Almost 14% of forests in Uttarakhand are governed by van panchayats or the village forest councils, the country’s oldest forest management system. However, the van panchayats of Sarmoli and Shankhdhura villages are unique — they are led by local women.
This #WomensDay we celebrate the women guardians from the mountain state and their intimate ties with their community forests.
About the contributors
Neha Dixit
is a filmmaker with 20 years of experience making visual stories and documentary films. She creates narratives in an attempt to understand the possibilities of sustenance; economic, environmental, and social. Her life and work are driven by choices that are gentle on Earth.
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Sustain Team
We are a driven group of people from diverse backgrounds, bound by an abiding love for India’s natural world.
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