Bhanwari Devi was employed at Women Development Project run by Government of Rajasthan to take up issues related to Land, water , Literacy and health back in 1992.
She got stuck into controversy when she tried to stop child marriage. She was gang raped that same year and when trials were held at court, the court announced the accused not guilty.
She wanted justice, she was socially boycotted from the society. She started speaking about her incident openly. It was for the first time that at such a conservative state a woman was not ashamed of what had happened to her in past. All she wanted was justice.
Bhanwari Devi’s case shaped the women’s movement in Rajasthan and emboldened other rape victims to come forward and lodge complaints against their rapists. Because of her incredible resistance against the status quo, the Supreme Court of India passed the historical Vishaka Judgement, a law which prohibits lousy instances of physical/verbal conducts with females at the workplace.
Apart from awards and recognition, the movie ‘Bawandar’ was inspired by her story.
