Shahjehan Aapa (India)


Shahjehan Aapa comes from a working class background. Until the death of her daughter Noorjehan, who died due to dowry harassment, Shahjehan Aapa had not thought about working for issues concerning women. Her daughter’s death gave her the reason and the courage to venture out of her house seeking justice for her daughter and for many others like her daughter. She is currently the President of Shakti Shalini, a women’s organisation in Delhi that deals with counselling and redress of grievances. Satyarani Chadha is a middle-class woman who also came into the movement after a personal loss. Dowry demands were behind her daughter being burnt to death. Satyarani waged a long legal battle to punish her daughter’s in-laws but she has not quite succeeded. She is the founder member of Shakti Shalini and is even now actively involved in the work of the organisation