One Small Step, One Big Change

The image of women being caught in a stifled existence does not come as a surprise to most of us. In many cultures, they continue to be the less privileged, their basic needs unaddressed, and their ambitions and goals put on the back burner.

What can effect a transformation? Where does one start? Perhaps, with an individual or a small group, and then replicate the success on a larger canvas.

- Dr Smita Dabholkar Singh

Is it not interesting that a country which has had a woman Prime Minister, way back in the 1960s and 1970s, still runs a campaign to save and educate the girl child? Notably, it is only in recent years that many a so-called developed nation started having women at the helm of affairs. What has gone wrong and where? This inquiry merits a good brainstorming. There are several challenges we all know and have enough data on. So, can we get into action mode now? Can we put our strengths to use?

Just a few months ago, I happened to meet Srishti Bakshi, who was on her mission to walk a 100 crore steps starting from Kanyakumari (in South India) to Srinagar (in North India) in a duration of 260 days to create awareness on women issues. She is a ‘Champion of Change’ of the United Nations’ eponymous initiative. A high-profile corporate woman who lived in Hong Kong, Bakshi was deeply affected by the incident that happened in India in Bulandshahr and decided to do something all by herself. Though she had a good network and an illustrious pedigree, it was not easy for her to get started. Nevertheless, she accomplished her objective: reaching out to urban and rural women across the country and sensitizing them—and men too—to numerous issues; this included talking and educating them about their safety, hygiene, emotions, identity, and their life at large.

Bakshi mentioned, during a discussion, that in some places she found that pregnant women do not drink enough water in order to avoid going to the washroom as there is none in the first place and relieving themselves in the open in broad daylight is difficult. She conducted hundreds of educational workshops and tried to explore the ground reality, all on foot, step by step. The issue is whom we want to change and what we can do at a personal level. A lot of our counterparts are waiting; we need to take a call. Sudha Murthy took hers. Her recent book,