Rajasthan Sarpanch hailed for her women empowerment initiatives

Neeru Yadav has been helping out girls in Lambi Ahir village in education, skill development and sports activities and has also contributed her salary for the cause

Sarpanch Neeru Yadav with the women of Lambi Ahir village. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

An initiative of a woman Sarpanch in Jhunjhunu district’s Lambi Ahir village for helping out girls in their education, skills development and sports activities has been hailed in the Shekhawati region as a step towards women’s empowerment. Sarpanch Neeru Yadav has been contributing her salary for the cause of the girl child.

Ms. Yadav was elected the Sarpanch of Lambi Ahir, falling in Buhana tehsil, in October 2020. After taking over, she started a door-to-door survey and spread awareness among the girls to adopt skills for employment and excel in the sports activities. Ms. Yadav’s counselling led to successful training of 10 girls in the village under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.

After the previous batch of girls were employed in a multinational corporation upon successful completion of their training, about 15 more girls have joined the village panchayat for skills development in a new batch which will start shortly. Ms. Yadav said on Saturday that she had utilised her office for bringing the benefits of government’s schemes to make an impact at the grassroots level.

Ms. Yadav donated her salary of two years recently for getting hockey kits for a team of girls, who played at the district level for the first time. She also arranged a private vehicle for the team’s transportation to a sports ground and deputed a private coach for their training.

Meaningful change

She is pursuing doctorate after completing post-graduation in science. She said women could play an important role in bringing about change in the society and education could empower them for the task. “Awareness about education needs to be spread in the villages to make meaningful changes in the rural areas,” she said.

Ms. Yadav was felicitated by the Rajasthan government’s Education Department recently for her support in developing the government school building and other infrastructure in Lambi Ahir. Besides, the Opposition BJP has appointed her the women’s convener for its Jan Aakrosh Yatra in Jhunjhunu district’s Surajgarh Assembly segment.