Born in 1954 in Thakurvila village near Assam's border with Meghalaya, Birubala Rabha grew up under adversity, losing her father as a child and assuming domestic responsibilities. Married off at fifteen, she saw at first hand the effects of superstition when her son's illness caused a local quack to falsely accuse him of being possessed by a ghost. It was this incident that opened her eyes to the pitfalls of superstition, and acted as a catalyst in her further life-long struggle against witch-hunting practices in Assam. Rabha's life is an evidence of her commitment towards problems too deep-rooted in society, defeating what she experienced personally as well as within the confines of her community.

Birubala Rabha was from the Rabha tribe, which is an indigenous people of Assam and Meghalaya, recognized by their distinct culture, language, and traditional systems of knowledge. The Rabha people are mainly farmers and are very close to nature. Unluckily, superstitions like witchcraft beliefs still exist in certain rural areas of Assam, which at times have culminated in witch-hunts. Through her activism, Rabha struggled to educate her people, urging them to drop their destructive ways and promoting a more progressive thinking.

Birubala Rabha was awarded several honours, including a 2005 nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize by Northeast Network, a Women's Rights Group. Her achievement has motivated other activists and stressed the necessity to act against witch-hunting in India. Her activism resulted in the passing of the Assam Witch Hunting (prohibition, prevention, and protection) Act of 2015, which subjects perpetrators of witch-hunting to stringent punishment, a landmark in India's battle against superstitious violence.

Birubala Rabha's efforts helped save the lives of more than thirty-five witchcraft-accused women. She organized Thakurvila Mahila Samiti to awaken people in her village and, later, formed Mission Birubala, which is a non-profit organization focused on ending witch-hunting. Though ridiculed and even threatened, Rabha educated communities, conducted awareness camps, and also gave public lectures against witch-branding.

Birubala Rabha's relentless battle against witch-hunting still echoes in Assam. The Assam Witch Hunting (prohibition, prevention, and protection) Act that was implemented in 2018 is one of India's strongest anti-witch-hunting legislations, thanks mainly to her initiative. The act makes rigid punishments, with life imprisonment, mandatory for crimes related to witch-branding, providing protection to possible victims. Through her work, Rabha has taught thousands, empowered victims, and motivated other activists throughout the region to advocate for justice and combat violence based on superstition, opening the door to a safer future in Assam.