Current Scenario
Some Bright Spots
India has world's largest number of professionally qualified women.
India has largest population of working women in the world.
India has more number of doctors, surgeons, scientists, professors than the United States
Women Achiever
With the help of these social reformers women of India slowly started recognizing her true potential. She started
questioning the rules laid down for her by the society. As a result, started breaking barriers and earned a respectable
position in the world. Today Indian women have excelled in each and every field from social work to visiting space
station. There is no arena, which remained unconquered by Indian women. Whether it is politics, sports,
entertainment, literature, technology everywhere we can hear applauses for her.
Politics
Women of India are highly active today in this area. Sarojini Naidu, Vijaylakshami Pandit, Sucheta Kriplani were the
torchbearer for the women of India. Mrs.Vijay Lkshami Pandit was the first Indian woman to hold a post in the cabinet.
Thus paving the way for other women. The most important name in the category of women politicians of recent times
is Mrs Indira Gandhi. She was the one who made world stop and notice the talent and potential of Indian women. She
was the first women Prime Minister of independent India. Today her daughter-in law Mrs Sonia Gandhi is following
her footsteps and leading the Indian National Congress.
Other women who have made their name in politics of India are Shiela Dixit, Uma Bharti, Jayalalitha, Vasundhra Raje
and Mamata Banerjee.
Sports
Indian women have achieved great laurels for the nation in every sport. Whether it is cricket or hockey India have
national women team for every game. Indian women cricket team has won Asia Cup of 2004 and 2005 and made
country proud. Some women sports icons of India are:
P.T. Usha (Athletics)
Kunjarani Devi (Weight lifting)
Diana Edulji (Cricket)
Sania Mirza (Tennis)
Karnam Malleshwari (Weight lifting)
Art and Entertainment
This arena is full of Indian women. We have many names to boast of like M.S. Subbulakshmi, Indian Nightingale Lata
Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle as famous singers. Madhu Bala, Rekha, Aishwarya Rai as Bollywood queens. Today
Indian woman is a painter, an actor, a singer, and a beauty queen.
Literature
In past women of India used to write, but their work did not get the recognition. Today they are getting their dues.
Arundhati Roy, Anita Desai, Kiran Desai, Shobhaa De, Jhumpa Lahiri are famous names in Indian literature. Not just
in India now these women are recognized all over the world. Arundhati Roy has been awarded with the Booker Prize
of 1997 for her work "God of Small Things". Kiran Desai has been given Booker Prize of 2006 and Jhumpa Lahiri got
recognition in the form of Pulitzer prize.
Corporate Divas
Kiran Majumdar Shaw is the undisputed corporate queen of India. She is the richest Indian woman. She is the MD of
Biocon India. She is the wealthiest entrepreneur of India Kiran wanted to become a doctor but could not get
admission in medical colleges but even then she did not lose courage and went on to become India's first woman
'Brew Master' and subsequently corporate queen. Another names in this list include Vidya Mohan Chhabaria,
Chairperson of Jumbo Group, Naina Lal Kidwai, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of HSBC Securities and
Capital Market, Sullaijja Firodia Motwani and Mallika Srinivasan.
Social saints
The Indian saint of today's times Mother Teresa is the name which every Indian whether rich or poor is familiar with.
She was the person who used to consider the smile of her countrymen as her wealth. She worked for those whom
even their own families have deserted. She did not care whether she is in the company of a person suffering from
communicable disease or whether it is day or night. Whenever or wherever one needed her she was present. She
opened various homes for these people most famous of which is 'Nirmal Hriday". It is open to everyone irrespective
of caste, creed or religion.
Another important names working for the cause of people includes Aruna Roy who worked for the save RTI
Campaign and Medha Patekar who is associated with Narmada Bachao Andolan.
Universal Queens
Indian women have not just made their mark on earth but they have engraved their name in the whole universe by
flying to space. Kalpana Chawla, who was the member of Colombia Space Shuttle, which exploded on its way back,
was the first Indian women astronaut who visited space station. And now following on her footsteps another women of
Indian origin Sunita Williams has become the second one to be the member of International Space Station crew.
Indian women have mastered anything and everything which a woman can dream of. But she still has to go a long
way to achieve equal status in the minds of Indian men. The desire of Indian women can be best summed up in the
following lines of 'Song of an African Women':
I have only one request.
I do not ask for money
Although I have need of it,
I do not ask for meat . . .
I have only one request,
And all I ask is
That you remove
The road block
From my path.
