women empowerment

When her father passed away, Tumpa Das from Birbhum, West Bengal, stepped into his role at the local crematorium — a job rarely held by women. Over the last decade, she has performed more than 5,000 cremations, breaking gender barriers with courage and compassion.

In Dhemaji, Assam, designer Jagrity Phukan is leading a quiet revolution through her venture, Way of Living Studio. Rooted in sustainability and community, she’s reviving Assam’s heritage silks — Muga and Eri — while empowering rural women, many of them survivors of violence, to earn dignified livelihoods.

Two decades ago, Rajiv Khandelwal and Krishnavatar Sharma started Aajeevika Bureau to make India’s invisible workers seen. Today, their effort has helped 12 lakh migrant workers reclaim Rs 120 crore in wages — and something even bigger: their dignity.

When doctors dismissed her severe period pain, Lucknow-based educator Zarine Garcia decided no girl or boy should feel the same. Through the Study Hall Foundation, her sessions have reached 4,500 students across rural Uttar Pradesh, breaking years of silence around menstruation.

Inspired by the Kargil War, Sunita Pahal rose from rural Haryana to become an IAF Wing Commander, proving that military isn’t just for boys, it’s for anyone with courage and resilience.

In parts of Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, women are still confined to ‘kurma ghars’ during menstruation — a practice rooted in deep-seated stigma and unsafe traditions. NGOs like Making The Difference and SPARSH are revamping these huts.

After working for seven years at the Supreme Court, Meenakshi chose a different path of building a cafe run entirely by women, where food, confidence, and independence are served fresh every day.

Advocate Varsha Deshpande has spent three decades fearlessly fighting female foeticide and gender violence, leading sting operations that brought notorious doctors to justice.

Roundglass Foundation’s ‘The Billion Tree Project’ has planted over 3 million native trees across Punjab, restoring biodiversity, improving soil and water health, and creating thousands of jobs for women and youth. Learn how this movement is improving lives.

In 2007, Safeena Husain began with 50 Rajasthan villages. Today, Educate Girls has enrolled 1.4M girls in 30,000 villages and is the first Indian NGO to win Magsaysay.