Beyond Victims #2025 - India Edition
- CGAP South Asia
- Nov 3
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Our second edition of the 2025 Beyond Victims Series brings you stories of inspiring women political leaders from India.
Dive in to read stories of Arati Devi, Neeru Yadav, Pratima Bhoumik, Annpurna Devi and Goddeti Madhavi.
Arati Devi (Sarpanch, Dhunkapada Gram Panchayat, Odisha)
Arati, represents a new wave of driven and empowered grassroots leadership in India. A former investment officer at IDBI Bank, she left her corporate career in 2012 to serve her community, becoming one of the country’s youngest elected sarpanches.
She brought reforms to the Public Distribution System, ensuring fair access to essentials, launching women’s literacy campaigns, and promoting traditional folk arts to preserve cultural heritage, strengthening local governance. Arati blends administrative efficiency with social inclusion, personally encouraging women to actively participate in decision-making.
Nationally and internationally recognized, she was selected for the U.S. State Department’s International Visitors Leadership Program and nominated for the Rajiv Gandhi Leadership Award.
- Multiple Sources
Neeru Yadav (Sarpanch, Lambi Ahir Village, Rajasthan aka ‘Hockey Wali Sarpanch’)
Neeru has emerged as a model of innovative grassroots leadership. Elected in 2020 as the first woman Sarpanch of her village, she got the title “Hockey Wali Sarpanch” by the residents recognising her dedication to sports and youth engagement.
Investing two years of her salary, Neeru sponsored and established a girls’ hockey team providing coaching, equipment, and a playground empowering young women to compete at panchayat, block, and district levels. Beyond sports, she co-founded the Sachhi Saheli Mahila Agro Producer Company Limited, a women-led farmers’ organization offering subsidized agricultural inputs, strengthening rural women’s economic independence.
Recognised for her commitment to education, women’s empowerment, and community development, Neeru has received the Shiksha Shree Award and been felicitated by UNICEF and the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Department.
- Multiple Sources
Pratima Bhoumik (Politician & Former Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment)
Since joining politics in 1991, she has worked tirelessly to uplift marginalised and tribal communities, particularly in Tripura. Her specific impact has been through creating new digital processes and platforms for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), such as facilitating the mass issuance of the Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card and launching the PM Daksh-DEPwD Portal for skill training and employment. She has also been key in driving the on-ground implementation of existing flagship schemes through high-intensity outreach programs like the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra.
Popularly known as 'Tripura's Didi,' Bhoumik has demonstrated solidarity in times of crisis, donating her first salary to Assam flood relief. Her leadership reflects sustained dedication to equity, inclusion, and transformative governance at the grassroots level.
As Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Bhoumik has been instrumental in extending the benefits of government schemes like Ujjwala Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Mudra Loan, and Kisan Samman Nidhi to marginalized communities residing in remote areas. Her efforts also included ensuring compliance with the Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) for a barrier-free environment, promoting the Divya Kala Mela for Divyang artisans, and providing financial relief through a 1% interest rate rebate on NDFDC(National Disabled Finance and Development Corporation) loans. She also emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach between the administration and public representatives to ensure the effective implementation of welfare schemes.
- Multiple Sources
Annpurna Devi (Politician/ Member of Parliament & Union Cabinet Minister of Women and Child Development)
Annpurna, is recognized for her transformative work in grassroots development, women’s empowerment, and education reform. Representing the Koderma constituency in Lok Sabha since 2019, she has championed initiatives that strengthen rural infrastructure, expand educational access, and promote gender equity. She played a key role in inaugurating the New Giridih - Ranchi Intercity Express, improving connectivity for remote communities and enhancing access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities.
As Union Minister of Women and Child Development, she launched the "Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat" national campaign to eliminate child marriages, reinforcing her commitment to protecting young girls and promoting their wellbeing.
Annpurna has also led revisions to the Right to Education Act to align it with the National Education Policy 2020, ensuring more inclusive and equitable schooling, particularly for girls and adolescents. Her efforts to establish working women’s hostels and implement skill development programs reflect her focus on women’s mobility and economic independence.
- Multiple Sources
Goddeti Madhavi (erstwhile Lok Sabha MP and Tribal Activist)
Goddeti Madhavi, a young Indian politician from Andhra Pradesh , campaigned from Araku constituency to be elected as the youngest MP from her state in 2019.
Hailing from a family of activists, her father Goddeti Demudu was a tribal rights activist and communist leader, and she carries forward his legacy by advocating for the development and empowerment of tribal communities. As an activist for the Adivasi community, she has focused her efforts towards addressing health infrastructure deficits, improving educational opportunities especially for girls and promoting sustainable livelihood options.
She campaigned with minimal personal funds but quickly gained strong local support marking a notable win. She is also recognised for advocating against environmentally harmful projects such as bauxite mining in tribal areas, calling for the protection of forests and indigenous livelihoods.
- Multiple Sources
Project Manager: Riya Hira
Contributors: Renjini Rajagopalan & Aparna Krishnan
Edited by: Sugandha Parmar
Design: Riya Hira
Template: Vida Seraphina (https://vidaseraphina.dk/)
Sources:
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