Many women pioneers descended on the stage at News18’s SheShakti 2024 to share their journey of hardships and success on September 16 in New Delhi, inspiring millions of others. The initiative with its theme ‘Breaking Barriers’ honoured and celebrated exemplary change-makers who dared to overlook the odds and emerge triumphant, taking India to new global heights.
The grand forum was a platform where women trailblazers talked about their accomplishments sharply dismissing the notion — ‘this is not for women’. Drawn from all spheres of sports, science, law, arts and defence, the enigmatic line-up of guests established how women continue to pursue their passions despite biases and exploitation in society.
The stage saw the likes of Paralympian and rifle shooter Avani Lekhara, who shattered the notion that ‘women can’t win Gold in our country’ with her inspiring story from the Tokyo Olympics and then once again proving her mettle at the recently concluded Paris Olympics. Her success was followed by the powerful journey of Sqn Ldr Shivangi Singh, India’s first woman Rafale fighter pilot, who reminded the audience that ‘no flight is too high for any woman.’ Both women exemplify the theme of ‘Breaking Barriers,’ not only in their respective fields but also in challenging gender stereotypes.
Similarly, Pabiben Rabari, Founder of Pabiben.com, exemplified strong female entrepreneurship at the grassroots level as she shared her journey of overcoming obstacles in a remote village of Kutch district in Gujarat. Starting with humble capital and driven by sheer dedication and perseverance, she proudly achieved a turnover of Rs 50 lakh while providing employment to over 300 women in her village. Transitioning to another inspiring story, Padma Shri Nouf Marwaai, president of the Saudi Yoga Committee, emphasised the power of Yoga and her victorious battle against health issues. She spoke on achieving balance and the importance of fitness in mind, body, and spirit.
From the world of entrepreneurship, focussing on education fundamental to women upliftment, Shaheen Mistri, CEO, Teach for India, emphasised on the power of ‘belief’ and ‘possibility’ and how Teach for India fellows work in remote rural regions of country where young girls are often denied education. Connecting the dots in the roadmap of empowering women was Justice Indu Malhotra, retired judge & senior counsel, Supreme Court of India, who underlined lack of implementation of the laws on ground for women’s safety, calling upon the relevant ministries to ensure that the overall redressal mechanisms function properly.
Talking about the factors limiting a woman’s chances in entering and staying put in leadership roles for longer was Dr Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, who emphasised the necessity for proper framework and urged men to confidently support women in taking up senior roles. Building on this theme of overcoming barriers, Padma Bhushan Usha Uthup, the versatile singer who broke significant barriers in the field of arts, shared her journey and the challenges she faced in establishing her presence in an industry where there were few takers for a deep baritone voice like hers.
From Avani’s two back-to-back Paralympic gold medals, Pabiben’s audacious business venture, Sqn Ldr Shivangi’s confidence in her aviator skills, Justice Indu Malhotra’s successful career in law, Dr. Annapurni Subramaniam’s stature heading an esteemed space organisation to Usha Uthup’s distinctly unique style of singing, it’s clear that with a little push, women can break barriers and bring a lot more on the table. It is also for everyone to understand that women’s issues are not just theirs, but they are the issues of the society. Only then can the goal of women’s holistic empowerment be realised.
Catch the inspiring discussions with the women breaking barriers at News18 SheShakti 2024 by clicking on the link — https://www.news18features.com/she-shakti-2024/
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