Mumbai: Passion fuels the rocket, but vision points the rocket to its ultimate destination. This is the attitude of the women, dressed in traditional folkwear, from the distant village of Loi in Nandurbar.

Forced into a child marriage, women representatives from Loi, who voiced their concerns on the first day of the two-day Taniskha Women’s Dignity workshops in Mumbai on Thursday, claimed that their the vision is to reach a United Nations (UN) forum, with help of Tanishka and provide the world, a glimpse into the hard life, they have led.

“Water in our region in current times is treated as gold. Women walk ten miles, on average, to fetch water from the ‘nearest’ borewell. I am sure that the world has not seen this side of a woman, who marathons across dry plains and finds the strength to hold her family together in the face of drought,” Sarpanch Sarita Vadvi said.

Dressed in veils and heavy silver jewelry, Vadvi spoke with confidence in the two-hour open discussion on how she opposed and bore the abuses of her family and neighbours, in her struggle to study till Class VIII.

“I was married at a tender age, but my husband allowed me to study. We could only afford schooling till class VIII, but even after that I continued to read different books offering a wide range of information on politics and social issues,” Vadvi said, adding that this allowed her to contest the Panchayat elections, boosted confidence in her voters and ensured she won the poll by a huge margin.

‘Not shortening her vision’, as she says, the woman, who struts with her metal-carved and soil tinged accessories in middle of women dressed in designer clothes at the conclave in the island city, dreams to reach the UN.

“I want to share the condition of women with the world and what better place than the UN. I am sure many women across the globe might still be suffering in some nations wanting for someone to be their voice and I am ready for it,” Vadvi said.