The Many Faces of Shakti

SHE’S GODDESS; UNTIL SHE’S BOSS

For Deepthi Ravula, OSD, Department of IT, E&Cc and COO, RTGS, the most telling contradiction lies in society’s ability to worship feminine power while struggling to accept it in everyday life.

“As a woman, she would be praised, worshipped, feared and placed on a pedestal. But do people respect her knowledge — or just behave carefully around her because they fear the consequences of offending her?

“We know how to rever a goddess. But there is much less consistency about respecting women when they lead.”

Ravula believes the double standards are particularly evident in the workplace. “There is huge admiration, from a distance, for a woman CEO. But make her the direct boss and suddenly she can become ‘difficult’.”

For Ravula, courage is about standing by one’s convictions. “I mean the kind of courage it takes to get things done, speak honestly and stand by what one believes is right and fair, even when it is inconvenient or unpopular. Courage to be fearless and just be yourself.”

SAFETY IS NOT PRIVILEGE

For Sita Pallacholla, CEO of WE Hub, Government of Telangana, the battle begins with a woman’s freedom to move through the world without fear! “Can a woman walk down a street, take public transport or travel home late without constantly assessing the risks around her? Women still have to negotiate them every day. Safety is not a privilege. It is the bare minimum.”

Pallacholla believes courage also means refusing to accept the narrow boundaries within which women are expected to exercise their independence. “Be ambitious, but not intimidating. Be independent, but not difficult. Be assertive, but not aggressive.”

“True Shakti, to me, is the freedom to define strength on your own terms.” But she believes the responsibility for women’s safety cannot continue to rest on women themselves.

“I would like to see a world where a woman’s safety is not dependent on how carefully she conducts herself. Women should not have to prove that they were careful enough to deserve protection.”

As CEO, which works with women entrepreneurs, Pallacholla sees barriers between women and their ambitions limited access to capital, markets and networks.

“Their ambition is not the problem. Often, the ecosystem around them has not caught up with their ambition. Shakti is about challenging the status quo and creating opportunities for others to succeed.”

Claim your space

For Kanika Tekriwal, founder and CEO of JetSetGo, the question is why women still have to prove themselves.

“Whether it is walking home safely, building a business, women should not have to fight for the freedom to do what comes naturally to others. The real battle today is against these deeply ingrained mindsets.”

Having built an aviation business in an industry traditionally dominated by men, Tekriwal believes, “Courage to take risks, to back yourself when nobody else does, to question the rules that don’t make sense is the way to go. You cannot wait for everyone to believe in your vision.”

For Tekriwal, Shakti is also the ability to create something where none existed before. “It is not allowing rejection to become your definition. Women can embody Shakti by owning their ambitions, supporting other women. Strength is not about doing everything alone; it is also about creating opportunities for the next woman to dream bigger.”

We have made progress, but women are still judged by their choices, their ambitions and how they choose to live their lives. Whether it is walking home safely, building a business, pursuing a career or making decisions for themselves, women should not have to fight for the freedom to do what comes naturally to others. The real battle today is against these deeply ingrained mindsets.”

Kanika Tekriwal, founder and CEO of JetSetGo.

I would like to see a world where a woman's safety is not dependent on how carefully she conducts herself, but on how seriously society treats the responsibility of ensuring it. Women should not have to prove that they were careful enough to deserve protection, respect or justice."

Sita Pallacholla, CEO of WE Hub

As a woman, she would be praised, worshipped, feared and placed on a pedestal. But do people respect her knowledge, power and skill - or simply behave carefully around her because they fear the consequences of offending her?

Deepthi Ravula, OSD, Department of IT, E&C, and COO, RTGS

“Women can embody Shakti by owning their ambitions, supporting other women and refusing to put themselves in boxes created by society.”

True Shakti, to me, is the freedom to define strength on your own terms. Sometimes that means fighting a battle. Sometimes it means refusing to fight one that was never yours to begin with.”

While she believes the responsibility for women’s safety cannot continue to rest on women themselves!