ahmedabad halima sodhas journey is a saga of a minor girl who broke the shackles of tradition and raised a voice against child marriage and sexual abuse halima now 48 was forced in child labour sold off into a forced marriage by her father and then subjected to continuous physical and sexual abuse for several years breaking her fetters halima ran away from her inlaws house in kutch with her two daughters however she continued to pay the price of being single she fell for a hindu businessman chagan koli and the duo married her second marriage also turned violent to change her destiny and of those of her ilk halima joined actionaid and ekal nari shakti manch a statelevel network of 8000 single women working to ensure the right of a dignified life to them today halima is working directly within the communities with among the highest rates of women entrapped in relationships which deprive them of basic human rights halima says no culture should come before the rights of adolescent girls we alone should be in charge of our bodies she has organized hundreds of awareness drives to help women raise their voice on issues such as human trafficking access to education persistence of genderbased violence child marriage and sexual reproductive health and rights the case of kakuben chavda is also a win over fences of social exclusion she fought untouchability through education helping change a situation affecting hundreds of people from backward communities she fought for women who were denied basic rights today even panchayat members who once discriminated against her seek her advice on important issues for years after my husbands death in 1990 i was reduced to a virtual nonstatus members of upper caste community who shunned my family for being untouchables got a chance to literally ostracize me but my weapon against all atrocities was education i brought all such women under one platform and made a powerful gulaab gang to fight for their education housing property and fair treatment before the law says kakuben