Distinguished woman Sarpanch Neeru Yadav from Lambi Ahir in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district highlighted rural innovations, women’s leadership and panchayat-based development model before delegates from multiple countries at BRICS Women’s Ministerial Meeting-2026 in Kochi, Kerala, earlier this month.
Selected by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and U.N. Women India, Ms. Yadav, 36, represented the country at the global event, held on July 8 and 9 under India’s presidency, as a grassroots woman representative and panelist. She threw light on her “village to global” journey on the occasion.
The young Sarpanch is known in Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region for her initiatives in the domains of farming, agricultural marketing, skill development, health and nutrition and women’s sports. Elected the Sarpanch of Lambi Ahir, falling in Buhana tehsil, in October 2020, she has been contributing her salary for the cause of the girl child.
The BRICS meeting brought together Ministers, senior officials and policy experts from 11 countries, including India, Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.
The conference featured discussions on key themes, such as women’s leadership, economic empowerment, digital inclusion, skill development and sustainable rural development. Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi, Minister of State Savitri Thakur and other dignitaries participated in different sessions.
Ms. Yadav shared her perspective on the possibilities of adopting successful models of women’s leadership and rural development at the panchayat level on a global scale during the panel discussion.
“The small initiatives of our village have reached a global stage… This is proof of the strength of India’s panchayat system, rural democracy and women’s leadership,” Ms. Yadav said. Given an opportunity to lead, women could change the direction of development not just for their village, but for the society at large and the world, she added.
Ms. Yadav’s key initiatives behind her global recognition include the formation and training of a girls’ hockey team funded through her honorarium, establishment of a “utensil bank” to eliminate the use of plastic and thermocol at weddings and social events, and “Naari Disha” programme connecting women to digital literacy, financial inclusion and self-employment.
The woman Sarpanch also took up an environmental initiative titled “Mera Ped, Mera Dost” (my tree, my friend), encouraging people to build an emotional bond with the trees, and promoted eco-friendly traditions to gift plants at family occasions, linking social customs with environmental conservation.
The Union government had in 2024 selected Ms. Yadav to represent the country at 57th session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) at United Nations headquarters in New York.
Published – July 18, 2026 05:00 am IST
