**Executive Summary**
The "Naari Leads Swachhata" initiative, part of the Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0, spotlights women leading sanitation efforts across India. Launched on International Women's Day, the initiative highlights how empowered women drive awareness, cleanliness activities, and community engagement. This document presents inspiring stories from various Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) showcasing these local changemakers.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0:** This initiative is integrated within the broader Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0 framework.
* **Focus on Women Empowerment:** The program centers on women from diverse communities leading sanitation and sustainability efforts.
* **Awareness and Cleanliness Drives:** Participating women are actively involved in conducting awareness drives and cleanliness activities.
* **Community Engagement:** The initiative emphasizes engaging communities to foster lasting change in sanitation practices.
* **Spotlighting Local Changemakers:** Inspiring stories from different ULBs are showcased to highlight individual women driving the swachhata movement.
* **Behavior Change Campaigns:** Examples include drives at sporting events to encourage responsible waste disposal.
* **Health Initiatives:** The initiative incorporates health-related activities like breast cancer screening camps for women.
* **Waste Management and Upcycling:** Efforts are made to transform waste materials into useful products and promote responsible recycling.
* **Community Sanitation Models:** The development of gender-responsive community sanitation models that prioritize women's needs is featured.
**Impact Analysis**
**Women from Diverse Communities**
* **Impact:** These women are empowered to lead sanitation initiatives, gain confidence, and become agents of change within their communities. They are inspired to adopt healthier habits and contribute to community well-being.
* **Action Required:** Continue to participate in and lead sanitation and sustainability efforts, inspiring other women and communities.
**Communities**
* **Impact:** Communities benefit from improved cleanliness, increased awareness of sanitation practices, and the adoption of sustainable habits. Local changemakers inspire collective action and a stronger sense of civic pride.
* **Action Required:** Engage with and support the initiatives led by women, adopt better sanitation habits, and contribute to maintaining clean environments.
**Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and NGOs**
* **Impact:** ULBs and NGOs are collaborating to implement and support women-led sanitation initiatives, thereby strengthening the Swachh Bharat Mission. They are actively involved in organizing drives and campaigns.
* **Action Required:** Continue to partner with and facilitate women-led sanitation projects, provide resources, and foster supportive environments.
**Students and Academia**
* **Impact:** The inspiring stories of women in sanitation are being studied by university students, influencing a new generation with messages of dignity, resilience, and the power of grassroots change.
* **Action Required:** Continue to research, document, and disseminate these inspiring stories to promote broader understanding and adoption of the principles of Swachhata.
Key Entities Referenced
Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0: The overarching mission under which the 'Naari Leads Swachhata' initiative operates, focused on urban sanitation and cleanliness.
Naari Leads Swachhata: A specific initiative or program that spotlights women-led sanitation efforts.
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs: The government ministry responsible for overseeing urban development and housing, likely the administrative body for the mission.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat: A specific location where a notable 'Naari Leads Swachhata' activity took place involving women sanitation champions at a stadium.
Varanasi: A specific location where a breast cancer screening camp was launched as part of a health and awareness mission.
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
Naari Leads Swachhata
A Swachh Bharat Mission Urban Initiative Spotlighting
Women Led Sanitation
Posted On: 12 MAR 2026 12:39PM by PIB Delhi
On International Women’s Day, women stepped forward to lead the charge for cleanliness and
sustainability through the Naari Leads Swachhata initiative under the Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0.
Women from diverse communities led awareness drives, cleanliness activities, and community
engagement, showing how empowered women can spark lasting change. Here are inspiring stories from
different ULBs highlighting local changemakers driving the swachhata movement.
In Ahmedabad, more than 100 women sanitation champions from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
led a powerful behaviour change awareness drive at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium ahead of the T20
World Cup final. As thousands of cricket fans gathered for the big match, these women engaged spectators
with friendly conversations, placards, and on-ground guidance, encouraging them to use dustbins and
avoid littering. Moving through the bustling entrances, concourses, and stands, they reminded fans that
celebrating cricket also meant taking responsibility for keeping the stadium and city clean, turning the
high-energy sporting event into an opportunity to inspire civic pride and responsible behaviour.Varanasi Nagar Nigam, in partnership with the district Health Department of Uttar Pradesh, launched a
dedicated Breast Cancer Screening Camp for SafaiMitras and women across the district, turning a routine
health initiative into a mission of care and awareness. From early morning, women stepped forward to get
screened, many for the first time, encouraged by the message that early detection can save lives. With a
target of reaching more than 10,000 screenings, the campaign carried a simple yet powerful goal, catch it
early, care deeply, ensuring that the women who work tirelessly for their communities also receive the
attention, protection, and healthcare they deserve.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Dhanuja Kumari of the Haritha Karmasena turned her life’s struggles and courage
into an autobiography titled My Life in Chenkalcoolayil. Through her journey, she not only championed
sanitation work but also stood firmly against social evils and stigma, transforming personal hardship into a
message of dignity and resilience. Today, her powerful story has travelled far beyond her neighbourhood,
so much so that it is now studied by students at University of Calicut and Kannur University, inspiring a
new generation with the voice of a woman who proved that change often begins with courage at the
grassroots.In Bongaigaon, a quiet but powerful change is being led by Pauro Sakhi Gayatri Choudhary under Swachh
Bharat Mission – Urban Assam, proving a simple truth - when Naari leads, Swachhata follows. With
determination and a deep sense of responsibility towards her community, Gayatri has been inspiring
households to adopt better sanitation habits and embrace a Swachh Aadat in everyday life. Her journey,
rooted in purpose and pride, reflects how one woman’s commitment can spark collective action, turning
awareness into lasting change and bringing the vision of a Swachh Bharat closer to reality.
At the historic Surajkund Pokhra, a powerful Swachhata Maha-Abhiyan brought the community together
with a shared purpose, to protect their environment and keep their surroundings clean. Women from the
locality, along with Swachhata brand ambassador Nisha Kinnar and volunteers from several NGOs,
actively participated in the drive, working side by side to collect plastic waste scattered around the pond
premises. Their collective effort resulted in the collection of nearly 160 kilograms of plastic waste, which
was carefully sent for scientific disposal.Under Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban, women across communities are shaping Swachh Aadat and
strengthening the movement for a Swachh Bharat, and Gayatri’s journey is a powerful example of this
change. At the heart of her story is Suvidha Centre by Hindustan Unilever, a gender-responsive
community sanitation model that focuses on toilets for all while placing women’s needs, safety, and
dignity at the centre. Through clean and secure sanitation spaces, women-led operations, and a supportive
environment, Gayatri found not just access to better facilities but also a sense of confidence and
leadership. Her story reflects how thoughtful sanitation solutions can empower women, inspire healthier
habits, and bring communities closer.
A powerful story of Naari-led Swachhata emerges from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, where a group of
determined women are transforming “Bekar” into “Aakar” by turning waste into something wonderful.
Through their dedication and creativity, materials once seen as useless are now being repurposed into
valuable products, proving that sustainability and livelihood can go hand in hand. Their inspiring efforts
not only reduce waste but also encourage communities to adopt better habits.In Rajasthan, Suniti Kushwaha and Shilpi Kumawat are setting a remarkable example of Naari leading
Swachhata by transforming the way communities view waste. Through their inspiring Waste To Art
initiative, materials once discarded as trash are reimagined into creative works of art, proving that waste
can hold new value when seen with imagination and purpose. Their efforts not only reduce waste but also
spread awareness about responsible disposal and recycling, making them active contributors to effective
solid waste management while inspiring others to adopt #SwachhAadat and move closer to the vision of
Swachh Bharat.****
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