Renu Paswan will present Bihar’s social identity while focusing on the themes of women’s empowerment and the upliftment of girls at the event in France.
Social activist from Bihar, Renu Paswan, has received a special invitation to walk the Red Carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. This is the first time a woman from Bihar has received this honour at the prestigious platform.
The President of Tejaswini Bharat Foundation will present Bihar’s social identity while focusing on the themes of women empowerment and upliftment of girls at the Cannes Film Festival in France, to be held from May 12 to 23. International media and world-renowned personalities will be in attendance at the event. Renu has been selected on the basis of her social work and her struggles to reach the level where she stands today.
Talking about the invitation, she said, “This is a proud moment not just for me, but for the entire country, especially the people of Bihar. Cannes is an international platform where eminent personalities from all over the world participate. Getting an opportunity to represent Bihar there is a big thing,” she added.
She related that since childhood, she has been working for women’s empowerment and the upliftment of children.
Renu’s journey has been marked by struggles right from her childhood. Hailing from the Malighat Dhav area of Muzaffarpur, she protested against child marriage at the age of 14. She quit her job and gave priority to education. She first educated herself and now raises awareness among other women.
“I ran away from marriage and gave importance to education. I was aware that as a woman, if I didn’t study, what example could I set for others? I continue to take myself to new levels,” she underlined.
Renu completed her schooling, earned a bachelor’s degree from Bangalore University and a master’s degree from Pune University. She then worked as a people management leader at Infosys for 15 years. Following her brother’s demise in 2016, she made social work her life’s mission. Returning to Bihar in 2020, she began working to empower rural women and youth.
She related that rising from a place like Malighat Dhav was a challenge. She struggled for 20 years, going out, getting exposure, a job and then rising to the level where she was honoured by the President Droupadi Murmu and others, including the Governors of Bihar and Assam.
“It is my responsibility to take women’s empowerment ahead. I want other girls and women to dream big. I have this drive to do something for them. You have to set an example,” she said.
Renu expressed hope that with the support of the Bihar government, this would be a powerful tool to establish the state’s positive image globally. She said, “With even a little support from the government, we can bring glory to Bihar on a large scale. This achievement is not just mine, but that of the entire Bihar.”
She recalled, “I have experienced the insults when I was away. People used to call us Bihari as an insult. I was determined that I would make Bihar and my title Paswan string so that the world would come to me with the opportunity to represent Bihar.”
Referring to the representation of women’s empowerment at Cannes, she said that 70% of women work in the villages, and there is a need to present them to the world. “Their spirit and ability have to be showcased,” Renu underlined while stating that Bihar has to be presented in totality at Cannes. This would include representing Madhubani culture, paintings and other vibrant aspects of the state.
The Tejaswini Bharat Foundation has, till now, organised over 1,000 awareness meetings in the Sakra block. It runs an Open School centre for underprivileged children. The organisation has provided entrepreneurship training to over 100 women, formed self-help groups and launched campaigns on domestic violence, health, sanitation and girls’ education.
Renu has also represented India at the United Nations forums and spoken on platforms like TEDx and Josh Talks. Her story is also included in the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) syllabus.
Article Credit: etvbharat