From bus drivers to boxing champions and from astronauts to soldiers, women have made a mark in every possible field. Alongside playing various roles of a mother, wife and daughter, here are a few women who have broken stereotypes, proven their individuality, and shown the world that even the sky is not the limit for their ambition and determination.
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| Malala Yousufzai Image Credits - wikimedia.com |
Malala Yousufzai’s defiance of the Taliban and demand that girls should receive an education led to her being shot in the head by a gunman on her way to school when she was 13. Her fight for girls’ education since an early age pushed the UN to launch a worldwide campaign and led to Pakistan’s first Right to Education Bill. Malala is the youngest Nobel Prize winner in the history and regarded as one of Time’s Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the year 2013.
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| Kalpana Chawla Image Credits - Wikimedia |
The first Indo-American woman in space, Kalpana was a part of the international crew aboard the US space shuttle in Columbia. Her second mission ended in tragedy when the space shuttle broke apart in flames on its way to landing on earth, killing all seven on board. Called “India’s pride,” she was instrumental in putting India in the space.
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| Kiran Bedi Image Credits - yourstory.com |
An icon of heroism, Kiran was the first Indian woman to join the Indian Police force and is remembered for serving the society wholeheartedly. She has donned various hats in the police force – the traffic commissioner of Delhi, DIG of Police in the Insurgency prone area of Mizoram, Lieutenant Governor of Chandigarh and more, and she is also well known for dragging the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s car for violating traffic rules.
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| Talisma Nazreen Image Credits - sabrangindia.in |
Born in Bangladesh, Talisma Nazreen is an award winning writer, physician, secular humanist and human rights activist. She is known for her influential writings on women oppression and unflinching criticism of religion despite her forced exile and multiple fatwas calling for her death.
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| Padma Laksmi Image Credits - Wikimedia |
Former wife of novelist Salman Rushdie and a single mother, Padma has played multiple roles of an actress, model, TV host and executive producer. She has penned a cookbook “Easy Exotic” that won the Gourmand World Cookbook award in 1999. She also achieved fame for her nomination for outstanding host for the reality competition “Top Chef”.
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| Sushmita Sen Image Credits - hotstarz.info |
Not only did she clinch one of the most coveted titles of all times of ‘Miss Universe’ and the first one for an Indian, but Sushmita Sen has also been an inspiration for single, unmarried mothers across the nation. Sushmita made a bold statement when she adopted two girl children without being married. This Miss Universe 2004 and Bollywood starlet didn’t let her lifestyle or lack of a marital status hinder her from enjoying motherhood.
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| Bhawna Kanth, Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh Image Credits - rediff.com |
For those who are wondering who these women are, let us tell you - these three women will take to the skies in June 2016, being the first women to find their way to combat roles that was primarily reserved for men until October 2015.
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| Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Image Credits - wikimedia.com |
Kiran is recognized as a global thought leader for biotechnology. This Indian entrepreneur is the chairman and MD of Biocon Limited and has been awarded for her contributions to the progress of science and chemistry.
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| Amal Almauddin Image Credits - cnet.com |
British-Lebanese lawyer, activist and author, Amal is a barrister specializing in international law and human rights. She has represented Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, Canadian-European Journalist Mohamed Fahmy and Former Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko in their legal battles. She constantly gets death threats, but continues working unfazed.
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| Aung San Suu Kyi Image Credits - artcreationforever.com |
Also called the Dragon Lady, she is the President of the National League for Democracy, a Burmese social democratic stateswoman and politician. One of the world’s most prominent political prisoners, she was placed under house arrest for a total of 15 years to prevent her from meeting her supporters. She is the recipient of the Nobel Peace prize in 1991, Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, Jawaharlal Nehru Prize for International Understanding among many others.
The history is witness to many such brave women who have broken the rules and challenged the traditions to make the world a better place.
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