Women achievers of India-1

Dear Kamalaji,

I am honored by your visit to this thread and all my efforts have been rewarded. It has been my desire to bring to light many unknown and unsung women achievers. As I have mentioned in the opening of this thread, I have read and come to know about quite a few sagacious women who won 'Adarsh Maata' awards given by an organisation in Pune. These women were featured in the 'Illustrated Weekly of India' in the '70s. But, now that magazine is closed. I hope to collect as much info as possible and may be one day I may publish it as a book. My thanks to IL administrators for making these threads as sticky so that people can easily read.

Regards,

TDU
Regards

 

Dear santasekar,

Thanks for reading these profiles and I am happy to note that you are benefited. All the best for you to achieve the fame like these women.

Regards,

TDU

 

Maya Shahani

Maya Shahani is a Founder Trustee of Women’s Movement for Peace and Prosperity. She is also a Trustee of Shahani Trust and a Governing Board Member of HSN Collegiate Board, which runs over twenty prime educational institutes in Mumbai. She is a Patron of Cancer Patients Aid Association and the National Kidney Foundation. She is on the Governing Board of the Bombay Mothers and Children Welfare Society and the Chairperson of the Justice Chainani Elders' Home.



As a Founder Trustee of WMPP, Shahani would like to focus her attention on bringing a holistic approach to Education. She strongly believes that ethics and spiritual values along with physical and emotional well being are as important as academic excellence in an institute of learning. Spirituality, education and health are the basis for a world order of happiness, success and peace.

Ms Shahani believes that peace and prosperity are interlinked, and one cannot exist without the other. With this as an objective, she is working on the empowerment of women in the field of vocational training and entrepreneurship. Along with the Times Foundation she has taken an initiative in establishing links with organizations like CII and FICCI to help women and thereby the family and nation to become economically vibrant.

 

Medha Patkar

Social Activist

Medha Patkar was born on December 1, 1954. Prior to being a social activist, Medha did her M.A. in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). She left her position on the faculty of TISS as well as her unfinished Ph. D. when she became involved in the tribal and peasant agitations in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, which eventually led to the organization of the Narmada Bachao Andolan. She was married once but later divorced amicably.



On March 28,2006, she started a hunger-strike to protest against the decision of the authorities to raise the height of the Narmada Dam. She ended her 20 day fast on April 17, 2006, after the Supreme Court of India refused the Narmada Bachao Andolan's appeal to stop the construction of the dam.

On November 8, 2007, the convoy of Medha Patkar is allegedly attacked by activists of Communist Party of India-Marxist at Kapaseberia in East Midnapore district while she is on her way to Nandigram to attend anti-land acquisition protests.

Medha Patkar is one of the recipients of Right Livelihood Award for the year 1991. She received the 1999 M.A.Thomas National Human Rights Award from Vigil India Movement. She has also received numerous other awards, including the Deena Nath Mangeshkar Award, Mahatma Phule Award, Goldman Environment Prize, Green Ribbon Award for Best International Political Campaigner by BBC, and the Human Rights Defender's Award from Amnesty International. She was also a Commissioner to the World Commission on Dams.