“It is never too late to learn new things”: Sumli’s mission to champion women’s rights in India

My name is Sumli Bai and I live with my family in a village in Madhya Pradesh in India. In my community, it is difficult for women to speak up for themselves because of traditional gender norms. Throughout my life, I have faced gender-based discrimination and domestic violence due to these same norms. Today, I have made it my mission to increase the financial literacy of women in India and raise awareness of the societal challenges that hinder our growth.

Nearly 10 years ago, the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) formed a self-help group (SHG) in my village. The SHG is a community-based union of 10-25 marginalised women who are on daily wages. SHGs help women save money, meaning that they don’t need to depend so much on money lenders. Once the money is saved, the group helps women to pool their resources so that they can apply for cash credit loans from the government, which in turn help them to become more financially stable. I was delighted to become a member of the SHG, and I have since achieved a lot.

I am in my 60s, but I believe that it is never too late to learn new things. During the SHG training, we learned new livestock development practices to generate a supplementary income. With the help of the SHG, I took out a loan of 6,000 rupees (INR) – around $72 USD – to purchase goats and now I can maintain a sustainable livelihood through goat–rearing.

I was one of the SHG members selected to join a Village Organisation (VO), a village-level intermediary between SHGs and banks. We united to access government funding and programmes that are critical to income enhancement.

As a result of my dedication to enhancing the financial literacy of women in my community, I was elected president of Balwadi Adivasi Mahila Mandal, a federation comprised of 200 SHGs and 1,500 women. I represent the federation at the state level and interact with local authorities and leaders. I raise awareness about community issues that impact us all, including soil and water conservation, social security, and during the pandemic, COVID-19 health and safety measures.  I have also informed my community of government programmes that benefit labourers in informal sectors; since, hundreds of have applied for health insurance and social security cards.

I am thankful that I have a platform to discuss important societal issues such as domestic violence, substance abuse, and child marriages. My goal is to educate local women so they can understand their rights and then present the issues and proposed solutions to the appropriate authority.

When I joined the SHG, I had to overcome some personal challenges. My husband was not supportive of my efforts and believed I should focus on household chores. Community members laughed at me when I tried to explain the benefits of SHGs. Now that they understand and have seen the power of SHGs, my family supports me. Everyone I work with addresses me with respect and listens to my ideas and suggestions. Being a member of the SHG has helped me to develop my self-confidence, my ability to work collaboratively and has helped me to find new ways to inspire change.

I am proud that I am the only female member of the social justice committee at the village level. In the future, I am planning to contest a political position at the village level for the welfare of the community so that I can bring about the positive changes my community deserves.