STANDING UP AND TRANSFORMING LIVES

THE LAUNCH EVENT OF THE MAHINDRA RISE INITIATIVE, ORGANISED BY THE INDIA TODAY GROUP AND MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA, HONOURED WOMEN TRAILBLAZERS WHO ARE LEADING THE CHARGE FOR A BETTER INDIA

- Aditi Pai

There were plenty of tales of resilience, perseverance and immense mental/ physical strength, of turning struggles into triumphs, as the winners gathered for the 'Drivers of Change' event on March 8, International Women's Day, in Mumbai. Organised by the India Today Group in collaboration with Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., India's leading SUV manufacturer, the event saw women trailblazers from different fieldscorporate leaders, special forces' trainers, scientists, social activists, politicians, actors and musicians come together to recount inspiring stories of their struggles and successes. As they narrated their life stories, the message was clear: when women take the lead, the world moves forward. The event also saw the launch of the landmark Mahindra Rise Drivers of Change initiative. In line with the Centre's 'Viksit Bharat' goal, the initiative aims to recognise and honour women achievers as the driving force in India's progress towards an advanced and inclusive society, celebrating their role as the embodiment of 'Naari Shakti', in steering the nation's journey.

The event was a celebration of women who "never left the driver's seat despite all odds" and featured women trailblazers from across India in panel discussions. Many women who were honoured through the Drivers of Change initiative live without the halo of celebrity, so this was long due recognition for their role in breaking restrictive traditional norms and having a transformative effect on society.

While Member of Parliament from Mumbai, Poonam Mahajan and former DG of Telangana State Special Protection Force Tejdeep Kaur Menon spoke about their journey in male-dominated fields, cellist Saskia Rao-de Haas and actor-activist Dia Mirza spoke about their journeys in art. Social activists Mittal Patel, Kriti Bharti and Virali Modi spoke about how their personal struggles-against physical attacks and molestation, for example-pushed them to launch welfare initiatives.