I had started work with the wooden plough; today I own two tractors. I have grown from strength to strength. When I had less land I grew vegetables on just 1 bigha, but now I grow vegetables on 3 bighas and make a profit of INR 1 lakh per year from vegetables alone. Today people respect me. I have made a name for myself through my hard work. I have had to cross many hurdles before reaching this milestone of importance."
"We should live and let live in peace and harmony. My message to other women is to educate their children and have a small family for economic prosperity. Women will have to get rid of misconceptions about they being the weaker sex. They have to demand equal rights in all spheres of life. When men and women work together and share the benefits of their hard labour together, only then can there be real progress and happiness".
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS
(This article is part of a soon-to-be-released Oxfam India publication: "The Leader Lies In You - Success stories of women farmers in UP")
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