>JJMC89 bot III: Merging :Category:Indian women social workers to :Category:Social workers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3#Category:Male social workers

2021-07-31T18:25:54Z

Merging Category:Indian women social workers to Category:Social workers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3#Category:Male social workers

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{{Short description|Indian social worker}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Runa Banerjee
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1950}}
| birth_place = Model House, [[Lucknow]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| restingplace =
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| othername =
| occupation = Social worker
| yearsactive =
| known for = Revival of [[Chikankari]]
| spouse =
| domesticpartner =
| children =
| parents =
| website =
| awards = [[Padma Shri]]
}}
'''Runa Banerjee''' is an Indian social worker and the co-founder of the [[Self Employed Women's Association]] (SEWA), Lucknow, a [[non governmental organization]] promoting the interests of the poor working women of the Indian state of [[Uttar Pradesh]], where she serves as the General Secretary and the Chief executive officer.<ref name="Governing Body Members of SEWA Lucknow">{{cite web | url=http://www.sewalucknow.org/governing_body.php | title=Governing Body Members of SEWA Lucknow | publisher=SEWA Lucknow | date=2016 | access-date=4 January 2016}}</ref> She was one among the [[PeaceWomen Across the Globe]]<ref name="Runa Banerjee on 1000peacewomen">{{cite web | url=http://www.1000peacewomen.org/en/network/1000-peacewomen/search/runa-banerjee-2321-27.html | title=Runa Banerjee on 1000peacewomen | publisher=1000peacewomen | date=2016 | access-date=4 January 2016}}</ref> who were collectively nominated for the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] in 2005, which was eventually won by [[Mohamed ElBaradei]].<ref name="1000 Women Nobel Peace Prize Nominations 2005">{{cite web | url=http://scienceforpeace.ca/0509-1000-women-nobel-nominations | title=1000 Women Nobel Peace Prize Nominations 2005 | publisher=Science for Peace | date=21 September 2005 | access-date=4 January 2016}}</ref> The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the [[Padma Shri]], in 2007, for her contributions to Indian society.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India | date=2016 | access-date=3 January 2015}}</ref>

== Biography ==
Runa Banerjee was born in 1950 in a Hindu family, at Model House area in [[Lucknow]], the capital city of the Indian state of [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref name="Women Empowerment through SEWA & Revival of the Chikankari">{{cite web | url=https://lucknow.me/padma-shri-runa-banerjee-women-empowerment-through-sewa-revival-of-the-chikankari/ | title=Women Empowerment through SEWA & Revival of the Chikankari | publisher=Lucknow Society | date=2012 | access-date=4 January 2016}}</ref> She is reported to have been active in social service during her early years and was involved in educating the women and children of the locality. In 1979, she organized a health camp for the poor with the participation of locally known physicians such as Devika Nag. A [[UNICEF]] report published that year prompted her to train her focus on artisans of [[Chikankari]], a traditional form of embroidery originated in Lucknow.<ref name="Women Empowerment through SEWA & Revival of the Chikankari" /> The report revealed that the artisans were being exploited by middlemen and were living in poverty. Banerjee, along with her friend, [[Sehba Hussain]], started a primary school for the children of the artisans, charging them a nominal fee of {{INR}}1; the school which was a single teacher one in the beginning would later develop into SEWA Montessori School.<ref name="Runa Banerji The Woman Behind SEWA">{{cite web | url=http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=Articles&ArticleID=4721 | title=Runa Banerji The Woman Behind SEWA | publisher=Boloji | date=22 October 2006 | access-date=4 January 2016}}</ref> In 1984, she started a mission, ''Earn While You Learn'', with a membership strength of 31, and the organization was formally registered the same year as the Lucknow chapter of [[Self Employed Women's Association]] (SEWA).<ref name="Self Employed Women's Association">{{cite web | url=http://www.indianngos.org/ngo_detail.aspx?nprof=4003521158 | title=Self Employed Women's Association | publisher=Indian NGOs | date=2016 | access-date=4 January 2016}}</ref> The organization provided a platform for chikankari artisans to teach the craft while working and the membership, over the years, grew to over 7500.<ref name="Women Empowerment through SEWA & Revival of the Chikankari" /> Around 8000 women have reportedly been trained by the organization and their efforts is known to have assisted in the revival of then declining craft of Chikankari.<ref name="The right kind of sewa revives a forgotten craft">{{cite web | url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/the-right-kind-of-sewa-revives-a-forgotten-craft/story-Siq4L5Fewg4VLomRGXGPBO.html | title=The right kind of sewa revives a forgotten craft | publisher=Hindustan Times | date=8 March 2013 | access-date=4 January 2016}}</ref> Under the aegis of the organization, she organised several exhibitions in India and abroad, the first such exhibition was held at Islamic Centre, New Delhi, followed by ''Silk Road Campaign'' in Washington, ''Macef International Home Show'' of 2003 in Milan, ''Brides of the Orient'' Show in Melbourne and other exhibitions in London and Barcelona.<ref name="Runa Banerji The Woman Behind SEWA" /> The organization is a part of the ''Ambedkar Hastashilp Vikas Yojana'' (AHVY) of the [[Ministry of Textiles (India)|Ministry of Textiles]], Government of India.<ref name="Implementing Agency Detail">{{cite web | url=http://www.craftclustersofindia.in/site/index.aspx?id=969 | title=Implementing Agency Detail | publisher=Ministry of Textiles, Government of India | date=2016 | access-date=4 January 2016}}</ref>

Banerjee's efforts were also reported in the rehabilitation of the victims of the [[2002 Gujarat riots]].<ref name="Runa Banerjee on 1000peacewomen" /> She, along with Hussain, toured Gujarat in the wake of the riots and helped the victimized women to take up Chikankari for a living and provided them with required training.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} These efforts earned her a nomination, along with her colleagues at the [[PeaceWomen Across the Globe]], for the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] for the year 2005.<ref name="1000 Women Nobel Peace Prize Nominations 2005" /> Two years later, the Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honor of the [[Padma Shri]] in 2007.<ref name="Padma Awards" />

== See also ==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Sehba Hussain]]
* [[PeaceWomen Across the Globe]]
* [[Self Employed Women's Association]]
* [[Chikankari]]
{{div col end}}
{{portal|India}}

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Social Work}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banerjee, Runa}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work]]
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:People from Lucknow district]]
[[Category:Social workers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian women activists]]
[[Category:Indian women's rights activists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian educational theorists]]
[[Category:Indian philanthropists]]
[[Category:Social workers from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Women scientists from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Scholars from Lucknow]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women scientists]]
[[Category:Women educators from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Educators from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:20th-century women educators]]

Runa Banerjee - Revision history

>JJMC89 bot III: Merging :Category:Indian women social workers to :Category:Social workers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3#Category:Male social workers