A special event was organized by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to honour women change makers of SBM-G in New Delhi last evening. This landmark event was aimed at fostering collaboration and driving progress. It was planned not just for celebration but for meaningful policy discussions. These interactions commemorated the achievements of the women change makers in the sanitation sector and provided an opportunity for insightful exchanges that could influence future policy directions. This event brought together over 475 women from across the country in a vibrant dialogue with the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of State of Jal Shakti, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Shri Jitendra Srivastava, Joint Secretary & Mission Director, SBM-G welcomed the participants and congratulated the women changers makers ‘for being the change they want to see in the world.’ He updated on the SBM progress across the country that shall soon witness more and more villages moving to the ODF Plus Model category, thanks to the zeal and motivation of the women leaders. A ODF Plus Model villages sustains its ODF status, has arrangements for solid and liquid waste management and is visually clean.

Shri Chandra Bhushan Kumar, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, JJM set the context of the event which was for Nari Sashaktikaran as women have transformed themselves into leaders and changemakers across all sectors including SBM-G. Underlining the cleanliness journey, he said that we must ‘improve our waste management systems, learn from different states and continue to focus on ‘jan bhagidari for Sampoorn Swachhata’.

The event also put a spotlight on the "Swachhata Shakti: Stories of women transforming India’s sanitation at the grassroots," a tribute to the exemplary work of these dedicated women.

During his interaction, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat observed that the success of SBM is evident with ‘construction of more than 11 crore toilets, over 5 lakh villages declared as ODF plus and over 4 lakh villages with arrangement of liquid waste management. These achievements are no small feat, yet it is not big enough that we rest on our laurels.’ He emphasized the mission of SBM-G being a ‘long-term endeavour’ and speaking with the women changemakers is special because often, women have always provided a new momentum, new energy and a new life to the journey forward on cleanliness. We must move forward on SBM-G movement by the declaration of more villages as ODF Plus model for which he sought support from the women changemakers requesting them to help create ‘a culture of sanitation and a sense of ownership in the community for the SBMG assets.’

Applauding the women champions who were present at the event, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that all of you together ‘inspire the diverse strengths of women hailing from various states, each with unique topographies and terrains, the common thread binding all of you is the unwavering commitment to the program and mission for cleanliness. The collective efforts transcend geographical boundaries, embodying the true spirit of unity in the pursuit of a cleaner nation." The unity in diversity makes my belief stronger that with your dedication and hard work, India will present an example to the world in sanitation. SBM set in a revolution and has brought about the world’s largest behavioural change drive that has helped avoid diarrheal deaths, improve nutrition and productivity. We should look at technology solutions and learn from each other. I urge you to remain steadfast in your commitment by engaging with your communities, collaborating with departments, and joining forces with SHGs to support women. All of you play a critical role in shaping the work we do.

In his concluding remarks, Union Minister of Jal Shakti said, all change makers who have shared their journey with us must go back to their village, tell the people back home about the exemplary work being done in the field of sanitation and cleanliness across the country. Inspire them to follow environment friendly and economically viable  practices and follow our digital handles for cross learning. “I am confident that the event has been engaging and one that has inspired you to continue working with more dedication and I am sure seeing the example set by you, other people will also learn and contribute to the making of ‘Sampoorn Swachh Bharat’,” he said.

To know more click - sbm.gov.in

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PK