Ela Bhatt is stepping down from her front-line role as a member of The Elders

Ela Bhatt is stepping down from her front-line role as a member of The Elders, the organisation announced today.

She will hold the title of Elder Emerita as of 1 November 2016.

The Elders pay tribute to Ela Bhatt’s inspirational and heartfelt work for the organisation since its founding in 2007.

A passionate and pioneering campaigner for grassroots activism and women’s empowerment, in particular poor rural women, Elaben – as she prefers to be called – has always emphasised the human dimension of The Elders’ work. Guided by her Gandhian principles, she has always listened to people on the frontlines and given a voice to the voiceless.

She has taken part in Elders’ visits to Israel/Palestine and the wider Middle East, and in her native India where she was one of the early champions of the campaign against child marriage which has subsequently developed into the Girls Not Brides movement.

Kofi Annan, Chair of The Elders, said:

“Elaben has always kept us anchored in the real world. Her compassion and empathy have inspired all of her fellow Elders, and will continue to do so. Her quiet yet steely determination has wrought tremendous change for countless women in her native India, and serves as an example for us all. We wish her well as she ‘graduates’ to becoming an Elder Emerita, and we look forward to many more conversations with her as we continue our work for peace and human rights.”