The women of today...

There’s nothing she can’t achieve. Today’s woman stands up for causes, speaks out her mind and changes things for the better, writes  Lavanya Padmanabhan.

From landing on the moon to flying aeroplanes and heading top-notch multinational companies, women are equal to men in all walks of life, but getting here has been quite the climb!

Owing to our patriarchal society, Indian women (perhaps most Asian women) have had to work harder to walk shoulder to shoulder with men. But some ladies have achieved this feat to such an extent, that I find myself in awe of them. Like Sunita Williams, who has been a record-holding astronaut with NASA. Like Indra Nooyi, the chairperson and CEO of a world-renowned MNC. Like the 16-year-old Pakistani education-activist, Malala Yousafzai, whose courage and determination know no bounds. A mere teenager, she is a global beacon of hope and strength. She teaches us that it is wrong to look the other way when we know of injustice. She is an activist for a cause.

Such are the woman of today. There isn’t a single thing they cannot aspire for and achieve now.

In my decade-long career as a radio jockey, I have met and interacted with people from different walks of life - be it celebrities, Bollywood stars, famous industrialists or the common (wo)man. I’ve had the most amazing experiences with some bold women, who were not afraid to speak their minds and stand-up for their rights. Such interactions have made me and my listeners aware of what women are capable of.

I feel honoured to have met such wonderful women, from Asha Bhosle to Neeta Ambani, from Waheeda Rehman to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to the college-going girl from suburban Mumbai. Age and occupation no bar, these are the women of today. They can feed their babies with as much love as they can make impressive presentations with confidence and bag million-dollar contracts for their companies.

It is the 21st century that has brought us these opportunities. Personally speaking, I’ve seen the face of the Indian music industry change over the past two decades. The support I’ve received from Padmashri Hariharanji and my parents to help me realise my dream of releasing my own music album ‘Maahi’ last year convinced me that a woman doesn’t have to ‘settle’ for anything lesser than what she wants.

Today, the world is reaching out to women for creativity, talent, skills and solutions for all kinds of problems as much as it is for tender loving care. Women in the past changed the world by raising their children to become great people. Women today are doing that, even as they set themselves as examples to their own children and others. The world is certainly a better place with women’s touch. Kudos, ladies!

(The writer is an anchor, RJ and lead singer of the band 'Sufi Mizaaj')