National Award Winner Asha Suman: Educator and Advocate for Girls' Safety

Asha Suman, a government school teacher from Rajasthan’s Alwar district, is empowering girls by teaching them self-defence. She is a dedicated educator at the Government Primary School in Kharkhara, located in the Rajgarh block of Alwar district. Asha Suman has been instrumental in teaching self-defence techniques to numerous girls, including hundreds who face challenges such as visual impairment or speech and hearing disabilities.

On Teachers’ Day, Asha Suman, hailing from the Government Primary School in Kharkhara, Rajgarh block of Rajasthan's Alwar district, received the prestigious National Award to Teachers-2023 from the President of India. This esteemed recognition was bestowed upon her at a special ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi, where she was one among the distinguished 50 educators honoured for their exceptional contributions in education, health, and safety.

Asha's impact extends beyond the classroom, encompassing curriculum development, community engagement, and women's empowerment. She has directly engaged with over 50,000 women, advocating for empowerment, and has provided self-defence training to 3,000 girls, significantly enhancing women’s safety. Notably, her dedication shines through in her work with disabled and deaf-mute girls, with a current record of 250 receiving self-defence and martial arts training. Her reach extends to thousands of schoolgirls, women, housewives, as well as male and female teachers.

The moment Asha was honoured with a cash prize of Rs 50,000, a citation, and a shawl by President Draupadi Murmu, Vigyan Bhavan echoed with thunderous applause. However, Asha's journey to this prestigious accolade was marked by substantial challenges. Beginning her teaching career in the remote and underprivileged Mewat area of Alwar district, Asha faced a lack of school infrastructure, conducting classes under a tree with just 20 students, in a village located three-and-a-half kilometres away from the nearest road.

In a predominantly Muslim community, Asha encountered resistance from families reluctant to send their daughters to school. With the backing of the village sarpanch, she organised street plays and advocated for girls' education. Her efforts bore fruit, leading to a significant increase in enrollment within two years, prompting the construction of a school building in 2007.

However, tragedy struck when a mentally challenged girl residing near the school was raped, causing a decline in girls' attendance due to safety concerns. This incident spurred Asha to teach self-defence, prompted by her own experiences of traversing unsafe paths. This initiative gained momentum when the education department offered her the opportunity to provide self-defence training at the Rajasthan Police Academy.

From then on, Asha's commitment to empowering girls through self-defence never wavered. Her workshops emphasised the mental aspect of self-defence, teaching girls to assert themselves and remain vigilant. Following a heinous incident in Thanagaji, Alwar, Asha intensified her efforts, making self-defence training her life’s mission and extending her outreach to schools, colleges, and villages, conducting free workshops at various levels. Her training regimen covers a wide array of skills, including body awareness, emergency responses, legal knowledge, and practical strategies for defence and safety.