National Commission for Women

Member 10 Mar 2023

Mrs. Mamta Kumari assumed charge as a Member of the National Commission for Women on March 10, 2023. She has extensive experience working in various rural areas. Since childhood, Mamta has been a vocal advocate for women’s rights on every platform. She first fought within her own family for the right to education and equal opportunities.

Born in a small village called Poreyahat in the Godda district of the Santhal Pargana division of Jharkhand, she has been actively fighting against witch-hunting, superstition, poverty, and illiteracy. A graduate in Sociology, this determined student completed her entire education from government institutions. From as early as Class 9, she supported her studies by tutoring other children and wrote a new story of self-reliance.

Mamta ji often reflected deeply on social discrimination and women’s struggles. Determined to break caste barriers, she entered into an inter-caste marriage to promote social harmony and later became associated with the Social Harmony Forum. She believes that only an educated society can truly understand the struggles of women. Through relentless efforts, she established Veena Bharti Residential School and Janardan Bhai Educational Institute in her village, Poreyahat, in the names of her mother-in-law and father-in-law. These institutions aim to provide quality education and integrate underprivileged, tribal, orphaned, Paharia, and marginalized children into the mainstream. She also provides free residential education with moral values to orphaned children.

Her deep commitment to environmental conservation is evident from the approximately 30,000 fruit-bearing trees she has planted in her region. She has also formed self-help groups and promoted small and cottage industries to empower women by linking them to employment opportunities. Before joining the Commission, she was a respected government school teacher, a post she resigned from upon her selection as a Member of the Commission. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she played an extraordinary role in helping migrant workers reach their destinations and assisted flood-affected people in the Ang Pradesh region of Bihar. Her COVID-era contributions have been widely appreciated, and she has been honored for her social work. Some of her notable awards include:

1. “Aparajita” Award by Prabhat Khabar, Jharkhand in 2024
2. “Ram Manohar Lohia” Award by Government of Jharkhand for her work in rural areas

As a key member of the Commission, she has studied the condition of women across various states. She has submitted detailed reports to the Commission based on her visits to border areas, jails, hospitals, and old age homes. She has investigated complaints related to dowry deaths, gender discrimination, acid attacks, rape, and sexual harassment, and played a crucial role in helping the victims get justice. She has actively resolved issues through public hearings and ensures to assess the basic amenities and services in old age homes during her visits.

Through the study of complaints received by the Commission, she observed that most cases are related to domestic violence. To address this, she conducted social research and consultations with intellectuals and concluded that the institution of marriage is weakening. She emphasized the need for pre-marital awareness about the importance of marriage, which can help make women’s lives better.

Mamta ji is also creating awareness about the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women’s Reservation Bill). She is working to develop leadership skills in women by providing them with legal knowledge. She is also conducting studies on the challenges faced by women from Panchayats to Parliament and presenting these findings before the Commission. Even today, in her free time, she engages in tree plantation, bio-fertilizer production, and agriculture-related activities to raise awareness and work toward a better society. Her mission is to educate women, connect them to employment, provide necessary legal advice, and empower them by being their voice and protecting their rights, which she sees as her duty.