Bhanwari Devi
How does a low-class potter from a small village in Rajasthan have the heart of a lion? Bhanwari as part of her job for the Women's Development Project took up the cause of various issues related to land, water, health etc.
It was however in 1992 when she took up the case of child marriage, that she found herself alienated.
The consequences were dire, Bhanwari was gang-raped and a major court case ensued.
It was for the first time in the conservative region that a woman was not ashamed of rape and spoke openly about it.
She braved social boycott and risked her life for a cause, shaping the women's movement in Rajasthan.
She has also emboldened victims of rape to come forth and demand justice.
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