Woman – The nurturer and bearer of the world! Yes, I am a woman and I am proud of my existence! I am God’s most beautiful creation, a creation that has the power to create and give birth to a new life!
One look around me and I feel inspired by the innumerable women surrounding me. I don’t need to read inspirational books to boost my morale. I naturally get my dose of inspiration from my mother, my maid, my daughter (a growing woman of tomorrow) and every other woman I come across. But, apart from the norms, there are few women who inspire not one or two, but millions. They set examples for millions of women, inspiring them to do their bit for the society, for the world we live in! Here are WomenPlanet’s list of 7 such arduous, strong willed and inspiring women who need a special mention today for the extraordinary contribution they have made for the world.
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- Chhavi Rajawat
An MBA from one of India’s top universities, Chhavi Rajawat, who could have easily joined any reputed international firm, choose to become a village Sarpanch in Tonk, Rajasthan. She has been working on bringing Solar power, drinking water, toilets, a bank and roads to her small, but now upgraded village. In the year 2015, much before the PM’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was initiated, out of the 900 houses in her village, 800 homes already had toilets in them. She has inspired many by her choices and continues to do so yet.
Image Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle
- Alokananda Roy
A former Miss India, Alokananda Roy is also a classical dancer who first visited a prison in the year 2007. During her visit to the Presidency Jail in Kolkata for a Women’s Day event, she saw the convicts living an aimless life. That is when she decided to give a new meaning to their lives by introducing dance to the prisoners as a form of therapy. Within just a few sessions, she saw the prison inmates slowly and gradually connect with life and live with a sense of social responsibility and pride. Nigel Akkara, one of her students, is now a famous actor in Bengal movies.
Image Courtesy: femina.com
- Latha Gangadharan
Who said Autism stops your child from enjoying a normal life? Latha Gangadharan is a mother to an autistic child who can cycle, swim, talk and goes to a regular school like other normal kids. In the year 2016, Latha founded a nanny training and certification programme called Moments Of Magic (MoM) based in Bangalore. the programme’s Child Sensiticity Programme was the perfect amalgamation of professionalism and emotional intellect that makes a nanny’s task more than what you could ask for. Mrs Gangadharan trains nannies in child psychology, child milestones and similar courses that help your child develop beautifully. The initiative is a boon for all parents who have autistic children.
- Laxmi Agarwal
Laxmi Agarwal is a name that is known to everyone today, not simply as an acid attack victim, but as an inspirational speaker, a woman with an iron will. She not only survived the attack, but also triumphed over her devastating fate. Acid that demolishes anything it touches, failed to break Laxmi’s strength and determination. She initiated campaigns and petitions against the open sale of acid, following to which the Supreme Court of India proclaimed the sale of acid by the state and central governments.
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- Saalumarada Thimmakka
Can age stop you from following your dream, especially when it is an act of goodwill? 105 year old Saalumarada Thimmakka is a crusader who is known to have planted over 8000 banyan trees across her lifetime. She is an environment saviour with no basic education. A labourer, Saalumarada began planting banyan trees for a very personal reason. She and her husband, couldn’t bear any children of their own and hence, she started planting banyan trees in different places. Soon, her act received a lot of attention in the international media and Saalumarada was later named in the list of 100 most influential women of 2016.
Image Courtesy: indiatimes.com
- Seema Rao
If women can be motherly, they can also be strong and tough! Seema Rao is a woman who has achieved something that no one has ever achieved. Fighting the norms, Seema is known to be country’s very First Woman Commando Trainer. Professionally, Seema is a medical doctor who also possesses an MBA certificate in Crisis Management. She has trained more than 15,000 Indian soldiers in close quarter battles, in partnership with her husband, Major Deepak Rao. Moreover, Seema is also one of the only 10 women in the world who have trained in Jeet Kune Do, a different form of martial arts that was developed by Bruce Lee.
Image Courtesy: dezeen.com
- Indra Nooyi
Who says women can’t manage business? Indra Nooyi has engraved her name in the Internal business world by becoming the Chief Executive Officer and ChairWoman of PepsiCo (the second biggest food and beverages company in the world). In the year 2017, Indra Nooyi was listed in the Forbes List of 100 Most Influential Women and was ranked 2nd in the list of Most Powerful Women by Fortune. She has governed the PepsiCo organization for over a decade now.
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