Ms. Nafisa Barot has been championing the efforts of local communities to
achieve self-reliance in natural resources in the Bhal region of Gujarat.
Nafisaben, as she is popularly known, has been involved in a number of
water management activities in the region such as drought proofing,
rain-water harvesting and desilting. Ms Barot has served in committees and
forums at the state, national and international levels to generate more
gender-sensitive policies and has advocated on gender discrimination in
environmental issues, violence against women and gender perspective in
communal conflicts. Ms Barot graduated with a Master of Science in Nutrition
from the University of Baroda.
An exploding population coupled with indiscriminate development,
irresponsible irrigation and cultivation have resulted in an alarming
situation of water scarcity in rural India. Utthan is a Non-Governmental Organization trying to reverse this process of self destruction by promoting water
conservation and sustainable development in the state of Gujarat.
She is the founder trustee of Utthan.
Utthan was founded in 1981, with its initiation in the Bhal region of
Dhandhuka taluka, an area of the western state of Gujarat, India. Facing
ecological, social, political and economic hostilities such as salinity,
drought, health issues, a patriarchal and casteist society, wherein the
upper caste and money lenders having a strong hold over the socially
vulnerable resulting in violence against them, especially the women. This
was triggered by lack of development opportunities from the government
leading to poverty, large-scale migration, illiteracy and loss of their
assets. The focus of Utthan's interventions are on Gender Empowerment,
Livelihood Security and Conflict Transformation within the wider framework
of promoting gender equality and equity, human rights and improving the
quality of life for those on the margins of society. Hence Utthan focus on
dalits, religious minorities, adivasis and poor. Utthan believes that the
greatest resource for development is the strength of the community. Once
people learn that change is possible through collective effort and mutual
trust, it is possible for them to intervene directly in matters of policy
and implementation.
