Catholic nun honored for empowering women in Northeast India

By Matters India Reporter

Agartala, May 23, 2022: The Tripura government has honored a 65 year old Catholic nun for women empowerment initiatives when the northeastern Indian state celebrated the 75th anniversary of Indian independence.

Our Lady of Missions Sister Judith Shadap from Meghalaya was nominated for the award by the Social Welfare Department of the government of neighboring Meghalaya state. She received a certificate, parchment scroll, and memento.

Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is a 75-week grand celebration launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mark 75 years of Independence on August 15, 1947.

The Mahotsav’s North East Festival was organized by Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission under the program “Role of Women in the Development of North East.”

Sister Shadap, a social worker and founder and executive director of Women for Integrated Sustainable Empowerment (WISE) in Shillong, has already received several awards for her role in the advancement of women in difficult circumstances.

“My social service ministry fell in place when I joined Bosco Reach Out as Head of Women’s Desk in Shillong and actively promoted Self-help Groups in villages,” recalls Sister Shadap, who had organized sensitization and awareness programs in interior villages of Meghalaya.

Since 2000, WISE provides alternative means of livelihood and support to the school dropout girls, domestic workers, single mothers and women in difficult circumstance, through the vocational skills training in various trades in both urban and rural areas.

An educationist with 12 years of teaching experience in various schools managed by her congregation in Meghalaya, Sister Shadap was also involved in educating people in health, social awareness and spiritual wellbeing.

Along with being a consultant to Functional Vocational Training Forum, Sister Shadap organized six national integration camps in the Northeastern Region.

Sister Shadap further organized and conducted skills trainings on various income generating activities like tailoring, fast food, pickle making, mushroom cultivation, and livestock rearing to help poor women to improve their standard of living and above all to lead them to a sustainable livelihood.

The nun also joined the legal literacy campaign, organized Legal Aids Seminars on Women’s Rights. She conducted workshops and seminars for NGOs, government officials on development and self-help groups promotion.

She has also done a lot of networking with local panchayats, village headmen and block officials on various development programs.

Native of Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, Sister Shadap continues to care for the residents of Shillong District Jail and Juvenile Home through various programs to facilitate their transformation and reformation.