A member of an SHG even before entering public office, Menaka firmly believes in the power of the collective. “Being part of the SHG gave me an acute sense of its power, and I thought as a president, along with other elected representatives, perhaps I could make a difference.” More importantly, she decided to contest the election because “the former representative was not performing his role properly. Any conversation in the panchayat governance-related matter did not reach us women as it should have.” She saw citizens’ access to information as crucial before they could make their rightful demands with clarity and confidence. She acted on multiple fronts—she grappled with the authorities for two years to build three bridges, ensuring easy mobility, especially for women needing urgent medical care; mobilised the Jagruk Manch (women citizen and elected women’s collective) to complain against the encroachment of common grazing land; linked the eligible families to PDS; sensitised and encouraged women in Adivasi households to send girls to school. She urged them, “How will we change our circumstances if we don’t push for our right to education?” Her efforts enabled ten girls to re-enroll after they had dropped out of class 5th. (attaching her photo in the next mail)