Gadag Resident Ashwini Doddalingannavar Receives International Recognition For Championing Rural Literacy

Ashwini Doddalingannavar, a resident of Gadag district in Karnataka, recently featured in an episode of New Realities VR Series: 10 Young Women 10 Countries. One World - a short film series produced by the American company Lenovo. Doddalingannavar was selected for the project because of her contribution to furthering rural literacy in India. She is the only Indian woman in the series, which features nine other inspirational women from various countries.

What You Should Know: 

• Ashwini Doddalingannavar, a resident of Gadag district in Karnataka, recently featured in an episode of New Realities VR Series: 10 Young Women 10 Countries. One World - a short film series produced by the American company Lenovo
• Doddalingannavar is the only Indian woman in the series which features nine other inspirational women from various countries.
• In the past two years, Doddalingannavar has helped many rural girls acquire the skills needed to secure meaningful employment.
• Due to Coronavirus restrictions, Doddalingannavar shot her eight-minute-long episode herself. The video, available on YouTube, has garnered around 2,50,195 views so far.

Also Read: 8 Successful, Powerful and Inspirational Women from Bangalore

Ashwini Doddalingannavar: A Changemaker From Gadag

As per Times of India, 24-year-old Ashwini Doddalingannavar lives in Kurugovinakoppa village in Nargund taluk, Gadag district. Belonging to a farmer family, she pursued her primary and secondary education at her village’s government school. After warding off her parents' plans of marrying her off at a young age, Doddalingannavar went on to join the Deshpande Foundation at Hubballi and completed a course in technical skill development. In the past two years, she has helped many rural girls acquire the skills and education needed to secure meaningful employment.

Currently, she is working as an implementation associate with Meghshala, an online education portal, to help government schools adapt to newer methods of teaching.

Also Read: 4 Women On How Volunteering Helped Them Find Real Happiness

Ashwini Doddalingannavar Features In American Film Series

Expressing her excitement at garnering international recognition for her efforts, Ashwini Doddalingannavar told The New Indian Express, “ I do not know how they came to know about me but I am happy to be selected for Lenovo New Realities Ten Women One World and I am thankful to all who are sharing my story on all social media platforms. Girls too can do anything and achieve success. I am thankful to the Lenovo team." Due to Coronavirus restrictions, Doddalingannavar shot her eight-minute-long episode herself. The episode, available on YouTube, has garnered around 2,50,195 views so far.

Furthermore, Doddalingannavar emphasized upon the need for giving girls from rural areas a chance to chase their dreams. She said, “In rural parts of India, parents do not allow girls to chase their dreams — most of them wait for their daughters to complete SSLC/PU or graduation, only to marry them off. But I resisted this and joined work by upskilling myself. The film encapsulates my journey.”

Also Read: Female Literacy: Gender Dynamics That Works In Accessing Education

Picture Credits: The New Indian Express

Tarini Gandhiok is an intern with SheThePeople.TV