International Women's Day: Indian women who made an impact through social media
If you are a part of Facebook, you can witness some incredible stories about the connections women make with each other on the social platform every day. Together, they make an impact in their communities and globally, motivating others to do the same. This International Women’s Day, Facebook Stories is highlighting the stories of such inspiring women who have made Facebook a part of their remarkable journey.
Mavis Mendonca Smith
Photo Credit: Uday Shanker
Mavis Mendonca Smith is one of the co-founders of Win Bangalore Back, a Facebook Group organized in response to the news that a 6-year-old girl was raped at a local Indian private school in July 2014.
The group, started by Mavis' friend Rajeev Ravindranath, gained nearly 20,000 members in just a few days. Mavis and others from the group organized a demonstration called the Red Brigade where about 2,000 people came to show they wouldn't accept violence and injustice against women in their city. The event included talks about eliminating shame for victims and inspiration for the community to fight back against police apathy.
Win Bangalore Back has built a relationship with the police commissioner's office to bring important issues to the forefront and ensure that action is taken. Mavis, who has lived in Bangalore all her life, says her city has felt more unsafe for women in recent years, but the Facebook Group is a place that anyone can turn to and feel confident that someone will help. Women have posted about incidents of being harassed or molested on the street, and other members — men and women — have offered to help report what happened and walk with women in the future.
Mavis says the group brings awareness to matters of women's safety, but is also a broader community forum for people who want better for Bangalore.
Kalki Subramaniam
Photo Credit: Deva
Kalki Subramaniam is a writer, actress, filmmaker and transgender rights activist in Auroville, Tamil Nadu. She became the first transgender woman to star in a major motion picture in India in 2011.
Kalki is a lifeline for other people in the transgender community who often connect with her through Facebook.
Growing up, Kalki faced discrimination and bullying in school, but persevered and earned two master’s degrees. Education is fundamental to Kalki’s activism, and she reaches out to students who are transgender to encourage them to stay in school. She leads the Sahodari Foundation, an organization to empower and educate transgender people in India.
Employment can be limited even for educated and qualified transgender people, so Kalki connects them directly with job opportunities through Facebook. She networks with employers, introduces them to qualified candidates, and helps create workplaces where transgender employees feel safe and accepted.
Kalki advocates on behalf of transgender and women’s rights around the world and is focused on finding new ways to bring the transgender community together.
