What is Navratri if not a celebration of the power of women? Every year, during this festival that symbolises feminine power and divinity, we worship Shakti. Over the years, we’ve seen women channelising this Shakti to break free from the shackles that bind them and excel in their chosen field. We have some excellent role models. Look at the tri-Shakti in our Union government for instance — Nirmala Sitharaman, Sushma Swaraj and Smriti Irani, holding key portfolios — Defence, External Affairs and HRD respectively. But the gender inequality leading to deprivation of power among women continues to be a reality in India. And so today, we need Shakti more than anything else.
Gender equality isn’t discussed as much as it should be and it’s time to give the ‘ghar ki lakshmi’ her due.
“NTR pioneered equal rights for women, CBN set an example encouraging us to work. It was only natural for me to join the workforce. Millennial women have so many avenues to get empowered, to be drivers for economic growth beyond gender. More talent is migrating from remote villages. With urban opportunities unfolding as resurgent India is free from the burdens of the past, I look forward to women being job creators, not mere job seekers, soon. Women, from shaping households, will shape the economy,” says Nara Bhuvaneshwari, Managing Director and Vice-Chairman, Heritage Foods Ltd.
Women need to be empowered with the right kind of attitude and confidence to tackle their responsibilities and go beyond. “Priorities are not linear to me. Kids, husband, parents, prayer, work, friends, charities, study, holidays are all like bubbles that will surface at different times and sometimes together. A woman needs the equanimity to handle them and the acceptance that she might not be always awesome, but will always be respected and loved,” says Shobana Kamineni, CII president and Executive Vice-Chairperson of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited.
India has had a woman Prime Minister and President, but never a woman Chief Justice. Does a handful imply the opposite sex is incompetent? “There is some gender discrimination but it’s there everywhere, not only in India. The United Nations report itself reveals that one in every third woman faces some discrimination in society. There are many obstacles to make a breakthrough and reach the highest positions. Even though there are women in higher judiciary who are highly competent, only one woman is selected among the panel. Political empowerment is also equally important,” says Yarlagadda Padmavathi, Advocate, High Court of State of Telangana & Andhra Pradesh.
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra is among the ten highest paid television actresses in the world. Our desi girl has left behind many famous personalities to cement her position as one of the rising stars in Hollywood.
Mithali Raj.
Mithali Raj has scripted history by becoming the all-time leading run-getter in women’s ODIs. The 34-year-old Indian reached the landmark in her 183rd ODI.
PV Sindhu
P.V. Sindhu was nominated by the Sports Ministry for the prestigious Padma Bhushan Award.
Tessy Thomas
Tessy Thomas, is the first woman engineer to head a missile project in India. She has won the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for her outstanding contribution towards making India self-reliant in the field of missile technology.
Moumita Dutta, one of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s leading scientists, was a key part of the acclaimed Mars Orbiter Mission. She and the other team members are credited with having planned and implemented the mission within a span of just 15 months
