Tribal women transforming communities: Empowerment, education and self-reliance across Bharat — 17 inspiring stories

India’s tribal heartlands have long been marked by isolation, underdevelopment, and systemic neglect. For decades, generations of tribal communities faced barriers in education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and women’s rights, compounded by geographical remoteness and socio-political challenges. Yet, over the past decade, a new wave of leadership has emerged from within these communities, driven by courage, vision, and relentless determination. Tribal women have not only challenged societal norms but have created transformative models of empowerment and self-reliance that are inspiring communities nationwide.

These women’s initiatives span critical areas: education, health, nutrition, environmental conservation, livelihoods, women’s rights, and social justice. Their work demonstrates that grassroots leadership, when nurtured with persistence and insight, can bring measurable social change even in the most marginalised regions. Many of these leaders have risked personal safety, faced societal resistance, and worked with minimal external support, yet they remain committed to the holistic upliftment of their communities.

From forming self-help groups and promoting sustainable income-generating activities to spearheading campaigns for girls’ education, land rights, and health awareness, these women have rewritten the narrative of tribal development. National recognition through awards such as the Padma Shri, Nari Shakti Puraskar, Rani Lakshmibai Bravery Award, and international fellowships underscores the significance of their contributions.

This report documents the journey of 17 inspirational women whose work between 2017 and 2026 has strengthened the social fabric of tribal India. Each story is a testament to perseverance, courage, and visionary action.

1. Dr. Budri Tati Honoured With Padma Award for Four Decades of Service to Tribal Welfare

Jagdalpur: Dr. Budri Tati of Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh has been honoured with a Padma award for her four decades of dedicated service in the fields of tribal welfare, education, and women’s empowerment. The announcement recognises her long-standing work among forest-dwelling communities in remote regions of the state.

Born into a tribal family in Hiranar village near Geedam in Dantewada district, Dr. Tati chose the path of social service nearly four decades ago during her youth. Widespread illiteracy, poverty, addiction, and the particularly poor educational condition of girls in tribal-dominated areas deeply affected her and shaped her decision to work for social change.

Accepting these challenges, she began working with a sense of dedication toward the welfare of forest-dwelling communities and has remained continuously engaged in service since then. Her efforts in remote forest areas have focused on education, awareness, and development initiatives, leading to the announcement of the Padma award in recognition of her contribution to social service.

Dr. Tati, a 61-year-old unmarried tribal social worker, has devoted her entire life to tribal welfare and women’s empowerment. During her work, she has also faced threats from Maoist groups but continued her activities without interruption. Her service work remains ongoing.

Over the years, she has travelled to nearly 600 villages, connecting forest-dwelling communities with awareness and development programmes. Popularly known as “Badi Didi” in forest regions, she supported victims of violence during the Salwa Judum movement against Maoist violence in 2005. To promote girls’ education, she also established a residential school in Bhanpuri in Bastar district.

In Hiranar, Dr. Tati founded the Maa Shankhini Mahila Utthan Sanstha to carry out public service activities. Thirty children from poor families currently reside there and receive education through the institution. She does not receive any government assistance for this work. From 1984 to 2009, she was also associated with the All India Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in Barsur.

Before the concept of women’s self-help groups and small-scale savings activities took root in Bastar, Dr. Tati had already begun encouraging women to save money by forming groups known as “Bachat Gatta.” Today, hundreds of women are members of these groups.

Dr. Tati’s father, Chaitu Tati, passed away when she was one year old. Her mother, Soni Tati, raised four children under difficult circumstances. The youngest among her siblings, Budri reached the ashram of Sada Premanand Maharaj in Gumargunda at the age of six. Maharaj was engaged in work related to tribal welfare and education and was also a relative of the Tati family.

She completed her education up to Class 10. Although opportunities for further education and employment were available, the condition of forest-dwelling communities distressed her. Observing children arriving at the ashram from distant areas, she resolved to remain unmarried and dedicate her life to service. Her elder brother, Sukhdev Tati, has also been involved in social work through his association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The Chhattisgarh government honoured Dr. Budri Tati with the Mini Mata Award in 2007. In 2017, Pandit Sundarlal Sharma Open University conferred upon her the title of Directorate. She has also received several awards at the local level and has been honoured by multiple voluntary organisations for her work in the field of social service.

2. Odisha Tribal Woman Works for 25 Years to Free Communities From Bonded Labour

Sambalpur: A tribal woman from western Odisha has been working independently for the upliftment of tribal communities for the past 25 years, with a focus on freeing them from bonded labour, improving health awareness, and promoting education and self-reliance.

Sanjulata Naik, 45, a resident of Odiapali village in the Laikera block of Jharsuguda district, has devoted her life to serving poor and marginalised tribal populations across western Odisha. For more than two decades, she has worked without remuneration with the stated objective of ensuring that tribal families remain disease-free, debt-free, and protected from bonded labour.

Officials and local residents have acknowledged her long-standing involvement in education and health initiatives. Jharsuguda District Social Welfare Officer Punyavati Helen Khes said she has known Sanjulata since 2002 and stated that she has consistently worked in villages for the welfare of the poor, particularly in the fields of education and health. She added that Sanjulata has collaborated with various organisations in Sambalpur to provide training to tribal boys and girls to help them become self-reliant.

Sanjulata has also been involved in spreading awareness about serious illnesses such as cancer and encouraging education and self-sufficiency among tribal communities. After completing her graduation from Sundargarh Government Women’s College, she chose social service over employment. She decided not to marry in order to dedicate her time and energy fully to social work.

Sanjulata is the youngest of six siblings and has been working with tribal women since 2000. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she distributed food and masks to poor families. Since 2016, she has been pursuing a goal of spreading cancer awareness across 500 villages in western Odisha, inspired by her elder sister’s diagnosis of breast cancer.

Sanjulata stated that after her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, she intensified her efforts to raise awareness about the disease. She has also been providing free meals and transportation support to family members of poor cancer patients admitted to hospitals.

She carries out her work without government assistance, relying instead on support from friends, relatives, and well-wishers. Her activities include encouraging the adoption of natural and organic food, planting medicinal plants, and promoting self-reliance. She also provides free beauty parlour and tailoring training to help prevent migration for bonded labour.

In recognition of her service, Sanjulata has been honoured with the Jyotiba Phule Fellowship by the Dalit Sahitya Academy in Delhi, along with the Kalinga Kanya Samman and several other awards.

3. Aarti Rana’s Initiative Brings Economic Self-Reliance to 10,000 Tribal Women in Uttar Pradesh

Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh: An initiative led by social entrepreneur and handloom weaver Aarti Rana has transformed the lives of around 10,000 Tharu tribal women in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district by building a self-sustaining rural economy based on handlooms and traditional crafts.

About three decades ago, women from the Tharu tribal community in the district were largely confined to their villages, married at an early age, and engaged primarily in domestic and agricultural labour. Over time, this situation has changed with the formation of 350 self-help groups comprising Tharu women, who are now collectively engaged in handloom weaving and handicraft production.

Rana, who belongs to the Tharu community, grew up following similar social patterns. She was married at 18 and became a mother by 20. In the early years of her marriage, she enrolled in a skilling programme under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, which marked a turning point in her life and later influenced women across her panchayat.

The Tharu tribal community primarily resides in the Terai region of Nepal and adjoining areas of northern India, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Bihar. Traditionally agrarian, the community is known for its indigenous medicinal practices. However, displacement, colonial-era policies, caste-based discrimination, and changes in healthcare systems affected the continuity of these practices.

Rana learned stitching as a child from her mother. In 2015, when the NRLM programme reached her village, she was among five women who enrolled despite resistance from family members. As part of the programme, she travelled outside her village for training, learned handloom weaving, and produced items such as dharis. The training highlighted the economic potential of locally available materials.

Following the initial programme, the district administration encouraged participants to form self-help groups and train others. Rana took the initiative to expand the effort, travelling across her panchayat to mobilise women and convince their families to allow participation. According to her account, families gradually agreed after seeing income generated from sales during the training period.

Of the 25 participants in the initial training, Rana was the only one to continue the work. She collected unused looms from others and began training women in nearby villages. Within a month, 350 self-help groups were formed across 44 villages. To address challenges in procuring raw materials, the groups began collecting old and unused textiles from households and upcycling them into new products.

With support from organisations such as the Integrated Tribal Development Project and the World Wide Fund for Nature, the initiative expanded further. During the COVID-19 lockdown, women produced baskets and pen stands using moonji grass. These products, along with handloom items, were showcased at government exhibitions organised by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India.

Rana noted that despite moonji grass growing abundantly in forests near their villages, the groups often had to procure it from other towns due to restrictions on access to forest resources. She stated that this posed logistical and economic challenges for forest-dwelling communities without formal rights over local resources.

Two self-help groups led by Rana, Tharu Hath Karga Gharelu Udyog, which focuses on handloom weaving and handicrafts, and the Gautam Self-Employment Group under NRLM, which produces carpets, baskets, and bags, have since grown into established operations.

Members of these groups have reported financial improvements. Sunita Rana, a single mother of two and a member of the self-help groups, stated that she earns between 10,000 and 12,000 per month, enabling her to support her family and finance her elder son’s education in a private college in Delhi.

4. Kheema Jethi Works for 23 Years for Upliftment of Uttarakhand’s Only Primitive Vanraji Tribe

Pithoragarh: Para-legal volunteer Kheema Jethi has been working for the upliftment of the Vanraji community, Uttarakhand’s only primitive tribal group, for the past 23 years across villages in Pithoragarh and Champawat districts. The Vanraji community is confined to 10 villages spread across these two districts.

After being appointed as a para-legal volunteer in 2019, Jethi has been creating awareness among the landless Vanraji families living in forested areas about their legal rights and entitlements. She has assisted community members in obtaining land leases from the government and continues to pursue related efforts.

Jethi regularly travels through difficult forest terrain to reach Vanraji settlements, where she works to raise awareness among women about health and education. As a result of these efforts, girls from the community, which traditionally lived away from urban areas and public interaction, have begun attending school.

The Vanraji tribe resides in nine villages of the Dharchula and Didihat tehsils of Pithoragarh district, located near the Nepal border, and one village in Champawat district. Locally known as Vanrawat, the tribe has a total population of about 1,000.

Traditionally dependent on forests for survival, the landless Vanraji community continues to rely on forest resources for its livelihood. Although many families have moved from caves and mountainous shelters to temporary and permanent houses, limited access to education, healthcare, and social engagement has kept the community among the most marginalised.

Even men of the community earlier hesitated to interact with people outside their settlements. Jethi, a resident of Jethi village in Didihat tehsil, began working to address these challenges and has remained engaged for more than two decades to connect the Vanraji community with the mainstream.

Reaching Vanraji villages often required Jethi to walk distances of 10 to 15 kilometres through narrow trails, rivers, streams, and forest paths. The nearest Vanraji village, Pulekh, is located around 10 kilometres from her home.

Coming from a family with limited income, Jethi associated herself with a voluntary organisation and began engaging directly with Vanraji families, particularly women. She informed them about government welfare schemes, explained their rights and duties, and encouraged girls to attend school. She also prepared community members to participate in departmental camps organised in nearby towns.

Over time, Vanraji women began holding meetings within their villages and engaging with government processes. After becoming a para-legal volunteer in 2019, Jethi focused on securing land rights for the landless community. Working with Arpan Sanstha, she facilitated forest land rights certificates for 83 families under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and helped 10 families obtain land through government grants.

She also assisted community members in accessing Aadhaar cards, ration cards, benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, and labour cards. In addition, counselling sessions were organised to address alcohol addiction among men in the community. Residents continue to approach her for assistance with income, caste, domicile, birth, and death certificates.

According to Jethi, the Vanraji population stood at 526 as per the 2011 Census. Due to lack of healthcare awareness and facilities, infant mortality rates were high, raising concerns about the survival of the community. Continued government and non-government interventions, along with sustained engagement with women, led to a decline in infant mortality after 2014-15. Improvements in women’s health and nutrition followed, and the community’s population has now increased to 1,006.

5. Chami Murmu Awarded Padma Shri for Environmental Conservation and Women’s Empowerment

Seraikela-Kharsawan: Tribal environmentalist and social worker Chami Murmu has been conferred the Padma Shri award for her contributions to environmental conservation and women’s empowerment. The award was presented on January 26, 2024.

A resident of Rajnagar block in Seraikela-Kharsawan district of Jharkhand, Murmu has been engaged for more than three decades in initiatives related to environmental protection and the economic empowerment of tribal women. She has formed around 2,300 self-help groups and connected thousands of tribal women with self-employment opportunities.

Through these groups, women have been supported in accessing bank loans and provided training in goat and pig rearing, mat making, and advanced farming practices, enabling them to become self-reliant.

In the field of environmental conservation, Murmu has planted more than 3 million saplings over the past 33 years. Her continuous plantation campaigns have focused on transforming barren land into green cover and have contributed to turning tree plantation into a public movement.

Known as “Lady Tarzan,” Murmu has received recognition for her sustained social and environmental work. Earlier, in 2020, she was honoured with the Nari Shakti Award on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

The Padma Shri recognition marks national acknowledgement of her long-standing efforts in environmental conservation and women’s empowerment.

6. Dayamani Barla Recognised for Decades of Activism and Advocacy for Adivasi Rights

Jharkhand: Adivasi rights activist, journalist, and conservationist Dayamani Barla has been named the 2023 Lowell Greeley Peace Scholar by the University of Massachusetts. Reacting to the recognition, Barla stated that the honour belonged to the marginalised communities she represents rather than to her alone.

Barla was born into a Munda tribal family in Arhara village of Jharkhand. Her childhood was marked by economic hardship after her father lost his land. She worked as a domestic worker and later as a farm labourer while continuing her education. After completing school, she moved to Ranchi, where she supported herself by working as a maid and completed her graduation.

She later earned a Master’s degree in Journalism from Ranchi University, becoming the first tribal woman journalist in Jharkhand. Barla has contributed to several newspapers and magazines and founded the publication Jan Haq Patrika. She has worked in journalism for more than 15 years without remuneration and supports herself and her team of eight through a small tea shop, which she has described as a space for interaction among activists. She has stated that journalists such as P. Sainath and Prabhat Joshi have visited the tea shop.

Barla began her activism in 1995 with the Koel Karo movement, which opposed the Koel Karo Dam project. She played a role in mobilising the Munda community against the project, which was later scrapped in August 2003.

She was later arrested during the Pathalgadi movement, which demanded the implementation of provisions under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996. The protests were linked to opposition against proposed changes to the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act of 1908 and the Santhal Parganas Tenancy Act of 1876, which were seen as facilitating land acquisition.

Barla has also led campaigns against a proposed steel plant by ArcelorMittal in Jharkhand. The proposed project, with an investment of approximately US$8.79 billion, was planned in Gumla and Khunti districts. Barla has stated that around 25,000 hectares of land would have been acquired for the project. After reviewing memorandums of understanding related to land, water, electricity, and other resources, she mobilised local Adivasi communities who would have been affected. She has said that despite intimidation and threats, the campaign continued and ultimately succeeded.

She has expressed concerns that the proposed project could displace about 40 tribal villages and has questioned the rehabilitation policies of the state government and the company. To lead the opposition, she founded the Adivasi Mulnivasi Astitva Raksha Manch.

Barla has stated that her activism is shaped by her experience of land deprivation and has spoken against the increasing role of corporations in controlling land, water, education, healthcare, and agriculture. She has also linked corporate involvement to policy decisions affecting farmers and land rights.

Despite facing sedition charges and other cases, Barla has received several recognitions for her work. She received the Counter Media Award for Rural Journalism in 2000, funded through royalties from the book Everyone Loves a Good Drought by journalist P. Sainath. In 2004, she was awarded the National Foundation for India Fellowship. In 2013, she received the Ellen L. Lutz Indigenous Rights Award from Cultural Survival.

Barla was selected for the Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies programme, funded by the Greeley Endowment for Peace Studies. As part of the programme, she will serve a limited residency at the University of Massachusetts Lowell during one semester each year. According to a statement from the university, her activism is rooted in the Adivasi people’s right to self-determination and includes movements opposing projects that could displace communities and affect forests and waterways.

As part of the programme, Barla is scheduled to speak on “Jal, Jungle, Zameen, Sangharsh (Water, Forest, Land, Struggle): Stories of Adivasi Resistance and Survival” at the university’s annual Day event on April 6.

7. Padala Bhudevi Works on Tribal Women Empowerment and Nutrition Initiatives in Andhra Pradesh

Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh: Padala Bhudevi, a member of the Savara tribe from Srikakulam district in the north coastal region of Andhra Pradesh, has been working on women empowerment and nutrition-related initiatives among tribal communities. She received the Nari Shakti Puraskar from Ram Nath Kovind on International Women’s Day in 2020.

Bhudevi has spent several years learning to cultivate grains that are easy to grow and has taught farmers about the nutritional value of various foods. She has encouraged the cultivation of crops such as ragi, wheat, barley, and oats. Through these efforts, she has worked with tribal women to support livelihood and food-related initiatives.

Bhudevi has been involved in producing homemade multi-grain biscuits using these crops. According to the information provided, hundreds of women have been employed in this effort. She is described as a farmer, businesswoman, and community leader in Andhra Pradesh.

Bhudevi was married at the age of 11 and faced abuse from her husband and in-laws. She later left her marital home and returned to her hometown, where she began working in agriculture in the year 2000. She initially worked as a daily wage labourer and observed that many people in her village lacked access to adequate and nutritious meals.

She continued to study grain cultivation and shared nutritional knowledge with farmers. Using the grains grown locally, she produced multi-grain biscuits intended to be nutritious, affordable, and palatable. As sales increased, she observed an improvement in nutritional levels within the village. The income generated from the sale of the biscuits was used for the construction of roads, schools, and water facilities. Bhudevi has stated that she envisions creating a global market for these biscuits.

Bhudevi has been associated with the development of tribal women, widows, and Podu lands through a community-based organisation, Chinnai Adivasi Vikas Society (CAVS), which was established by her father in 1996. Following her father’s death in 2007, she took responsibility for the organisation and began living in different villages to interact with women, understand local issues, and work toward solutions.

Her work expanded beyond livelihood concerns to include issues such as access to basic amenities, potable water, health awareness, and education. As part of this process, authorities focused on health-related issues and nutrition awareness. During this period, Bhudevi identified the need to collect, preserve, and cultivate traditional seeds to support food security and income for tribal families.

She collected traditional seeds from families across various villages and undertook their preservation and transplantation. As a result, several families gained access to conventional crop varieties with higher nutritional value.

At present, Bhudevi serves as the Director of Manyam Grains Pvt Ltd and Manyadeepika Farmers Producer Company Ltd. She has also been involved in initiatives aimed at improving mother and child nutritional health, with support from the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA).

Despite being married at a young age and facing mental and physical abuse, Bhudevi raised three daughters and has continued to motivate women to participate in agri-entrepreneurial activities.

8. Fifth-Grade Educated Woman Helps Over 100 Girls Attain Higher Education in Tribal Village

Burhanpur: A significant transformation in girls’ education has been recorded in the tribal-dominated Jhanjhar village near Burhanpur, where the efforts of a local woman have led to more than 100 girls pursuing higher education. The change has taken place despite the fact that the woman who led the initiative, Kamla Raju Charan, is herself educated only up to the fifth grade.

Until two decades ago, most girls in the village were unable to study beyond Class 5 due to prevailing social beliefs within the tribal community regarding urban influence and girls’ education. Families would withdraw girls from school after primary education, assign them household work, and arrange early marriages.

In 2015, Kamla Charan resolved to address this practice and began spreading awareness among villagers about the importance of educating girls. She first enrolled her own two daughters in schools in the city, presenting a practical example to the community. Over time, villagers began to trust her approach and started sending their daughters to larger schools in nearby towns and cities.

As a result, more than 100 girls from the village are currently enrolled in schools and colleges outside the village. For the first time in the village’s 50-year history, around 50 girls have completed education up to Class 12, while a similar number have taken admission in colleges for higher studies.

Jhanjhar village, which falls under Gram Panchayat Jhiri, was established in 1969. Initially inhabited by five to six tribal families, its population has grown to over 3,800. Approximately 84 percent of the residents belong to the Barela and Bhilala communities, with the remaining population from Other Backward Classes.

Kamla Charan stated that due to prevailing social practices, her own parents did not allow her to pursue education beyond Class 5. She was later married within the village and could not continue her studies. While her husband encouraged her to study further, she chose instead to work toward changing social attitudes within the tribal community. She said she received consistent support from her husband in her efforts.

Through sustained community engagement and awareness, Kamla Charan has contributed to a shift in social thinking, enabling greater access to education for girls in the village.

9. Social Worker Shukla Debnath Empowers Tribal Women in Tea Garden Areas of North Bengal

Darjeeling: Social worker Shukla Debnath has been working for several years to promote self-reliance among tribal women and young girls living in tea garden areas of the Dooars region and surrounding areas of Darjeeling. Alongside women’s empowerment, she is also engaged in activities aimed at fostering patriotism among children.

Debnath, who was recently honoured with the “Youngest Social Worker” title by the International Book of Records, shared details of her work and aspirations in an interview. She stated that she was born in New Hasimara in Alipurduar district of West Bengal and witnessed the difficult living conditions of tribal women and young girls in tea gardens from an early age. According to her, many women from these areas fall into unsafe situations while searching for employment, which motivated her to work toward providing them with sustainable livelihoods.

Despite completing a Master’s degree in Sanskrit and a Bachelor of Education, Debnath chose not to pursue conventional employment. She said that at the age of 14, she sold her bicycle to enroll in a beautician course so that she could later train women in employable skills. For the past eight years, she has been working as a makeup artist and private tutor while training women and girls from tea garden areas including Subhashini, Kalchini, Mach Para, and Chamurchi tea gardens in North Bengal.

Debnath provides free education, beautician training, and karate classes for underprivileged girls. She stated that more than 3,000 girls have been empowered through her initiatives. She also distributes stationery items and sanitary pads to young girls and women in tea garden regions, noting that many women are unaware of or unable to afford sanitary pads. Along with awareness, she provides these items free of cost.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Debnath said she walked to remote areas to distribute food, fruits, and clothing to more than 2,000 people. She also provided safety kits to poor and needy individuals using her own funds. For her social work, she has received multiple awards and recognitions. In addition to the International Book of Records honour, she has appeared in an episode of the West Bengal reality show Didi No. 1 and has been honoured with the Bango Samaj Award. She has also received recognition from a social organization in Bangladesh for her work on women’s awareness.

Debnath stated that poorly educated and economically vulnerable women often become victims of exploitation under the pretext of employment. She aims to prevent such exploitation by providing skills-based work opportunities and also teaches handicrafts to women at home. She said this approach helps women achieve self-reliance while reducing the risk of exploitation and human trafficking.

According to Debnath, she sets aside one-third of her income specifically for the welfare of poor and needy people, so that assistance can be provided whenever required. She added that she considers the poor and helpless as her role models.

10. Meri Soren Connects Tribal Women With Self-Employment, Promotes Education in Border Region

Katihar: The Shah Nagar area under Gauripur Panchayat in Pranpur block, located along the Bihar-West Bengal border, has witnessed a visible shift in livelihood patterns, according to local reports. The change has been led by Meri Soren, who has been working to connect tribal women with self-employment opportunities and encourage tribal girls to pursue education.

Local sources stated that earlier, a section of residents in the area was involved in the illicit liquor trade. Following the enforcement of prohibition, many tribal families began adopting alternative livelihood options. Meri Soren has been actively involved in guiding women toward self-reliance while also motivating tribal students to continue their studies and aim for higher education.

Meri Soren belongs to the Santhal community. She passed her matriculation examination in 2015 but discontinued her studies due to a lack of funds for intermediate education. She stated that her family’s financial condition was weak, with both parents frequently ill, and she also looks after her younger brother while supporting his education.

To support her household, Soren learned the craft of making bamboo baskets and winnowing trays and adopted it as a source of self-employment. She subsequently encouraged other tribal women and girls to learn the craft and take it up as a livelihood option. Over time, the demand for bamboo products increased, and the weekly market held every Saturday in a nearby area of West Bengal became a key source of income for her family.

Soren stated that she believes social development is not possible without education. According to local accounts, changes are now visible in the village, with more children attending school. She regularly visits households to raise awareness among tribal women about the importance of education and provides information related to handicraft production while encouraging self-employment.

11. Soni Sori and Bela Bhatia Continue Human Rights Work for Adivasis and Women in Conflict-Hit Bastar

Dantewada, Chattisgarh: Two women human rights defenders, Soni Sori and Bela Bhatia, have remained at the forefront of efforts related to Adivasi and women’s rights in the conflict-affected Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, according to accounts of their work and experiences.

Chhattisgarh has been affected for years by violence involving Maoist groups and security forces. In this context, Soni Sori and Bela Bhatia have been identified by local Adivasi communities as individuals providing support during crises and pursuing human rights-related interventions. Their work has taken place amid ongoing risks posed by state forces, the Central Reserve Police Force, and Maoist groups.

Soni Sori belongs to the Koya tribe of Dantewada district. She was employed as a school teacher but left her job after refusing to act as a police informer. Following allegations of contact with Maoists, she and her family members were subjected to repeated actions by security forces. In 2011, she was arrested on charges including sedition and allegations of acting as a courier for Maoists in an extortion case involving an industrial group.

During her detention, Sori faced prosecution, custodial torture, and sexual assault. A court-mandated investigation later found that she had been subjected to physical torture while in police custody. After her release, she continued working on issues related to Adivasi and women’s rights in Bastar.

Her family members were also affected by the conflict. In 2012, Maoists reportedly issued an order preventing her relatives from cultivating land for three years. In separate incidents, her father, Mundra Ram, was shot in the leg by Maoists, resulting in permanent disability. Sori later stated that the individual responsible had surrendered and joined the District Reserve Group. She attributed continued harassment and attempts at defamation to both state authorities and Maoist groups.

Sori lost her husband to illness in 2013; he had previously been accused of being a Maoist supporter. She currently lives with her three children, her father, and two adolescent children who lost their parents in a 2017 incident in Burkapal village of Sukma district during a reported CRPF operation.

Bela Bhatia has worked in Bastar as a researcher and human rights lawyer based in Jagdalpur. Since January 2018, she has handled legal cases related to Adivasi communities, appearing in courts in Jagdalpur, Dantewada, and Kondagaon. According to her statements, her legal work has focused on criminal law and labour law from a human rights perspective, particularly in cases involving undertrials and alleged rights violations.

Bhatia first became associated with Bastar in 2006 while working as an associate fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, when she visited the region as part of a committee against violence on women. This period followed the height of the Salwa Judum campaign. Prior to this, she completed her law degree in 1989, earned a doctorate from the University of Cambridge on Naxalism in Bihar, and had a brief academic association with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai.

The Salwa Judum campaign resulted in the displacement of large numbers of Adivasis, destruction of villages, and reported incidents of sexual violence and confinement in camps. Following this period, Bhatia decided to remain in Bastar and continue work related to Adivasi rights, a decision that brought further challenges.

Between October 2015 and March 2016, Bhatia assisted Adivasi women in filing complaints related to alleged gang rape and sexual assault by security personnel and supported documentation efforts by a National Human Rights Commission team. These actions placed her under scrutiny by the Chhattisgarh administration. She was subsequently required to vacate her rented accommodation on the outskirts of Jagdalpur and was publicly labelled a Maoist supporter by a group known as Samajik Ekta Manch, which had been formed with state backing to counter insurgency activities.

Accounts indicate that members of this group included former participants of the now-banned Salwa Judum and that it targeted journalists and activists critical of the administration. Despite these developments, both Soni Sori and Bela Bhatia have continued their work in the region amid ongoing security and political pressures.

12. Renu Sonkar Trains Tribal Women in Employment Skills in Sonbhadra

Bijpur (Sonbhadra): Renu Sonkar, a 24-year-old resident of Bijpur in Sonbhadra district, has been working to promote self-employment among women in the highly backward tribal areas of Myorpur block. Through free training in tailoring and embroidery, she has been supporting tribal women in becoming financially independent.

According to information shared locally, Renu Sonkar has trained more than 100 women in stitching and embroidery skills so far. Several families have reportedly secured sources of income through this work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she and the women she trained produced cloth masks and distributed them free of cost in villages. She has also been involved in providing basic education to illiterate women.

Renu Sonkar began her efforts at a young age, focusing on economically disadvantaged tribal women. Many women trained by her are now earning livelihoods through tailoring and supporting their families. Owing to her continued work, a Delhi-based non-governmental organisation, Manav Kalyani Seva Trust, associated with her initiatives. After joining the organisation, she has been involved in distributing sanitary pads, iron and vitamin tablets, nutritional supplements, and assisting women in obtaining health cards free of cost.

She stated that while working independently she faced financial difficulties, but support from the organisation helped expand her activities. According to her account, health cards have been issued to around 700 tribal women, enabling them to access free treatment during illness. She added that tailoring skills have opened employment opportunities for women and helped them contribute to household income.

During the COVID-19 period, Renu Sonkar continued her outreach by visiting villages to distribute masks and raise awareness about the infection. She said that several misconceptions about COVID-19 existed among tribal communities and that efforts were made to address them through direct communication.

In addition, she has been working to spread awareness among women about health issues related to menstruation. She stated that misconceptions on this subject are prevalent among tribal women and that she has been addressing them at her level, while noting that additional support from the health department could lead to better outcomes.

13. Jharkhand Woman Works to Improve Mental Health and Combat Malnutrition

Jharkhand: For the past 12 years, 31-year-old Sumitra Gagrai has been working in the field of mental health improvement while also addressing malnutrition among children in the state. Through her efforts, the lives of 36,000 tribal women have been impacted. According to the available information, her work has contributed to a reduction in maternal and infant mortality rates in Jharkhand. Born into a tribal community, Gagrai has also been actively involved in initiatives against increasing child malnutrition. In recognition of these efforts, she was awarded the Women Exemplar Award in the health category by the CII Foundation in 2020.

Gagrai joined the rural health programme Ekjut at the age of 17. As a result of her continued work, awareness related to health issues has increased in the poverty-affected West Singhbhum region of Jharkhand.

She was married into an extremely poor family, where, after giving birth to two daughters, she faced taunts from her in-laws. She also experienced domestic violence from her husband and in-laws. Ongoing family conflict affected her mental health. During this period, she became associated with a self-help group and shared her difficulties. Women from the group spoke with her husband, following which a change in his behaviour was reported, and her family life improved.

Another significant event occurred when her 16-year-old sister died by suicide due to mental health issues. Gagrai stated that she realised her sister might have survived if attention had been given to her mental condition in time. Following this incident, she began helping people facing mental distress and also started providing counselling services.

14. Married at 11, Chandrakali Now Works to Make Tribal Women Self-Reliant

Dindori: Due to her family’s financial hardship, Chandrakali Markam was married at the age of 11, which also led to the discontinuation of her education after Class 5. Today, the 35-year-old resident of Kuraili, a tribal village in the Samnapur area, is engaged in efforts to encourage tribal and Baiga communities to educate their daughters and ensure marriage at the appropriate age.

Chandrakali has connected more than 500 self-help groups across 23 villages in the Amarpur and Samnapur blocks, forming a federation. According to available figures, the federation recorded a turnover of ₹18 crore during 2019-20 and savings of ₹8 lakh.

She stated that her marriage took place in 1996 with Mohan Singh. In 2006, she began working with the social organisation Pradan. During the initial phase, she faced opposition from both her family and members of society. With government assistance, she started poultry farming in 2006 and later established a poultry farm cooperative. Initially, only a small number of women joined, but as profits increased, participation grew to nearly 2,000 women. She also encourages women to develop kitchen gardens as an additional source of income.

For her work in promoting entrepreneurship skills and advancing tribal villages, Chandrakali was honoured in 2020 with the Woman Exemplar Award in the micro-enterprise category by the Confederation of Indian Industry Foundation.

Chandrakali advocates equal property rights for daughters and urges parents to arrange marriages only after their daughters reach the appropriate age. She raises these issues during group meetings. She has also expressed her aspiration for her daughter, Manisha, to become a lawyer.

Chandrakali Markam is running special awareness campaigns in tribal- and Baiga-dominated villages. Commenting on her work, Samnapur Janpad CEO A.S. Kushram stated that efforts would be made to provide government support to make her campaign more effective.

15. Tribal Woman Walks 32 Kilometres Daily to Protect Baiga Communities from Disease

Balaghat: A 52-year-old tribal woman from Adori village in Balaghat district travels on foot through forested and Naxal-affected areas every day to connect Baiga tribal communities with government health services and welfare schemes.

Raya Parte, a resident of Adori village under the Birsa Janpad Panchayat, covers nearly 32 kilometres daily while visiting remote forest villages. During the monsoon season, she often spends nights in these villages to continue her work. According to reports, her efforts have led to an increase in Baiga tribal men, women, and children visiting hospitals for treatment.

Over the past decade, the number of deaths caused by illness has declined in more than a dozen Naxal-affected villages. Raya Parte stated that she visits Adori and surrounding villages every day to monitor the health of Baiga tribal families. If someone is found to be ill, she encourages them to seek treatment at government hospitals. For those unwilling to travel, she arranges ambulance services to ensure medical care.

Raya Parte recalled that about 15 years ago, five Baiga tribals from Adori village died during a fever outbreak due to lack of treatment. She said that many villagers feared hospitals, believing that medical treatment would be costly. Following these deaths, she resolved to inform Baiga communities about government health schemes and the importance of timely treatment. She then began visiting villages regularly and accompanying patients to hospitals.

In recognition of her work, the health department assigned her the role of ASHA Sahyogini during 2008-2009.

Raya Parte provides health-related information in several Baiga tribal villages, including Ghummur, Murkuta, Parsai, Kod Birkona, Chikhli, Maliya, Rajna, Mahuapani, Como, Kundekasa, Bondari, and Ursekal, among others. All of these villages are reported to be Naxal-affected. She spends approximately three hours each day in a single village, walking alone through forest routes regardless of weather conditions. Due to late hours, she often stays overnight in these villages and carries food supplies with her.

16. Jharkhand’s Sunita Devi Recognised for Empowering Tribal Women Through Masonry Work

Latehar, Jharkhand: Sunita Devi, a resident of Udaypura village in Latehar district, has been selected for the Nari Shakti Puraskar for her work in the economic and social empowerment of tribal women. The award will be presented by the President of India on March 8, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, at a “A CEREMONY HELD” in the national capital, along with a cash prize of ₹1 lakh.

Sunita Devi, also known as Rani Mistri, began her work under compulsion but later turned it into a sustained effort toward women’s empowerment. Walking through village paths, she worked to raise awareness among women and entered the field of masonry, traditionally considered a male occupation. She became skilled in both hand pump repair and construction masonry and began training women in these trades.

According to the report, Sunita Devi belongs to a tribal community and lives in Udaypura village of Latehar district. Her work led to her selection for the Nari Shakti Puraskar, which is conferred annually by the Government of India’s Ministry of Women and Child Development on selected women across the country for exceptional contributions to women’s empowerment.

Sunita Devi told IANS that two years earlier, a self-help group working in Udaypura was assigned the construction of 100 toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission. Due to the unavailability of masons or their refusal to undertake small-scale work, she took up the tools herself. She received basic training from the district administration and began working as a mason.

She subsequently constructed toilets with a group of 20-25 women. The work not only generated income but also encouraged further participation. Over time, Sunita Devi trained more than 1,500 rural women as masons.

17. Tulasi Apa: Odisha Activist Educates Over 20,000 Children in Five Decades

Keonjhar, Odisha: Tulasi Munda, widely known as Tulasi Apa, has spent more than 50 years fighting illiteracy in her tribal community, educating over 20,000 children and shaping the future of countless families. Her work, rooted in the villages of Keonjhar district, has earned her national recognition, including the Padma Shri award.

Born in 1947 in Kainshi village, Tulasi grew up in one of Odisha’s most underdeveloped regions. As a child, she was unable to attend school due to the lack of educational facilities and the necessity to assist her widowed mother at home. At the age of 12, she moved to her sister’s village, Serenda, where she worked in iron mines for minimal wages while teaching herself the basics of reading and writing.

In 1961, Tulasi came into contact with social reformers including Malti Chaudhury, Roma Devi, Nirmala Deshpande, and Vinobha Bhave during the Bhoodan Andolan. Inspired by their dedication to education and social welfare, she resolved to dedicate her life to teaching, particularly focusing on tribal girls who were often denied schooling.

Returning to Serenda in 1964, Tulasi began evening classes in the verandah of the local pradhan’s house, teaching 30 children the alphabets and numbers. Convincing parents to send their children to school required persistent outreach, and Tulasi even sold puffed rice and vegetables to fund her efforts. By 1966, the growing number of students prompted her to move classes to a plot of land under a Mahua tree, providing space for more children.

Over the next five decades, Tulasi established 17 schools and expanded educational opportunities for both boys and girls. Today, the Adivasi Vikas Samiti School in Serenda enrolls more than 500 students, with over half being girls. Her dedication to education has also addressed wider social issues, including poverty, unemployment, and superstition in her community.

In recognition of her extraordinary efforts, Tulasi Munda was awarded the Padma Shri in 2001 and later received the Odisha Living Legend Award for Excellence in Social Service. Her life and work are the inspiration for the Odiya biographical film Tulasi Apa, directed by Amiya Patnaik, which will release in theatres on May 19.

The stories of these 17 remarkable tribal women illustrate how focused efforts in tribal education and women’s empowerment can transform entire communities. The integration of nutrition awareness, health programs, and skill development initiatives further ensures holistic development and community well-being.

Beyond economic and educational empowerment, several women have championed Adivasi rights, social justice, and environmental conservation. Their work highlights the critical intersection of social upliftment, environmental stewardship, and gender equality.

The journey of these women reinforces the transformative power of empowering tribal women, combining education, economic independence, and social activism to bring lasting change to India’s indigenous communities. Their collective efforts set a blueprint for policymakers, NGOs, and social entrepreneurs seeking to uplift marginalised populations while promoting gender equality and sustainable community development.