On a warm afternoon in Balipur village, a group of women sits in a circle inside the Panchayat building. Some have come straight from the fields, their dupattas still dusted with soil. At the centre stands a woman, speaking with calm assurance about why daughters must study, why sons must share household work, and why silence is not the only option women have.

A few years ago, this would have been unthinkable.

The woman leading the conversation is Geeta Devda. Once confined within the walls of her home, she now helps other women step into public spaces, raise their voices in Gram Sabha meetings, and shape decisions that affect their lives.

Her journey from restriction to leadership is not just personal; it has unfolded alongside other women, shaped by shared struggles, collective courage, and growing trust.

Finding her voice in a village that expected silence

A resident of Balipur in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, she lives with her son and daughter. Before she became someone other women turned to for guidance, she was navigating a life that had changed too quickly. 

“I got married when I was 16 years old. I was studying in my Class 10," she tells The Better India.

The transition from school to marriage was not just early, it was disorienting.

“When I came to my in-laws’ house, I was having a hard time. I didn’t know how to live in the village. I had to face a lot of problems,” she says.

“Even if there was a labourer in the field, I had to reach there on time after finishing all the work at home. I didn’t know how to work in the fields because I had never done it before.”

The expectations were immediate, and the space to learn was limited. Alongside financial struggles, there were restrictions that made even stepping outside difficult. Over time, silence became less of a choice and more of a habit.

The transition from school to marriage was abrupt and disorienting.

“When I came to my in-laws’ house, I was having a hard time. I didn’t know how to live in the village. I had to face a lot of problems,” she says.

“Even if there was a labourer in the field, I had to reach there on time after finishing all the work at home. I didn’t know how to work in the fields because I had never done it before.”

Alongside financial struggles, restrictions on mobility made stepping outside difficult. Over time, silence became a habit.

But in 2013, an unexpected shift began.

“My sister-in-law used to go to a group in another village. I used to see her and think, "Can I also join? When she........

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