Angellica Aribam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Angellica Aribam
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Angellica Aribam
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| National General Secretary, NSUI | |
| In office 2016–2017 July |
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| National Secretary, NSUI | |
| In office 2012- 2016 |
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| Delhi University Students' Union Executive Committee | |
| In office 2012–2013 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 January 1992 Imphal, Manipur, India |
| Education | Peking University (MPP) University of Delhi (B.Sc Biochemistry Honors) |
| Occupation | Political activist, intersectional feminist |
Angellica Aribam was born on January 22, 1992. She is an Indian political activist who works on important topics like gender equality, fairness for different races, and making politics more open to everyone. She started the Femme First Foundation, which is a non-profit group that helps more women become leaders in Indian politics. Angellica was also a top leader in the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), which is the student group connected to the Indian National Congress political party.
Angellica Aribam was chosen as one of the first VVEngage Fellows. This is a special program for women political leaders run by Vital Voices, an American organization started by Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright. In 2017, she was recognized by Forbes India as one of their "30 Under 30" for her work in politics and policy. She was also the first student from the North-eastern part of India to be elected to the Delhi University Students' Union Executive Committee.
Contents
Early Life and School
Angellica Aribam was born in Imphal West, Manipur, India. She is the youngest of three children. When she was 12, she moved to New Delhi to finish her schooling.
Her Education Journey
Angellica went to school at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Andrews Ganj. She earned her bachelor's degree in Biochemistry with Honors from Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi in 2012. Later, in 2017–2018, she took a break from politics. During this time, she studied at Peking University and earned her master's degree in Public Policy. Her master's project looked at how people viewed strict laws about certain crimes.
Her Political Journey
Angellica Aribam joined the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) in July 2012. This is the student group of the Indian National Congress party. She has shared that unfair treatment towards people from North-eastern India in different cities made her want to get involved in politics.
Becoming a Student Leader
In September 2012, Angellica was elected at the Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. Soon after, she ran for and won a spot on the Executive Committee of the Delhi University Students’ Union. This made her the first person from North-eastern India to be elected to the Delhi University Students’ Union.
In December 2012, Rahul Gandhi made her a National Secretary in the NSUI. She was the youngest person to join this national committee.
Speaking Up for Her Region
At a big meeting of the Indian National Congress in Jaipur in 2013, Angellica was the only speaker from the entire North-east region. In her speech, she talked about the challenges faced by people from the North-east living across India.
Before the 16th Lok Sabha elections, Angellica helped gather ideas and write the Student Manifesto for the Indian National Congress. This manifesto shared what students wanted from the government.
In March 2016, Angellica was promoted to National General Secretary of the NSUI. She left this position in July 2017 after serving for five years. She wanted to make room for younger leaders to step up. Angellica also represented the Indian National Congress on various news channels and international platforms.
Her Activism Work
Fighting Against Racism
Angellica Aribam is a strong voice against racism. She got involved in politics after violence against students from North-east India in July 2012. Through her work and writings, she has often asked for the recommendations of the Bezbaruah Committee to be put into action. This committee suggested ways to protect people from the North-east. She also spoke out when a political party referred to North-eastern Indians in a way that was not right, which led to the party clarifying its statement.
Angellica has explained that representing a minority group comes with a lot of responsibility. She said that if someone from a minority group makes a mistake, it can sometimes be seen as a mistake of the whole community. This puts more pressure on leaders from these groups to do well.
In March 2020, Angellica faced serious online bullying and racist comments. She reported this to the police. Because of more racist incidents happening during the COVID-19 pandemic, she started a petition asking the Prime Minister of India to speak out against racism. Her petition received a lot of support, and the Prime Minister later made a statement.
Supporting Internet Freedom
Angellica Aribam has also fought for a free and open internet. She believes in the idea of Net Neutrality, which means all internet traffic should be treated equally. She played a key role in getting the Congress party to discuss Net Neutrality in the Indian Parliament in 2015.
Improving Menstrual Health
Angellica is a strong supporter of menstrual health. She has worked to make sure that clean and safe sanitary products are available in Indian prisons. In 2015, she was held by Delhi Police after a protest for women's safety. During her time there, she found that the prison could not provide her with a basic menstrual pad. After this experience, she worked with the Delhi Police to make sure free sanitary pads are available in prisons.
Advocating for Women’s Rights
Angellica Aribam is an intersectional feminist. This means she believes in equality for all women, considering how different parts of their identity (like race or background) can affect their experiences. She supports fourth-wave feminism, which focuses on using technology and social media to fight for women's rights.
In September 2016, Angellica wrote an article that brought attention to unfair rules and treatment against women in the women's hostel of Banaras Hindu University (BHU). This article was one of the first to show how much gender discrimination was happening at BHU. After her article, protests grew on campus, and activists at BHU received support from all over the country.
Angellica has been working to get more women involved in politics. She often talks about the need for more people from all communities to be part of making important decisions.
A Different Time Zone for the North-East
In May 2017, Angellica started a petition asking the government to create a separate time zone for the North-east region of India. Even though India is very wide, it only has one official time zone. Experts believe that having a different time zone for the North-east could help people work more during daylight hours and save energy.
Women in Politics and Femme First Foundation
Angellica Aribam has always spoken out for more women to be in politics. Through her writings and talks, she has supported the Women's Reservation Bill, which aims to set aside a certain number of seats for women in government. She also believes that just having quotas isn't enough; women need training and support to succeed in political organizations.
Angellica is the founder and director of the Femme First Foundation (FFF). FFF is a non-political, non-profit group that focuses on helping women become stronger leaders by training them for political roles.
Awards and Recognition
Forbes India 30 Under 30
In 2017, Angellica Aribam was named one of Forbes India's "30 Under 30" in the Law, Policy, and Politics category. Forbes described her as someone "fighting racism with style." Dr. Shashi Tharoor, a former Union Minister, said that Angellica, as a young woman from Manipur who made her way in politics through hard work, inspires young Indians, especially from less represented regions, to join public life and make a difference.
VVEngage Fellow
In 2018, Angellica was chosen for the first group of the special VVEngage Fellowship. This program by Vital Voices helps advance women's leadership in public life. VVEngage Fellows get intense online and in-person training and connect with a global network of mentors and peers. During the program, she received guidance from former Prime Ministers like Beatriz Merino of Peru, Jenny Shipley of New Zealand, and Kim Campbell of Canada. Professors from Harvard Kennedy School also trained Angellica during this fellowship.
Vogue India Beauty Feature
For its 2020 anniversary issue, Vogue India featured seven women from North-East India in its beauty section. Angellica Aribam shared her beauty routines and tips. She said, "In my experience, the one ‘beauty tool’ that you can never go wrong with is self-confidence. So wear it always."
ACYPL-US State Department Exchange Delegate
Angellica was selected as a delegate for the American Council of Young Political Leaders Exchange Program, which works with the United States government's State Department. In early 2020, she observed election events for presidential candidates, including Joe Biden, saw a caucus in Iowa, and was introduced in the Iowa Senate.
Top 10 Successful Indians Under 30
In 2018, Eastern Eye, a British newspaper, featured Angellica Aribam as one of the top 10 successful Indians under 30.
Women from the Northeast
SheThePeopleTv included Angellica Aribam in a list of seven women from the North-eastern region of India that the region is proud of.
