Manasi Pradhan (born 4 October 1962) is an Indian women activist and author who received the Rani

Lakshmibai Stree Shakti Puraskar in 2013. She is the founder of Honour for Women National Campaign, a
nationwide movement to end violence against women in India. [1] [2] [3] [4] Along with Mary Prema Pierick, global
head of the Missionaries of Charity, she won the 'Outstanding Women Award' in 2011. [5] [6]

She is the founder of Nirbhaya Vahini, Nirbhaya Samaroh and OYSS Women. [7] [8] She has served on the panel
of Central Board of Film Certification (Censor Board) for India [9] and Inquiry Committee of the National
Commission for Women. [5] Pradhan was born to a very poor family in a remote village called Ayatapur in
Banapur block of Khordha district, Odisha.[5] She was the eldest among two daughters and a son born to
Hemalata Pradhan and Godabarish Pradhan. Her father was a farmer and mother a house wife.

Female education was considered a major taboo in most rural areas of Banapur then. Girls were rarely allowed
to attend high school. After completing her middle school in the village, there was strong pressure to end her
studies. Further, there was no high school in the nearby areas.

She traveled 15 km daily, amidst hilly terrain and swamp, to the only high school in the entire region, to
emerge as the first woman to pass high school examination in her village.[5]
After completing her schooling from Patitapaban High School in Gambharimunda, the family shifted to Puri
for her college education. With little earning from the village farmland, it became difficult to sustain and the
burden of the entire family fell on her shoulder. Soon after passing the intermediate examination, she had to
work to support her family and her studies. She earned a B.A. in Economics from Government Women’s
College, Puri, and M.A. in Odia literature from Utkal University. She obtained Bachelor of Laws from G.M.
Law College, Puri.[10]

Career
She worked with the finance department, Govt. of Odisha and Andhra Bank for a short period but left both to
pursue her own passion. In October 1983, at the age of 21, she began her own printing business and a literary
journal. In few years time, the business grew exponentially, putting her in the league of few successful women
entrepreneurs of her time.[12]

Activism
In 1987, she founded OYSS Women. The initial motive was to help girl students achieve higher education and
develop them as future leaders in the society. OYSS Women has been organizing leadership workshops,
education and vocational training camps, legal awareness and self-defense camps, nurturing thousands of
young women as prospective leaders in their chosen field. [13]

Apart from the above, the organization undertakes numerous activities and events and is widely credited for
pioneering contribution in empowering women. The organization is also spearheading the Honour for Women
National Campaign.[14]

In November 2009, she launched the Honour for Women National Campaign, a nationwide movement to end
violence against women in India. The movement has been instrumental in galvanizing the nation against
women atrocities.[15] The movement employs a multi-pronged strategy to fight the menace of violence against
women in India.

It uses a plethora of vehicles i.e. women’s rights stall, women’s rights festival, women’s rights meets,
women’s rights literature, audio-visual displays, street plays etc. to raise awareness on legal and institutional
provisions to fight atrocities on women. [16] [17]

On the other hand, it puts pressure on the state by mobilizing public opinion and sustained campaigning for
institutional changes and correctional measures to contain violence against women. [18]

In 2013, after a four year long churning involving a series of national seminars, workshops and consultations
involving stakeholders from across India, the movement came up with a detailed draft charting its fight to end
violence against women.

In 2014, the movement released a Four-Point Charter of Demand for all state governments of India. In the
same year, it launched Nirbhaya Vahini, consisting of over 10,000 volunteers spread across India to mobilize
public opinion and engage in a sustained campaign for implementation of its four-point charter of demand.[19] [20]

Four-Point Charter of Demand

In 2014, the Honour for Women National Campaign headed by Manasi Pradhan released a four-point charter
of demand for all state governments of India. The charter forms a cornerstone of the movement and has led
several state governments to make suitable amendments.
1. Complete clamp down on liquor trade

2. Self-defense training for women as part of educational curriculum

3. Special protection force for women security in every district

4. Fast-track court and special investigating & prosecuting wing in every district[21]

Literary works
Manasi Pradhan is an author and poet. Her fourth book ‘Urmi-O-Uchchwas’ has been translated into eight
major languages.[9] [22]

Susan Brownell Anthony (February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was an American social
reformer and women's rights advocate who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage
movement. Born into a Quaker family committed to social equality, she collected anti-slavery
petitions at the age of 17. In 1856, she became the New York state agent for the American Anti-
Slavery Society.
In 1851, she met Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who became her lifelong friend and co-worker in
social reform activities, primarily in the field of women's rights. In 1852, they founded the New
York Women's State Temperance Society after Anthony was prevented from speaking at a
temperance conference because she was a woman. In 1863, they founded the Women's Loyal
National League, which conducted the largest petition drive in the nation's history up to that
time, collecting nearly 400,000 signatures in support of the abolition of slavery.

Susan B. Anthony was born February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts. She was brought up in a Quaker family with

long activist traditions. Early in her life she developed a sense of justice and moral zeal.

After teaching for fifteen years, she became active in temperance. Because she was a woman, she was not allowed

to speak at temperance rallies. This experience, and her acquaintance with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, led her to join

the women's rights movement in 1852. Soon after, she dedicated her life to woman suffrage.

Ignoring opposition and abuse, Anthony traveled, lectured, and canvassed across the nation for the vote. She also

campaigned for the abolition of slavery, the right for women to own their own property and retain their earnings, and

she advocated for women's labor organizations. In 1900, Anthony persuaded the University of Rochester to admit

women.
Anthony, who never married, was aggressive and compassionate by nature. She had a keen mind and a great ability

to inspire. She remained active until her death on March 13, 1906.

Biography for Kids

Susan B. Anthony
by S.A. Taylor

 Occupation: Civil Rights Leader

 Born: February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts
 Died: March 13, 1906 in Rochester, New York
 Best known for: Fighting for women's right to vote

Biography:

Susan B. Anthony was a women's rights leader in the late 1800's. She helped lead the way for women's
suffrage in the United States, which is the right to vote.

Where did Susan B. Anthony grow up?

She was born on February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts. She had 6 brothers and sisters, some who
were also very involved in the civil rights movement. At the age of 6, her family moved to Battenville,
New York where she was homeschooled because her dad didn't think the local schools were good
enough. Later things would get difficult for Susan and her family. Her dad lost almost everything when
the economy collapsed in 1837. She started teaching to make money to help pay off her father's debts.

What did Susan B. Anthony do?

This may seem hard to believe in today's America, but women have not always had equal rights before
the law as men. In particular they weren't allowed to even vote!

Susan B. Anthony was a very intelligent woman who felt that women should have the same rights as
men. She saw this in the work place first where she was making about one fourth what a man would
make for the same job. This didn't seem right to her. She became involved in trying to get the
government to let women vote and to enact laws that women should have equal rights with men. At
first she would speak at conventions and meetings. Then she helped run a civil rights newspaper, with
fellow women's activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, called The Revolution.

To continue her fight for women's suffrage, Susan B. Anthony voted in the November 1872 elections.
This was illegal at the time and she was fined $100 for voting. She refused to pay and never did pay the
fine. It turned out to be great way to get the issue and spread the word that women should fight for the
right to vote.

Together with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan founded the National Women's Suffrage Association in
1869. It was through this organization that Anthony would work to get women the right to vote. She
devoted the next 37 years and the rest of her life to this effort. She would make considerable progress,
but it would take another 14 years after she died for women to get the right to vote.

On August 18, 1920 the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified to the Constitution. It said everyone had
the right to vote regardless of gender. Susan had first introduced this amendment in 1878.

Fun Facts about Susan B. Anthony

 The B. stands for Brownell.

 She had her own US coin called the Susan B. Anthony dollar. It was a one dollar coin about the
size of a quarter.
 The house where she was born is now the home of the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace museum. It
just opened in 2010.
 Susan was a very smart child. She was only three years old when she learned to read and write.