'Daughters, water and trees': India's unique campaign for eco-feminism

Earlier this year the United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp, visited a village called Piplantri in the northwestern state of Rajasthan to see the unique way this community has transformed a barren piece of land into a lush, thriving forest.  As the Resident Coordinator learned during his visit to the village, every time a girl is born in Piplantri the community celebrates by planting 111 trees.

This tradition has now been going on for almost 15 years. With an average of 50 girls being born in a year, nearly 400,000 trees have grown since then, and the birth of a daughter has become an occasion for community celebration.

Apart from greening the dry desert area in Piplantri, this initiative has contributed to a shift in attitudes and mindsets within the community, helping to elevate the role of women and girls, prevent child marriage and ensure girls' access to quality education. 

The UN Country Team in India shares this story as part of its support to the Government of India’s LiFE campaign, which was launched on World Environment Day 2022 with the joint participation of UNDP and UNEP.  The LiFE campaign is a partnership between the Government of India, the Resident Coordinator’s Office in India, UNDP, UNEP, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Resources Institute and the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change.

This video was produced by UN India.  To learn more about the UN's work in India please visit: India.UN.org.