Kutchina Krritika » Pratima Kumari
Pratima Kumari is a rare example of a Dalit woman in a leadership role in Bihar. While growing up she went through a lot of hardships that are common to the Dalit community, especially for being a woman.
An early marriage forced Pratima to drop out of her studies and run into severe health problems. But with a strong determination, she vouched to start the crusade of addressing the issue of child marriage and forming her own initiative “Gaurav Gramin Vikas Manch”.
Pratima believes that illiteracy and early marriage are the main causes of non-development of Dalit women.
Pratima Kumari's Work
Gaurav Gramin Vikas Manch
Through Gaurav Gramin Vikas Manch, Pratima is working for women empowerment by formation of self help groups and disseminating the information related to health and education.
The proposed area of operation are Five (5) Panchayats of Phulwarisharif in Patna district where she engages adolescent girls and their mothers through her initiatives. Her long term planning is to link them with a larger network and provide a platform where they can share and highlight the issues of oppression, thus seeking remedies to a broader spectrum.