' (forest governance unit).