This text has been sponsored by JSW MG Motor India
What does it take to shatter boundaries, query the established order, and encourage a wave of change? For numerous girls throughout India, it’s a mixture of braveness, resilience, and an unshakable perception in themselves. JSW MG Motor India has been a steadfast ally on this journey, championing girls’s empowerment since its inception within the nation.
From supporting ladies’ schooling and selling workforce variety to serving to girls restart their careers after a break, JSW MG Motor India has persistently labored to make sure that girls can excel in each facet of life. However the organisation’s efforts usually are not restricted to its feminine workforce.
By way of its MG Changemakers Marketing campaign, the corporate celebrates girls who’ve made noteworthy accomplishments of their respective fields regardless of dealing with varied setbacks. The Marketing campaign highlights their resilience and dedication in direction of societal progress by giving them a platform to share their tales and achievements.
In partnership with The Higher India, MG Motor India has been documenting and celebrating the tales of pioneering girls. Launched in 2019, the MG Changemakers Marketing campaign has now accomplished 4 profitable seasons.
Over these previous 4 seasons, MG Changemakers has efficiently recognized and celebrated girls who continued of their efforts to result in constructive social change, demonstrating unbelievable braveness and resolve.
Its Season 5 that not too long ago concluded in December carried ahead the identical zeal to have a good time extra distinctive girls. The theme for this yr is ‘#UnchartedRoads – Fearless Girls, Inspiring Journeys’.
This season goals to encourage hundreds of thousands of individuals throughout the hinterland to develop into brokers of change of their communities and reshape the way forward for India.
Listed below are six tales of girls who’ve set an unparalleled instance of what will be achieved once they problem norms and persist of their efforts to make the world a greater place.
1. Gitika Talukdar – India’s First Lady Sports activities Photojournalist on the Olympics
She survived violent mobs, had her digicam destroyed, and endured accidents that left her unable to stroll for months. Gitika Talukdar’s journey from the streets of Guwahati to the grand arenas of Tokyo and Paris is nothing in need of extraordinary.
Hailing from Guwahati of Assam, she is India’s first girl sports activities photojournalist to seize the Olympics in Tokyo and Paris.
Selecting a profession in photojournalism in a society that anticipated girls to pursue extra conventional roles, Gitika confronted fixed obstacles. Maybe the toughest battle was the resistance from her personal prolonged household, who believed {that a} desk job, protected and predictable, was the one path a lady ought to take.
Undeterred by the doubts and hardships, Gitika pushed ahead with unshakable dedication. Over the previous 20 years, she has not solely carved her area of interest on this planet of sports activities images however is now inspiring younger ladies in Assam by means of a undertaking designed to uplift them by means of sports activities.
2. Hasina Kharbhih – Took on Human Traffickers and Empowered 1000’s Throughout Northeast India
At 17, Hasina from Shillong based the Impulse NGO Community (INGON), which has been battling human trafficking within the Northeast for greater than 20 years. Over time, she has been threatened, provided obscene bribes, and has additionally been attacked.
Her sheer grit and dedication have helped empower greater than 30,000 artisans throughout Northeast India. As soon as in danger, they’re now constructing their futures by crafting textiles, house furnishings, and clothes gadgets.
“No one chooses to be trafficked. All these girls and youngsters have been exploited even earlier than that they had an opportunity. Our job as a group is to uplift them in order that traffickers don’t get the possibility to deceive and exploit probably the most weak,” she says.
3. Vasudha Madhavan – Betting on Electrical Autos: A Daring Transfer That Paid Off
Vasudha runs ‘Ostara Advisors’ — India’s first boutique funding financial institution that focuses solely on electrical mobility and local weather tech. Whereas many considered electrical automobiles (EVs) as a dangerous enterprise, Vasudha noticed them for what they really are: a gold mine of alternative, poised to form the way forward for each the automotive and environmental sectors.
Her first step into the EV world was buying an organization based and led by a lady — a transfer that marked India’s very first EV two-wheeler acquisition. Since 2018, she has noticed EV gross sales skyrocket — from 1,30,000 items to over 1.5 million items in 2023.
Vasudha may have performed it protected by masking the entire automotive business, however she determined to focus solely on EVs. “As a result of it’s well worth the dedication. The way forward for the planet is price it,” she provides.
4. Mala Honnatti – 71 and Unstoppable: Conquering Peaks and Marathons Worldwide
After two failed makes an attempt in 1992 and 2011, Mala ready herself for her third and ultimate shot at Everest in 2015, exhausting all her financial savings and retirement advantages. However a extreme earthquake struck the mountains, and she or he felt the gods made themselves clear. Nevertheless, every setback made her stronger and extra resilient.
Refusing to surrender on her dream, she turned her focus to marathons. In a historic feat, she grew to become the primary Indian girl to run marathons at each Antarctica and Everest Base Camp.
She has marathoned to the bottom camp of 11 mountains, together with Annapurna — the tenth highest mountain on this planet and well-known for the hazard concerned in its ascent. She even accomplished the gruelling 100K Antarctica marathon.
Right this moment, at 71, Mala has accomplished lots of of treks and expeditions throughout the Himalayas and 26 full marathons the world over. She reveals us that with sufficient dedication, something is feasible — regardless of your age or the challenges you face.
5. Niharika Nair – Empowering 10,000 Lives By way of Tribal Advocacy
When she was in Class 8, Bengaluru-based Niharika launched Challenge Tribali as a voice for the tribal communities. After she was launched to the lesser-known tribes and their people dances, she learnt these cultures have been fading quick and their lifestyle was below menace.
Decided to rework the lives of tribal communities, she helped safe Aadhaar playing cards, organised well being camps, initiated plantation drives, and labored tirelessly to protect their invaluable cultural heritage. By way of her efforts, Niharika has already touched the lives of greater than 10,000 folks and has raised funds by promoting handcrafted umbrellas and tribal artwork — giving these communities a platform to showcase their skills and tales.
In 2023, Niharika’s imaginative and prescient reached the worldwide stage when she introduced Challenge Tribali on the Activate Impression Summit on the UN Headquarters. With every step, Niharika shouldn’t be solely preserving these communities’ tales but in addition shaping a future the place their voices will proceed to be heard and valued.
6. Diana Pundole – Trailblazer in a Male-Dominated Sport
Rising up in Pune, racing was greater than only a sport for Diana — it was a household custom. Her dad and mom, each expert drivers, launched her to F1 races, sparking a ardour that might drive her for years to come back. She saved coaching, sharpening her abilities, and shortly grew to become a power to reckon with on the racing circuit.
Regardless of dealing with doubts and being the one girl on many race grids, Diana saved proving herself. “As soon as your helmet is on, it doesn’t matter when you’re a person or a lady. It’s all about what you are able to do behind the wheel,” she says. Diana is breaking boundaries and displaying that dedication and ability are all that matter in racing.
These girls present us that while you actually imagine in your self and hold pushing, something is feasible. Their tales aren’t simply spectacular — they’re a reminder that all of us have the flexibility to make an impression.
Edited by Leila Badyari.
