Shilpi Singh is an Indian

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

activist . She is known for contribution for rights and rehabilitation of

Indian women The status of women in India has been subject to many changes over the span of recorded Indian history. Their position in society deteriorated early in India's ancient period, especially in the Indo-Aryan speaking regions, and their subordinat ...

in rural areas, to prevent

human trafficking Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...

, child marriage in

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...

, India. She is the director of Bhoomika Vihar, a

not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organisation.It was established in 1996 with the objective of empowering the

marginalised Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. It is used across discipline ...

, particularly women and girls at risk of forced or early marriage, with education and skill development, which would expand their socioeconomic opportunities.

Social Work

She rescued around 275 women from trafficking in the

Seemanchal Purnia division is an administrative geographical unit of Bihar state of India. Purnia is the administrative headquarters of the division. The division consists of Purnia district, Katihar district, Araria district, and Kishanganj district. I ...

region Bihar. and provided support to

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

survivors, she acknowledged domestic violence to have a straightforward connection with environment, climate change. Singh participated in advocating for the opening of crisis centers where rescued women could get all assistance in one place that is free from discrimination and has government protection. Through her organization, Bhoomika Vihar, Shilpi signed an MoU with the Canadian Embassy and NSS Bihar to create gender youth speakers to campaign for gender awareness and sensitivity. Major Initiatives Under Shilpi's leadership: #Anti-Human Trafficking Campaigns: These campaigns focus on creating awareness about human trafficking, educating vulnerable communities, and building networks to support rescue operations. #Rehabilitation/Reintegration Programs:Bhoomika Vihar facilitates immediate aftercare/reintegration services, including counseling, legal aid, and vocational training, to help survivors rebuild their lives. # Education and Empowerment: Recognizing the importance of education, the organization runs educational programs for children and young adults to empower them with knowledge and skills necessary for a better future. Focusing on joyful digital learning and through STEAM module to cope up the learning gap of Urban and Rural students. #Advocacy and Policy Influence: Shilpi Singh actively engages with policymakers and stakeholders to advocate for stronger laws and policies to combat human trafficking and support survivors.

Durga Jattha

To encourage and have participation from local community girls and women, Shilpi initiated forming groups of vulnerable adolescent girls, which is called Durga Jattha. There are 20 girls in a group from the same Panchayat. The girls in the group conduct meetings on regular basis for discussion on vices in the community and they inform to the local government authorities for corrective actions. At present, 50 such groups are active in

Araria Araria is a city and a municipality that is the headquarters of Araria district in the Indian state of Bihar. Araria is situated in the northern part of Bihar. Etymology During the British Raj the area was under the administration of a B ...

and

Katihar Katihar is a city situated in the eastern part of the state of Bihar in India. It is the regional headquarter of Katihar district. It is one of the important cities of Bihar. Also it's a main route of Delhi - Guwahati railway line. History Ka ...

districts of Bihar. Under this structure of Community Driven and Girl Led Leadership, the group publishes their own handmade newspapers using herbal colours and food grains. The newspaper is shared with Panchayati Raj authorities/ Police and media personnel on regular interval. The group acts against early marriages of girls in rural areas, they also identify and motivate

school dropout Dropping out refers to leaving high school, college, university or another group for practical reasons, necessities, inability, apathy, or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves. Canada In Canada, most ind ...

girls to take part in regular education system.

Awards

She was selected as the women leader for 2022-2023 by American organization

Vital Voices Vital Voices Global Partnership is an American international, 501(c)(3), non-profit, non-governmental organization that works with women leaders in the areas of economic empowerment, women's political participation, and human rights. The organi ...

and

Reliance Foundation Reliance Foundation is an Indian non-profit organisation which was founded in 2010 by Mukesh Ambani. It is wholly owned by Reliance Industries Limited and is one of the largest non-profit foundations in the country. History Reliance Foundat ...

. Shilpi was selected as the Secret Superstar by Aamir Khan in his campaign for people who were engaged in social causes but remain unknown to the world. She was selected by

Embassy of the United States The United States has the second most diplomatic missions of any country in the world after Mainland China, including 166 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations, as well as observer state Vatican City and non-member countries Kosovo a ...

for International Visitor Leadership Program (

IVLP The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is a professional exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The mission of IVLP is to offer current and emerging international leaders t ...

), in 2015. Bhoomika Vihar, under the leadership of Shilpi Singh, became a finalist in the Education category of the HCLTech's "''HCL Grant Edition-VIII''" in 2022-23 and was featured in the HCL Foundation's coffee table book, "''The Fifth Estate VOL.-VII.''"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Shilpi Living people Indian women's rights activists Indian women human rights activists People from Bihar People from Katihar Women educators from Bihar 20th-century Indian women educators 20th-century Indian educators Women from Bihar Social work 1984 births