The village of Bibipur, or ‘Women’s World’, is an inspiration for thousands of other villages in India. It is located in the state of Haryana, known for its skewed sex ratio in favor of boys, ‘honor’ killings, and the general low status of women. Bibipur, however, has emerged as an example of hope.
The face of Bibipur changed when Sunil Jaglan was appointed head of the village in 2010. From fighting for the rights of women to bringing technology into the lives of the villagers, this admirable leader has left no stone unturned to change the way Haryana villages are perceived.
‘We focused on solving this problem by spreading awareness about women’s issues and bringing women into the limelight. The first step was to organize a general assembly of clan leaders where thousands of village women gathered and talked about the sensitive issue of female feticide. In the general assembly, the women have a chance to speak their minds, which they couldn’t do earlier’, says Jaglan. They even demanded an amendment in the Indian Penal Code to book the culprits of female feticide with charges of murder.
In order to bring more attention to female feticide, Jaglan organized several awareness campaigns and events. He launched an initiative to bring granddaughters and grandmothers together on the same platform to give all generations equal importance. The idea was to bring women of all age groups out to talk about their issues and share their stories.
Also, ‘In villages where people had not even seen a computer, we used technology to spread awareness. We showed them videos on female feticide and organized debates and seminars. Our village has a big stage where we organize regular events. Women actively step up to the podium and talk about their issues’, says Jaglan. But the people of Bibipur do not just believe in talking; forty women-oriented village houses have been created with the purpose of bringing women out of their houses to look for solutions to their concerns together.
Once the city council’s work started giving positive results, the village received recognition and various awards from the government. All the money from prizes was spent on the development of the village, which now has its own website where the latest updates and developments in the village are posted on a regular basis. According to Jaglan, ‘We put the entire system in front of the villagers to maintain transparency and ensure that the council’s funds are being utilized in the right way’.
Bibipur residents have had their share of difficulties too. Jaglan has been under tremendous political pressure and even received a notice of suspension once, but the villagers rallied behind him and started a protest to bring him back into power. Bibipur and its good governance are famous today thanks to the intelligent efforts of its leader and the village residents.
Intelligent efforts are essential.
Source: thebetterindia.com
