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The Conversation

Factual: Life Stories

Two women from different parts of the world share the stories of their lives

Two women from different parts of the world, united by a common passion, experience or expertise, share the stories of their lives.

The Conversation: Mayors: Annise Parker and Chhavi Rajawat

Annise Parker (Left) and Chhavi Rajawat (Right)

23/02/2015

Mayors: Annise Parker and Chhavi Rajawat

BBC World Service - The Conversation, Mayors: Annise Parker and Chhavi Rajawat

From India and the USA, women who gave up corporate careers to change their communities

Powerful policymakers or glorified ribbon cutters? The mayor of America's oil and gas capital in conversation with the mayor of a rural Indian village

Annise Parker is the mayor of Houston, Texas, the oil and gas capital of America. She once worked in this industry, but says her day job was supporting her "volunteer habit" and eventually gave it up to serve her community full-time. Annise climbed the rungs of local government to become the first openly gay mayor of a major US city in 2010. Her election caused an international media frenzy because of her sexuality. "The perception was Houston was a very conservative, sort of backwards place that wouldn't allow that to happen", but Annise says she used the coverage as an opportunity to talk about her city in a new way. Annise describes being a mayor as the best political job you can have, she was recently voted the seventh best in the world, but is sad about the lack of women wanting to take up this position. 

Chhavi Rajawat also gave up a high-flying corporate career in India to run for elected office. She has an MBA and worked in the telecoms industry, until she was asked by villagers from her ancestral home, Soda in Rajasthan, to run for the position of sarpanch, or local mayor. Chhavi has used her business savvy to attract funds from the private sector to help provide clean water, electricity and build toilets. She says, "if I were just to depend on government funding I don't think I'd be able to do what I've been able to do in these five years." She's been credited with changing the face of rural India because of her achievements. Chhavi says for her "every day is a Monday", people queue up at her front door early morning and late at night to discuss their issues.            

(Photo: Mayor Annise Parker and Sarpanch Chhavi Rajawat)

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