Lakshmi Bai Jhunjhunwala

Pioneered environmental conservation and women's rights in India through grassroots movements

Lakshmi Bai Jhunjhunwala (1914–2002) was a visionary Indian environmentalist and women's rights activist who made groundbreaking contributions to both ecological preservation and gender equality. Born into a prominent Gujarati family, she broke societal norms by pursuing education and later dedicating her life to social reform. In 1950, she founded the Sapthagiri Ashram, which became a hub for women's empowerment programs and environmental initiatives.

Her most notable achievement was launching India's first women-led tree-planting movement in 1953. This initiative, Vanmahotsava, transformed barren lands into thriving forests while empowering rural women through sustainable livelihood projects. Over 50 years, this program planted over 100 million trees across India, earning her the UN Environmental Award in 1978.

Jhunjhunwala also pioneered women's vocational training programs, establishing India's first all-women cooperative dairy in 1955. Her work inspired the Women's Forest Corps movement that spread across South Asia. She authored Women and the Green Revolution (1972), a seminal text now archived at Indian Council for Agricultural Research.

Her legacy continues through the Lakshmi Bai Jhunjhunwala Environmental Foundation, which operates 15 eco-villages in India. Her philosophy of Samriddhi ('prosperity through sustainability') remains influential in modern environmental policies. In 2020, Google honored her with a Doodle celebrating her centenary.