How does one begin to write about the lives of women who have lived so magnificently that they have become, by the dint of their lived experiences, icons for future generations? It is a daunting task to encapsulate in a few thousand words the sheer breadth of a life lived as a path-breaker. More importantly, what does one take away from their journeys so that we too can, in some way, forge our own paths ahead as they did in a blaze of determined glory?
The aim of this book is not to eulogize these powerful women or to put them on a pedestal. They probably wouldn't care for something as pedestrian as pedestals anyway, they shine wherever they are, regardless of spotlights. The aim rather is to tell their stories, through what we know of them, from information available in the public domain or from first-hand accounts given by those who were gracious enough to spare some time to tell us about their journey. This is an attempt to give the readers an insight into what went into their struggles, what were the crucibles that moulded them, what broke them and how they became stronger in the broken places. It is a salute to their lives, their trials, their struggles and their achievements.
Through their lives they teach the women who come after them that they too must shine bright and that they do not need anyone's permission to do so.
Leadership comes in different forms. It sometimes comes cloaked in a distinctive blue Kanjeevaram saree, with a strand of fragrant flowers securely pinned around a bun-unassuming and gentle-with glittering diamond nosepins that catch the rays of sunlight as the wearer enthrals listeners with her voice. In others, it wears a police officer's uniform, commands respect and enforces the law. In others still, it mesmerizes on the silver screen, making us laugh, cry and smile in adoration, Leadership is an Inspiring journey in entrepreneurship that starts from a garage and goes on to become a self-made billionaire. Leadership walks graciously into a boardroom, draped in a classic, traditional silk and a strand of pearls, negotiating high-level deals that make the headlines. Leadership gives up life in the lap of luxury for one fraught with uncertainties to pursue a passion for dance to the exclusion of all else. Leadership makes space for itself in politics, heading the national capital as a chief minister for multiple terms, in a Cabinet berth of vital importance. Leadership takes different paths to reach the zenith, and all these paths-whether from a small village in the backwaters of Kerala or the heights of Uttarkashi to the traffic-laden streets of our metropolises-have forged individual destinies that have made a difference to the lives of those around them.
It indeed has been a long journey for women to prove themselves in a world that continues to remain unjustly skewed in favour of men. From the pervasive gender disparity in pay, unequal representation in the House of Parliament and escalating gender violence rates globally, to the immensity of the #MeToo movement, and the basic denial of nutrition and education to the girl-child, women are still fighting their battles though they hold up half the sky, as Chairman Mao Tse-tung once famously proclaimed.
The women featured in this collection of essays have all, in their own way, shattered glass ceilings, battled formidable odds, made difficult life choices, and faced multiple obstacles and censure. Yet, they continued doing what they were destined to: break records, achieve milestones and create new benchmarks, all the while refusing to settle for anything less.
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