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Writing about female role models, is something I have wanted to do since quite some time.
Today, I want to share three stories. Each of them have an inner strength of character which led them to carve out their own path.
These are the stories of Gita Gopinath- the first female chief economist of the IMF, Durgabhai Deshmukh- lawyer, politician and a freedom fighter and Dr. Hansa Mehta- freedom fighter, social activist and an educator.
Gita Gopinath
Meet the modern superwoman.
Gita Gopinath is the first female chief economist of the IMF.
She uses her platform to drive an agenda for an inclusive global recovery. By expressing her fears about “the Great Divergence” wherein men will recover from the recession faster than women and high-wage workers will recover faster than low-wage workers, she has raised issues for people whose voices are harder to hear.
She has advocated the need for more just distribution of vaccines to low-income countries. As well as commitments from high-income countries to reallocate surplus vaccines over time.
The daughter of a farmer she has served as an advisor to the US Federal Reserve Bank and to the chief minister of Kerala (India). She is the first Indian woman to be granted tenure by Harvard’s economics department.
More so, she grabbed every opportunity that came her way. She left India to pursue her Masters in the US, while her husband continued to serve in the civil services in India. Doors continued to open for her when she continued impressing her mentors and peers.
What we often see is result of her hard work. But, what we miss out on is that she worked at her craft religiously for 30 odd years to be where she is now. Proof- she has authored around 40 research articles on exchange rates, trade and investment, international financial crises, monetary policy, debt, and emerging market crises, thereby enriching society at large.
Her tenacity and values have shaped her into a power player on the world stage.
Durgabai Deshmukh
Durgabai Deshmukh (1909-1981) was a lawyer, politician, social activist and a freedom fighter.
At the age of twelve she convinced Gandhiji to speak about social reform at her village. Soon after she established a school focused on educating women.
At the age of fifteen she walked out of her marriage which in those days was unheard of and required tremendous courage.
She was jailed for three years for organising female volunteers for Gandhiji’s Salt Satyagraha. She also pushed for free primary education for girls along with improving access to education for adults.
The list of her achievements runs long but her story isn’t known too most.
Durgabai thrived at a time where women had to fight twice as hard to be heard by their peers.
We hear very few stories about women like her, but in reality, there are scores of women playing various roles who deserve to have their stories told. From the contribution of women in the constituent assembly to the drafting of the constitution to grassroot organisations. All their stories matter.
We owe it to the generation after us to show them the strength that comes from being a woman.
Dr. Hansa Mehta
“All men are created equal.” Okay. But what about Women?
Can you imagine the above phrase almost made its way into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)?
Thankfully, the above phrase was replaced with, “All human beings are born free and equal” during the drafting of the UDHR in 1948, thanks to Dr. Hansa Mehta.
The UDHR is a foundational text for human and civil rights. Changing the wording of the phrase promoted inclusivity amongst all human beings. It led to discussions during the framing of constitutions and as to how legal systems around the world should operate.
Dr. Mehta was a freedom fighter, social activist, reformist, and an educator from India. She pushed through laws which forbade child marriage, encouraged birth control for women and was a gender equality champion.
Mehta’s contribution to the Indian constitution and nation-building were towering. Her power was front and centre when on August 14, 1947 she presented the country’s first national flag on behalf of the women of India to the President.
“We have donned the saffron colour, we have fought, suffered and sacrificed in the cause of our country’s freedom. We have today attained our goal. In presenting this symbol of our freedom, we once more offer our services to the nation,” she said.
Women like Dr. Mehta are fearless, and we stand on their shoulders when we fight for our rights. When women today demand their rights; on matters such as distribution of household chores, fighting for our right to representation in military or control over our bodies. It is easier because of the brave women like Dr. Mehta that came before us.
I hope you found these stories inspiring, and they motivate you to learn a bit more about other women who have played pivotal roles in history,
Do let me know in the comments any female led stories which have inspired you.
You may find a new book, Lady Doctor, by Kavitha Rao, quite interesting. She has documented the life of some of the pioneering Indian women who struggled against every odd to join the medical profession, in the 19th and early 20th century.