Taking a lead on the issue of gender parity, a village in Gujarat’s Gadhada taluka, Ghoghasamardi is setting an example., For the first time, the village will have women sarpanch and women panchayat members to run its affairs.

What makes this move significant is that this decision has been reached by all the sections of the village.

The village boasts of many important facilities like proper drainage and sanitation, drinking water, and roads etc and now it has taken a step in the matter of equal opportunity to women and their empowerment.

The women have stated in a statement that they will work collectively for further development of the village and try and finish all the essential works. In fact they have already charted the priority areas.

They want the village to have a school and a hospital. For this they intend to submit a proposal to the Government and will endeavour to get work started at the earliest.

Madhuben, the Sarpanch said as the village has no health facility, she will give top priority to that and ensure that a hospital is built in the village. She said this was necessary so that villagers do not have to go faraway to avail health facilities. Further, she added that education too is a top priority.

Airing similar views, Hansaben, the deputy Sarpanch said that the children of the village are unable to attend their local school as it does not have sufficient teachers. This forces many of them to go to the other village for studying. They want the vacancies for teachers to be filled up, especially in the primary school and also a new school.

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