Ahilyabai Holkar Award to Suman Muthe awarded by Government of Maharashtra

1. Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Puraskar to Suman Muthe
The role of an Indian woman traditionally has been that of a mother, sister, wife in the Indian household.
Today, however, the Indian woman has changed and in her own way wants to contribute to the society.
The Indian woman rubbing shoulders with men is a common sight today and she has excelled in every
quarter in the society. This also holds true for women’s contribution to the society and there are so many
examples. Many women like Rani Laxmi bai, Devi Ahilyabai, Mother Teresa, Savitribai Phule have left a
mark in their own ways to contribute in the Indian society.
There are manysuccess stories today and it is important that such women should be publicly recognized
so that they become role models and inspire future generations, not only women but everyone. If these
women are given their due recognition, it would also go a long way in encouraging their contribution and
motivate them to give more to the society. It would be fair to say that these are special god sent
emissaries that have a unique mission, a definite purpose for their existence.
The government in its efforts has instituted various awards to recognise the achievements of these
women and among these, there are five national awards which are called 'Stree Shakti Puraskar'. These
awards are in the name of the following eminent women personalities in the Indian history, who were
famous for their personal courage and integrity and of course societal contribution:-Devi Ahilya Bai
Holkar, Kanngi, Mata Jijabai,Rani Gaidenlou Zeliang,Rani Lakshmi Bai. These award carry a cash prize
of Rs.1 lakh and a citation. The awards are given to women who have challenged circumstances that
women go through and triumphed over them that resulted in proper justice and empowerment of women
in India.
Women who have worked for the support and rehabilitation of women and children and resolved issues
for destitute women, marital problems, early marriage, fraud, widows, old aged and disabled women and
victims of atrocities and conflicts are given recognition for empowering women. The government also
awards the achievements of women who have worked in the areas of education, health, agriculture, rural
and tribal areas, conservation of forests and environment and those who have raised awareness amongst
women issues through use of media are also recognized and awarded by the Government.One of the
awards will be given towards recognition of personal achievements by a woman who has challenged
difficult circumstances. The Department of Women and Child Development invites nominations for the
awards from Non-Governmental Organisations, Women Development Corporations, National and State
level Commissions for Women etc. through the State Governments and Union Territory Administration.
Suman Muthe, noted social activist, author and speaker received the “Ahilyabai Holkar Puraskar” during
1999-2000 at the hands of the then Chief Minister of Mahrashtra, Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh. Suman Muthe
is based in Nasik, Maharashtra and has been actively working in the areas of child welfare and tribal
women development particularly in the tribal belts of Maharashtra, India since more than 20 years. She
has initiated and implemented several projects and empowered women on various aspects such as child
health care, women rights, family counselling etc. In recognition of her contribution, she has been
awarded by many organisations in the past. Recently, she received the "Siddha Sewa" award by Swami
Hardas Foundation, Pune which is her 22nd award in her list of recognitions. Besides doing grass root
work, she has authored four books, delivers lectures and is a prolific writer.
Suman Muthe has undertaken various projects and camps with the help of volunteers in Satyaniketan
Trust and has successfully implemented projects to empower tribal women. The issue of wrongful
exploitation of women in these areas has reduced considerably due to the efforts taken by Suman Muthe.
Even at the age of 64 years, she makes it a point to visit these villages, hold meeting with members of the
trust and work towards women empowerment.