Initiating a conversation on gender stereotypes, India’s leading Hindi News Channel, ABP News, concluded its event, ‘Shakti Samman’ in the light of International Women’s Day.

                                       Mrs. Asha Devi (Mother of Nirbhaya) and Smriti Irani

The platform was graced by the presence of Honourable Minister in the Union Cabinet of India, Smriti Irani, who threw light on the theme of gender stereotypes. She said, “Men are not the problem, the mindsets are.”

                                                                      ABP News – Shakti Samman

She also felicitated mindset challengers like Deepa Malik (Chairman – Paralympic Committee of India), Dr. Seema Rao(India’s first woman commando trainer, having trained Special Forces of India), Aarohi Pandit (First woman in the world to fly solo across the Atlantic in an LSA), Chitra Rajagopal (Distinguished Scientist & Director General (RM & Impl.), DRDO, Ministry of Defence), Sunchika Pandey (The woman behind Mumbai Police’s Twitter handle), Anuradha Prabhudesai(Founder, Lakshaya Foundation), Rajkumari Devi (Also known as ‘Kisan Chachi’ – She empowered over 300 rural women to take up farming, and lead an independent life), and Asha Devi (Nirbhaya’s mother).

Through this initiative, ABP’s main aim is to reflect on the experiences of these powerful women; work towards eliminating stereotypes; and provide a platform to empowered women – to empower women.

Shakti Samman is an initiative to inspire the society to look at women for who they are and not how they look. With the idea of ‘Mindset Challengers’, ABP News has taken up a challenge to break the regressive mind-set about women in our society and shed light on the lives of strong personalities who are making strides for gender equality in their respective industries.

The platform witnessed young men and women taking an oath to challenge mindsets and help grow the nation by eliminating biases around women, recognising them for their work & skills and not for their appearances.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Avinash Pandey, CEO – ABP News Network said, “Women’s Day is not only a tremendous opportunity to celebrate strong females but also a call to action for everyone to continue to push for complete gender equality. This year we have initiated an eminent theme to challenge the retrogressive mindsets in the society, by sharing the stories of many inspiring women who have made significant strides in different fields and were an active contributor in ensuring equitable norms for women all across the country.”

Profiles of the awardees:-

1. Aarohi Pandit: The 23 year old has become the world’s first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in a Light Sport Aircraft (LSA). Mumbai-based Pandit is flying around the globe as part of the WE! Women Empower Expedition; the expedition is the first all-women team to circumnavigate the world in LSA.
2. Anuradha Prabhudesai: Anuradha formed Lakshya Foundation with an objective to instil a spirit of patriotism among the youth. In her journey so far, she has travelled to Ladakh with 450 civilians giving them first-hand experience of army life, delivered 105 lectures across schools and arranged get-togethers of army wives and war widows. Anuradha persists in her efforts to break the barriers between the soldiers and civilians.
3. Deepa Malik: Deepa Malik (born 30 September 1970) is an Indian athlete. She is the first Indian woman to win a medal in Paralympic Games and won a Silver medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in the shot put. She has also won gold in F-53/54 Javelin event at the para athletic grand Prix held in Dubai in 2018. She is currently the world number one in the F-53 category.
4. Dr. Chitra Rajagopal: Dr. (Ms) Chitra Rajagopal, Distinguished Scientist is appointed Director General. As Director General (R&M), she oversees the functioning of seven corporate directorates at DRDO HQr. She is a recipient of several National and DRDO awards such as DRDO Scientist of the Year Award in the year 2010; Lifetime Achievement Award by Society for Reliability and Safety (SRESA) in 2019; Eminent Engineers Award by The Institution of Engineers (India) in 2019, among others.
5. Seema Rao: Seema Rao, also known as India’s Wonder Woman, is India’s first woman commando trainer, having trained Special Forces of India for 18 years without compensation. She is an expert in close quarter battle (CQB) – the art of fighting in tight proximity – and is involved in training various Indian forces. Pursuing an education in medicine, she certified as a doctor in conventional medicine. Rao also has an MBA in crisis management. She is an alumnus of Westminster Business School.
6. Rajkumari Devi (Kisaan Chachi): 58-year-old Rajkumari Devi from Muzaffarpur district in Bihar has managed to break stereotypes and help others like her to do so too. She has empowered women from her village as well as from nearby areas to take up farming to become independent. In order to earn an alternative income, Rajkumari went on to learn farming in Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University. Making use of her skills, she used her farm-grown vegetables and fruits to make homemade pickles, jellies, and, jams. Now, Rajkumari has 23 varieties of jams and pickles, which are also sold in metros like Mumbai and Delhi. Under her guidance, nearly 300 women formed self-help groups (SHG) under the Swarna Jayanti Rojgar Yojana.
7. Sunchika Pandey: 37-year-old Sunchika Pandey, whose team helped the Mumbai Police not only launch their Twitter handle, but also continues to ensure till this day that they never miss a beat on social media. From Game of Thrones and Stranger Things references to memes about how citizens must respond to unattended bags in public places, Sunchika and her team have worked closely with the Mumbai Police to bring their best foot forward on social media
8. Asha Devi: Asha Devi is the mother of Nirbhaya. She was felicitated for her unwavering commitment towards justice for Nirbhaya in the court battle. Asha Devi chose to come out before the cameras, breaking a court ruling to protect the privacy of rape victim’s families. She has taken a special approval from the court to reveal her daughter’s and her own identity in the media.