Shivani Jadhav, the former Miss India, has launched 'Yashoda,' a book about a self-sufficient woman whose life storey defined women's empowerment and encouraged women's self-worth in a small village in Bihar.
Shivani Jadhav said, "The book highlights that starting up as a woman in small towns in India is a daunting task and shares steps of Yashoda Devi from Bettiah in Bihar to overcome daily challenges and concerns successfully,"
Yashoda Devi, who faced enormous social, economic, and political hurdles, successfully pursued her aspirations in a patriarchal culture, and pushed women to move beyond their job of homemaking 50 years ago, received rich acclaim from the Femina Miss Grand India 2019.
She praised its author, Manoj Kumar Rao, for his attempts to present the experiences of a woman and her trials in West Champaran district, saying such stories are landmarks in the path of life that are not so much about what one achieves as what one endures.
'Yashoda' deals with a variety of social issues, including untouchability, religious rites, an emphasis on female education and sterilisation, the battle for equality and the drive against unsocial forces, conservatism, as well as the natural strength of women.
The panel and former Miss India also awarded Manoj Kumar Rao with the title of 'Author of the Year 2021.'
According to Rao, "Yashoda believes that healthy, educated, and empowered women and girls are the real agents of change. I am confident that her efforts and inspirations shall help women and girls rise in social standing and feed this into future generations."
The journalist-turned-author further said that empowering women is important not just for the well-being of people, families, and communities, but also for the general health of the environment.
