LUCKNOW: In an emphatic statement on women empowerment, Uttar Pradesh is second in India for having the maximum number of women district magistrates (DMs). At present, women IAS officers are heading 13 out of 75 districts. Tamil Nadu, which tops the list, is believed to have 15 women DMs across 38 districts. While Tamil Nadu has a significantly higher percentage of women DMs, UP’s number tells a story of changing social dynamics and a paradigm shift in a northern Indian state known for its patriarchal society. Bahraich, one of the eight aspiring districts of the state, is a case in point. It has all the top three officers as women — DM Monica Rani, police chief Vrinda Shukla and CDO Ramya R. These officers are not just numbers, but bring about a significant change in local governance with a thrust on gender sensitisation. At the same time, they are not behind their male counterparts when it comes to enforcement. Bahraich, for example, topped in the state for resolving public grievances on the Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGRS) portal in June. It was at the 73rd position in February. Divya Mittal, an IITian, helms backward eastern UP district Deoria. In September 2023, when she was transferred from Mirzapur as the DM, there was a widespread protest by the people in her support. She was given a tearful adieu from the district. This was only because she left her mark in the district through sheer hard work. One of her initiatives was to get piped water to parched villages of the district. One of those villages, Lahuria Dah, had seen piped water for the first time since Independence. However, her move to hold “jal pujan”, when she opened a tap in Lahuria Dah village, irked local MLAs and they lodged complaints against her and it subsequently led to her transfer. Now back to the field, her zeal is the same. “This is just sun, I won’t get melted,” she told her colleagues in a viral video of her field inspection when they requested her to move to a shed. “From the DM to the city magistrate, all are always available to listen to our problems, which is very helpful for us,” said one woman e-rickshaw driver in Bahraich. According to a local police official, now men encourage their wives to go to police stations to lodge their complaint hoping that — with women officers in command — redressal would be faster. Women officers, of course, spearhead several initiatives for the benefit of females. After Neha Sharma took charge as the DM of Auraiya, this district of Bundelkhand got breast-feeding cubicles. Several other initiatives like Asha Jyoti Kendra for women’s welfare and a One Stop Centre to assist survivors of gender-based violence have also been introduced. The 10 other districts being helmed by the women DMs include, Hapur, Hathras, Kasgnaj, Gonda, Amethi, Raebareli, Sultanpur, Fatehpur, Banda , Deorai and Gahzipur.
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