Shamshad Begum

Shamshad Begum is an Indian social worker, known for her efforts towards the education of backward communities of Chhattisgarh such as the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and other backward communities. She was honoured by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.

Biography Shamshad Begum comes from Balod district (formerly a part of the undivided Durg) in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. As the president of a small village society operating in Gunderdehi block, Begum had an opportunity to get associated with the National Literacy Mission Programme of the Government of India and this paved the way for her entry into social service. It is reported that within six months of the launching of the Mission activities in Gunderdehi in 1995, Begum and her colleagues were able to make 12,269 women literate, out of the total 18265 illiterate women. She has also been associated with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for training of women in leadership skills and creating awareness against sex discrimination, prevention of child marriages and molestation.