For years, Indian women have been subjected to unabashed opinions on what they wear, where they go, and what professions they choose. Yet, some dared to dream and proved themselves in several fields, which until a few decades ago, were considered to be ‘male’ bastions. Femina brings voices of such forces, who made every woman believe, she can. Meet them here:
The Unstoppable Lt Gen Madhuri Kanitkar
The Unstoppable Alisha Abdullah
The Unstoppable Harmanpreet Kaur
The Unstoppable Smriti Mandhana
The Unstoppable Aditi Kothari Desai
The Unstoppable Lt Gen Madhuri Kanitkar
Image: Anil Chawla; Reproduced with permission
A soldier. A doctor. A teacher. She has taken on all these roles with determination and pride. Lieutenant General Madhuri Kanitkar has taken great strides in being on the forefront, in whatever she undertakes. As the third female Lieutenant General in the history of India, she has broken society-perceived stereotypes. “My parents and teachers never considered gender an obstacle to achieve dreams. My parents taught me and my two sisters that nothing is impossible,” she tells Radhika Sathe Patwardhan.
The Unstoppable Alisha Abdullah
Image: Yogeshwaran, Praveen Tyagarajan; Reproduced with permission
How many of us remember stating ‘Princess’, ‘Model’, or ‘Nurse’, when posed with the question, ‘What would you like to be when you grow up?’ And how many of us remember the answers our male peers would respond with? Whether we want to admit it or not, society has always been busy dictating dos and don’ts to both genders. Boys shouldn’t cry like girls or throw like them. Girls shouldn’t play with GI Joes but with Barbies, instead. Then there are women like India’s, Alisha Abdullah; women who don’t do what they’re supposed to do and dare to be different, find out Radhika Sathe Patwardhan.
Read her story here
The Unstoppable Harmanpreet Kaur
Image: Star Studios; Reproduced with permission
Hailing from Moga in Punjab, Harmanpreet Kaur had one goal since childhood. “Bachpan se ek hee thought tha ki cricketer hee banana hai; koi bhi doosra thought aya hee nahi kabhi!” (Since childhood, I was sure that I want to become a cricketer; I never thought of any other option), says the Indian women’s team captain for short-form cricket. Born to a sport-supportive family, she was never stopped by her parents to play. “My father was my first coach,” she tells Radhika Sathe Patwardhan, “he always believed in equality and never pulled me away from playing with the boys.”
The Unstoppable Smriti Mandhana
She’s the girl who holds records and has led the country to a win many times over. Cricketer Smriti Mandhana tells Shraddha Kamdar what it takes to wake up like a winner every day.
The Unstoppable Aditi Kothari Desai
At a young age, Aditi Kothari Desai was taught the value of financial independence by her mother, who told her she needed to have a job when she grows up so she could make her own money. Today, Head of Sales, Marketing and E-Business, DSP Investment Managers, leads financial initiatives at the organisation and was also instrumental in launching Winvestor, an initiative aimed at empowering women with confidence and financial knowledge to plan for their long-term security, writes Shraddha Kamdar
Also Read: Go #VocalForLocal With Femina’s Latest Issue