Panchshila Kumbharkar

Krantijyoti

Panchshila works as a coordinator and is an organizer of the National Dalit Movement for Justice. The direct focus of her work is on the prevention of violence against Dalit women and girls. She believes that empowering women and building leadership among them is key to breaking the culture of silence and challenging the larger patriarchal structure. Hence, she has formed self-help groups of women and girls at the grassroots level and strengthened them into solidarity groups, generating awareness among women of their rights and entitlements, and helping them access the law. She also leads a state-level network addressing the gaps in the implementation of laws pertaining to women’s rights.

Rise Up Cohort: India 2019