Meeting Obama was proud experience for woman panchayat leader (Lead)

NEW DELHI - The interaction may have lasted just a few minutes, but for Sharmi Bai, a panchayat leader from Rajasthan, interacting with US President Barack Obama at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbaxi Sunday was an experience of a lifetime.

“Work that was earlier not done in five years, is now being done in five months,” she told Obama when he visited her stall at an expo held at the college.

Sharing her experience after being re-elected from Abu Road block, in Sirohi district this year after having served a term of five years, Sharmi Bai said that she was working with renewed vigour and was proud to break the myth that women cannot govern.

Sharmi Bai was invited to the stall set up by non-governmental organisation (NGO) Hunger Project.

“We were invited to highlight the critical role played by women panchayat leaders in bringing local governments closer to the people,” Rita Sarin, country director of Hunger Project, India told IANS.

“When the president visited our booth, I told him about Sharmi’s efforts in ensuring education of girl children in her panchayat,” she said, adding that Obama looked impressed on hearing Sharmi Bai’s efforts.