Reaching the unreachable women’s participation in panchayat raj administration

Dr. (Mrs.) V. Mohini Giri, former Chairperson, National Commission for Women, is a leader with vision and courage. She has been spearheading the cause of sex workers, usually despised as subhuman. An activist of long standing, she was instrumental in establishing the All India War Widows Association (1971) and Guild of Service, New Delhi. A postgraduate from Lucknow University, she is proficient in many Indian and foreign languages. She is the recipient of numerous awards, the latest among them being Mahila Udyami Award, Veer Shiromani Netaji Subhash Chandra Award for Social Work and Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award. A widely traveled person within and outside the country, Mrs. Giri has represented India in various national and international conferences on gender issues, human rights, prostitution and trafficking, voluntary efforts, religion and peace, etc. the marginalised sections of socially and economically deprived groups among women have always been the realm of interest to Mrs. Giri.