support by the District administration and support from the NgO Arumbugal
Trust made me a real president. Only my continuous fighting spirit enabled
me to withstand hardship, face the issues, and carry on with my job.
The training from The Hunger Project - Arumbugal was a real revelation for
me. I met the other women Presidents and discovered that I was not alone
- all of us were in the same boat as me. The Sammelan for elected women
representatives and the exposure visit to other areas has made me more
courageous. The people elected me and I will work for them. We now have
a federation for elected women representatives and, certainly, the darkness
outside will be removed. Unity and awareness are the only solutions.
However, I still have some questions which are still unanswered. Is it a crime
to be born woman in a downtrodden Dalit family? When will this harassment
end? Similarly, how many, other women are suffering like I am?