Aruna Roy
(1946-)

Indian Social Change Activist
2000 Ramon Magsaysay Award
1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005

birthdate: May 26
birthplace:
Chennai, India

Aruna Roy left her job as a civil servant in Delhi to work with her husband, Bunker Roy, at the Social Work and Research Center in Tilonia, Rajasthan to help poor villagers by advocating for their right to a minimum wage and employment. She discovered that many problems in depressed areas were due to corruption and ineffective local officials. Funds given by the government never reached the people they were supposed to help. She helped to organize the Right to Information movement as a way to expose corruption and force a greater accountability from local and national officials. The movement grew all across India - 10 states passed Right to Information laws, allowing all citizens to have access to a wide range of government records. Aruna Roy was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 as part of the 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize project.

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