Moni Rani

Moni Rani

Name: Moni Rani

Where: Bangladesh
What she does: Co-ordinator and founding member of the Dalit Women’s Forum, Bangladesh
Impact: Dalit women now have access to resources that would have been denied them according to “traditional practice”
Nominated by: Bethan Cobley, One World Action

Moni Rani is a pioneering leader fighting against caste discrimination against Dalits in Bangladesh.

She is the Co-ordinator and founding member of the Dalit Women’s Forum, using a tiny room to educate her community and raise awareness about the existence, culture and problems of Dalits in Bangladesh. She is an eloquent and powerful speaker, who lobbies the Government and international donors for the equal treatment of Dalits, for their inclusion in development and to gain their support in tackling class discrimination.

As a Dalit woman, Moni Rani has defied the cultural laws of her society and fought back to confront the attitudes that has resulted in the discrimination of thousands through this practice. Her vision, courage and determination have meant that Dalit women now have access to rights and resources that traditional practice would have deprived them from.