Manasi Pradhan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Manasi Pradhan
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| Born | 4 October 1962 Banapur, Khordha district, Odisha, India
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| Education | M.A. in Odia literature, LL.B. |
| Alma mater | Utkal University, G.M. Law College, Puri |
| Occupation | Women's rights activist, author and poet |
| Organization | Nirbhaya Vahini, OYSS Women, Nirbhaya Samaroh |
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Notable work
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Urmi-O-Uchchwas, Akasha Deepa, Swagatika |
| Movement | Honour for Women National Campaign |
| Awards | Stree Shakti Puraskar 2013 Outstanding Women Award 2011 |
Manasi Pradhan was born on October 4, 1962. She is an Indian activist who works for the rights of women. She is also a writer. Manasi Pradhan started the Honour for Women National Campaign. This is a big movement across India that aims to stop violence against women. In 2014, the President of India gave her the Rani Lakshmibai Stree Shakti Puraskar. This is a special award for women who show great strength. She also won the 'Outstanding Women Award' in 2011, along with Mary Prema Pierick, who leads the Missionaries of Charity worldwide.
Manasi Pradhan is often featured by news and groups around the world. In 2016, a magazine called Bustle in New York named her one of the 20 most inspiring feminist writers and activists. In 2017, Welker Media Inc. in Los Angeles said she was one of the 12 most powerful feminist change-makers. In 2018, the Oxford Union at the University of Oxford invited her to speak.
She also founded Nirbhaya Vahini, Nirbhaya Samaroh, and OYSS Women. She has been part of the Central Board of Film Certification (which checks movies in India). She also served on the Inquiry Committee of the National Commission for Women.
Manasi Pradhan grew up in a poor family in a small village in Odisha. At that time, it was not common for girls to go to school. She bravely fought against this idea. She walked 15 kilometers every day through hills and wet lands to reach the only high school nearby. She became the first girl from her village to finish high school. Later, she was the first woman in her area to get a law degree. Her life story has even been made into documentaries in the United States and Israel.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Manasi Pradhan was born into a poor family in a village called Ayatapur. This village is in the Banapur area of Khordha district, Odisha. She was the oldest of three children, with two sisters and one brother. Her mother, Hemalata Pradhan, was a homemaker, and her father, Godabarish Pradhan, was a farmer.
Back then, in many rural parts of Banapur, it was not common for girls to get an education. Girls were usually not allowed to go to high school. After Manasi finished middle school in her village, many people wanted her to stop studying. Also, there was no high school close by.
She walked 15 kilometers every day through hilly areas and swamps. This was to reach the only high school in the whole region. Because of her hard work, she became the first woman from her village to pass the high school exam.
After finishing high school at Patitapaban High School, her family moved to Puri. This was so she could go to college. It was hard for them to live on the small amount of money from their village farm. Soon after she passed her intermediate exam (like a pre-university exam), she had to work to help her family and pay for her studies. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Government Women's College in Puri. Then, she got a Master of Arts degree in Odia literature from Utkal University. She also earned a law degree from G.M. Law College in Puri.
Career Path
Manasi Pradhan worked for a short time in the finance department of the Government of Odisha. She also worked at Andhra Bank. But she left both jobs to follow her own dreams. In October 1983, when she was 21, she started her own printing business. She also started a literary journal. In just a few years, her business grew very quickly. This made her one of the successful women business owners of her time.
Activism for Women
In 1987, Manasi Pradhan started an organization called OYSS Women. The main goal was to help young women get higher education. It also aimed to help them become leaders in society. OYSS Women has held many workshops on leadership. They also offer education and training for jobs. They teach women about their legal rights and how to defend themselves. Thousands of young women have been helped to become future leaders in their chosen fields.
Besides these activities, the organization does many other things. It is well-known for its important work in helping women become stronger and more independent. This organization also leads the Honour for Women National Campaign.
Honour for Women National Campaign
In November 2009, Manasi Pradhan launched the Honour for Women National Campaign. This is a movement across India to stop violence against women. This movement has been very important in getting the country to act against harm to women.
The movement uses many different ways to fight violence against women in India. It uses things like women's rights stalls, festivals, meetings, books, videos, and street plays. These are all used to teach people about laws and systems that help fight against violence towards women.
At the same time, the campaign puts pressure on the government. It does this by getting people to speak up and by continuously campaigning for changes in laws and systems. These changes are meant to reduce violence against women.
In 2013, after four years of discussions, seminars, and meetings with people from all over India, the movement created a detailed plan. This plan outlined how they would fight to end violence against women.
In 2014, the movement shared a Four-Point Charter of Demand for all state governments in India. In the same year, it started Nirbhaya Vahini. This group has over 10,000 volunteers across India. They work to get people to support their cause and campaign for their four demands to be put into action.
Four Key Demands
In 2014, the Honour for Women National Campaign, led by Manasi Pradhan, presented four main demands to all state governments in India. These demands are a very important part of the movement. They have led several state governments to make changes to their laws.
- Completely stop the sale of liquor (alcoholic drinks).
- Teach self-defense to women as part of school lessons.
- Create a special protection force for women's safety in every district.
- Set up fast-track courts and special investigation teams for crimes against women in every district.
Literary Works
Manasi Pradhan is a well-known author and poet. Her fourth book, Urmi-O-Uchchwas (ISBN: 81-87833-00-9), has been translated into eight major languages.
Personal Life
Manasi Pradhan is the mother of Baisali Mohanty. Baisali was born on August 5, 1994, in Puri, Odisha. Her father is Radha Binod Mohanty, who was a chief electrical engineer and studied at the Indian Institute of Technology.
See also
In Spanish: Manasi Pradhan para niños
- List of peace activists
