Globally, women make up only 25% of the parliament and only 6% are Heads of State or Governments. In India, in 2019, only 8% women contest the Lok Sabha elections. At the local government level, India has a 33% reservation for women. 

In this episode we celebrate Jabna Chauhan. Jabna comes from a humble background and through her immense determination, she became the youngest Sarpanch that India has had, at the age of 22. She worked on multiple issues like banning intoxication, cleanliness and women empowerment. She won many awards for her work as a Pradhan, she also inspired a women led movement in Himachal Pradesh against liquor and drugs. She now runs an NGO called Oriental Foundation that works on women empowerment across the state of Himachal. 

In the episode we talk about her journey, being the first girl from her village to go to college. The obstacles she had to overcome and how she managed to create a lot of change in the face of resistance. Listen on to hear this very inspiring story. 

NOTE - This conversation is in Hindi. The conversation has been recorded over zoom. 

Production, Original Music and Post Production (Editing) - Disoriented Penguin - reachus@disorientedpenguin.com