Page 26 - August-2020-Issue

ARTICLE

lack merit. In reality, women Sangwan of LIC, Debjani Ghosh
across the globe have established Merely observing of NASSCOM, Kiran Bedi,
themselves in an incredible man- International Women’s Neelamani Raju DGP (Retd.)
ner and proved that they can Day in some way or other, Karnataka, Nina Singh, ADG-
throb men and can write new Rajasthan Police, Pratibha Patil,
chapters in every field. For exam- like coming up with gifts, Meera Kumar, Sushma Swaraj,
ple, the role and contribution of organising evening functions Captain Prem Mathur (who dared
women in India’s independence, in community hall dedicated to challenge the ‘cult of domestic-
development and growth is un- to women employee, oath ity’ and went on to become the
deniable. In the Rigvedic age, the first Indian woman commercial
society was egalitarian to a great taking by employees, pilot), environmentalist, Chami
extent. Intellectuals like Ghosa, introducing welfare Murmu of Jharkhand, Biologist
Viswavara and Apala were known schemes/measures, outlining Gagandeep Kang, mountain-
for their erudition. During that eer Premlata Agarwal, Shailja
period, women were allowed to SOPs to adhere to gender Chandel of Hamirpur, HP who
participate in assemblies and de- equality, strict adherence volunteered her body for trial of
cision making process. Goddesses by the organisation to Corona vaccine, swimmers, Bula
like Aditi, Savitri, etc. were ubiq- Chowdhary & Arati Saha, sprint-
uitously worshipped. The third workplace harassment er, Hima Das, ace shuttlers, P. V.
Mandala of the Rigveda con- stipulations like Sexual Sindhu, Boxing legend, M C Mary
tains the famous Gayatri Mantra, Harassment of Working Kom, Seema Rao; the first female
composed by the venerated sage defence commando trainer also
Vishwamitra, which is dedicated Women (Prevention, called India’s wonder woman;
to Goddess Savitri. In today’s IR- Prohibition & Redressal) Act, creator of an unique method of
4.0 era, women are performing 2013 ( POSH Act 2013) in effective shooting called, The Rao
surreal tasks. Last couple of de- principle compliance with System of Reflex Fire, and the list
cades saw women taking up ech- goes on, are few such remarkable
elons in all spheres like academ- the policy of zero tolerance women to be widely revered and
ics, society, politics, engineering. against any discrimination... lionized.
medicine, judiciary, administra-
tion, business, corporate world, Fathima Beevi (Retd.) of Supreme The Scenario
sports, music & culture, leading Court of India, Bharat Ratna, Despite women’s vociferous par-
an all-male contingent in national Aruna Asaf Ali, Bhikaji Cama, ticipation and ardent contribution
day functions, etc.
Sarojini Naidu, Savitribai Phule, and in spite of paradigm shift in
Kamladevi Chattopadhyay, socio-economic demography, ed-
Legends Mother Teresa, eminent histo- ucational level, science & technol-
Indira Gandhi, Sheikha Hassina rian Romila Thapar, Kiran Mazu- ogy, rules & regulations, etc. de-
of Bangladesh, Angela Markel of mdar Shaw of Biocons, Shanti nial of basic rights and persistent
Germany, Sanna Marin of Finland, Raghavan, Founder of EnAble inequality in different forms still
Mette Frederiksen of Denmark, India, Dr. Priya Abraham of continue globally. Women across
Erna Soleberg of Norway, Jacinda National Institute of Virology, the world have been at the fore-
Arden of New Zealand, Margaret Ritu Karidhal of ISRO (The front of things, serving in what-
Thatcher of UK, Julia Gillard of Rocket Woman of India and mis- ever capacity that is required by
Autralia, Dilma Rouseff of Brazil, sion director of Chandrayan-2), them, be it home maker or CEO,
Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, Christine Vanitha Mutthiah of ISRO (proj- CFO, COO, CHRO, CIO, etc. A
Lagarde of IMF, Gita Gopinath ect director of Chandrayan-2), woman is the life and blood of
Chief economist at IMF, Sheryl lunar scientist Megha Bhat of family, society, institution, cor-
Sandberg of Facebook, Marry Physical Research Laboratory; porate house and nation, but yet
Barra of General Motors. Indra Ahmedabad, Arundhati Bhatta- they are often condemned to lead
Nooyi of Pepsi, Anjana Ghosh charya of SBI, Anshula Kant a stressful life, a life where every
of Bisleri International, Justice of SBI and World Bank, Usha day is a struggle, from mental

26 KaleidOscope August, 2020