Harmony with the Earth, Dignity for Women

In Madhya Pradesh, Dr. Janak Palta McGilligan has spent nearly four decades turning Baha’i principles of equality, service and harmony with creation into practical community transformation. Through the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women, she equipped thousands of rural and tribal women with literacy, health knowledge, sustainable farming skills and solar technologies that reduced smoke, deforestation and the burden of collecting firewood.
Today, Janak continues to live what she teaches through zero-waste practices, renewable energy, chemical-free farming and tree planting. Her story shows how development rooted in dignity can empower women, protect ecosystems and allow knowledge to pass naturally from one generation to the next.