Sunita Aralikar

Sunita Aralikar

Sunita Aralikar, a 56-year-old woman is a well-known social activist for female infanticide and an author today. Hailing from a remote village in the Latur hamlet of Maharashtra, where girl children are often looked upon as burdens, Sunita has overcome many life-threatening obstacles in her life’s journey.
Sunita was barely 16 days old when her illiterate father buried her alive a day after her mother died in a remote village near Latur, Maharashtra. Fortunately, her maternal grandfather rescued her by digging her up from the grave. In spite of living in abject poverty, her maternal grandparents raised her, sent her to school and encouraged her to follow her dreams. When she was 14 years old, her father attempted to kill her a second time. This shocking event made Sunita resolve to fight the social evil of female infanticide. With great financial limitations, she finished high school and found a job as a trainee nurse in a hopsital in Latur. Soon after, she was married to Dilip, a social worker, who supported her decision to work for women empowerment completely.
With steely determination, Sunita has fought social prejudices and poverty head on in rural Maharashtra. She uses her own life story to inspire illiterate and poor families so they took pride in their girls, encourage young girls who are school drop-outs to go back to complete their education and to lobby with local governments to support her cause. Sunita has through her writing and fearless activism has encouraged more women to come forward and fight violence against women. Today, she is the Director of The Maharashtra Housing Finance Corporation and an epitome of womanpower.
Sunita ensured a good education to her sons, both of who now work in the USA. She has conducted over 90 inter caste marriages and has successfully contested in local administrative elections as well.