Women are my inspiration, says Magsaysay winner Nileema

Jalgaon:  Expressing happiness on winning the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2011, social worker Nileema Mishra on Wednesday night said that women were her true inspiration.

"Women today are empowered and they are true inspiration for everyone. I have felt this while working with 1,800 women self-help groups in North Maharashtra," she told reporters after being selected for the honour often described as Asia's Nobel prize.

"This is our fourth generation in social service. My mother also used to serve the needy women along with my father," said the 39-year-old woman who resides in Bahadarpur town near here.

Mishra, a lender to the poorest in Maharashtra, was recognised for "her purpose-driven zeal to work tirelessly with villagers in Maharashtra.... to address both their aspirations and their adversities through collective action and heightened confidence."

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