On National Panchayati Raj Day, we speak to women in local governance across different states to understand their contributions, successes, and challenges as they strive to bring growth and development to their panchayats.

In 2020, techie-turned entrepreneur Rekha Ramu contested for the position of panchayat president in Pandeswaram, a panchayat in Thiruvallur district, 30 km outside Chennai, on a general women’s seat and won.

Raised in agricultural families, Ramu and her husband VM Parthasarathy, who hails from Pandeswaram, had spent the last few years converting their lands into organic farms in their desire to follow a sustainable lifestyle.