Mamta Verma – Founder President
Mamta Verma is the Founder President of Swabhiman Samiti and has been leading the organisation since its establishment in 2004 with a strong commitment to promoting dignity, rights, and equitable development for women, adolescent girls, and marginalized communities.
With more than 20 years of grassroots development experience, she has contributed to advancing community-led change across education, health and wellbeing, gender equality, sustainable livelihoods, and social inclusion. Her expertise spans community mobilisation, adolescent empowerment, women’s leadership, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), behaviour change communication, programme management, and institutional development.
Mamta’s leadership journey reflects resilience, determination, and a deep connection with communities. Beginning her development work as a village volunteer in 2003, she transformed lived experiences and grassroots engagement into a long-term mission to strengthen community voice, agency, and participation. Under her leadership, Swabhiman Samiti has evolved into a trusted grassroots organisation working across multiple thematic areas in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
She has led programmes supported by organisations including ActionAid India, The YP Foundation, Sahayog, NABARD-supported initiatives, digital literacy programmes, adolescent empowerment initiatives, and sports-based development interventions.
Her key areas of expertise include:
• Organisational leadership and institution building
• Women and adolescent empowerment
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)
• Community mobilisation and behaviour change communication
• Gender equality and social inclusion
• Education and school participation initiatives
• Programme management and stakeholder coordination
• Advocacy and community-led systems strengthening
• Capacity building and leadership development
Under her leadership, Swabhiman Samiti has strengthened adolescent groups, promoted girls’ education, expanded SRHR awareness, supported women’s livelihoods, and improved access to services among underserved communities.
In recognition of her contribution to grassroots leadership and women-led development, Mamta Verma was selected as a finalist for the NITI Aayog Women Transforming India (WTI) Award 2018.
