Year of
The Indian woman

During 2009, more and more Indian women hit the headlines worldwide in every human endeavour — be it arts and entertainment, finance and banking, politics and administration, business and entrepreneurship or hospitality and tourism. The country has every reason to be proud of its women. Today they are generating more wealth than women of any other country. They are getting recognition and applause around the world for their courage, confidence and capability,
writes Vimla Patil

Sonia Gandhi, who navigated her party to a grand victory in the national as well as several state elections, has proved a woman’s power to hold together a diverse group of combative politicians

Take an overview of 2009, the year that is melting away into the womb of time. Surprisingly, many powerful Indian men seem to have hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The king of media attention in recent times has been Jharkhand leader Madhu Koda, for allegedly stashing away a fortune worth Rs 4,000 crore. The year also saw men attract millions of eyeballs to TV news or print media for swindling their companies, creating political scams, handling terror attacks with lack of preparedness and even changing religion to marry another woman.

In fact, but for a few shining lights, 2009 showed us the downside of the Indian police force, intelligent services, politicians and business tycoons through a procession of events that exposed their dark deeds.

In stark contrast, 2009 showed Indian women in a dazzling light of fame and applause. They rose like phoenixes, above their gender roadblocks, to achieve incredibly high goals and reinvented themselves in every possible avatar. The number of Indian women hitting the national and international headlines during the past year has been so impressive that the year can well be named the Indian Woman’s Year. So, as 2010 dawns, it is time to celebrate the achievements of India’s women from diverse social strata and equally diverse professions.

The leader among such outstanding celebrities, who gave us a glimpse of things to come, is the intrepid first woman President of India, Pratibha Patil. Past 70, she showed tremendous energy in touring the world as India’s goodwill ambassador and ended the year with an adventurous ride in the much-debated Sukhoi aircraft, fittingly dressed in an Army uniform. Not only did President Patil encourage India’s armed forces with her courageous journey, she also let all women know that Indian women can hold the highest office of a nation without shirking away from any duty.

Meira Kumar is the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha and (right) Indira Nooyi, the chairperson and chief executive officer of Pepsico, is the only Indian woman to head a $25 billion multinational company

On par with the President of India was the incredible powerhouse Sonia Gandhi, who, with a well-designed silence and quiet, behind-the-scenes work, navigated her party to a grand victory in the national as well as several state elections. With an overwhelming mandate in favour of her party, Gandhi has proved a woman’s power to hold together a diverse group of combative men and women who now are given the job of governing India.

Next in the power-game comes Meira Kumar, the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Meira, earlier in the news for supporting a job quota for the Scheduled Castes and the OBCs in private sector companies, featured in the headlines this year for being a disciplinarian in Parliament when she called to order members of various parties and demanded their presence at important discussions. Adding a bit of humour, she also pointed out that MPs answering their cell phone calls during the session of the Lok Sabha would have to change their behaviour and give more attention to discussions rather than tele-talks.

Taking the political media-wagon on a fast-forward mode was Nirupama Rao, who scored a triumph when she became the second woman Foreign Secretary. Nirupama came to New Delhi’s power corridors straight from China, where she was India’s Ambassador. Before that, she held high diplomatic positions in Sri Lanka, Peru, Moscow and Washington and was also the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs. No doubt, Nirupama will play a key role as India passes through sensitive times with recession and the constant spectre of terror.

Nirupama Rao, the second woman Foreign Secretary, will play a key role as India passes through sensitive times with recession and the constant spectre of terror

Let’s move to the finance sector now. The women who made most news in this area were Meera Sanyal, Country Head of ABN Amro Group (now the Royal Bank of Scotland), and Shikha Sharma, MD, ICICI Prudential Insurance Co. The former among the two, Meera had the courage to take a sabbatical from her prestigious, high-flying job and fight the Maharashtra Assembly elections, without being affiliated to any established party. Though she did not win, she swore that she would contest every future election to show the will of professional experts to bring transparency and efficiency to India’s governance. Meera is also a passionate wildlife activist and heads the ABN Amro Foundation which works ceaselessly in several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries to rehabilitate tribals, relocate villages and bring educational facilities to children of forest communities.

Savitri Jindal, non-executive chairperson of the O P Jindal Group, joined the list of the top 10 richest women in the world.

At 2009’s Economic Times Awards, Shikha Sharma received the Businesswoman of the Year Award from the Prime Minister at a prestigious ceremony. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Shikha received this award after her illustrious track record of service during which she made her company the largest health insurer in the insurance sector with over 70 per cent premium generated in the sector to its credit in a year of recession..

The entertainment industry also threw up fabulous headline grabbers. For Kareena Kapoor, who shot like a meteor to the ‘top Bollywood heroine’ position after her remarkable success in Jab We Met, 2009 has been an unforgettable year. It has ended with Rohan Shetty offering her a whopping Rs10 crore for a sequel to Golmaal Returns. Kareena has received the highest publicity in magazines and newspapers, on various websites and of course on all television channels. With her newly-sculpted figure, her fab sensuality and open romance with Chhote Nawab Saif Ali Khan, Kareena shines in the media like no other star.

Yet another woman to radiate fame in the film industry, but without glamour and sensuality, was Loveleen Tandon, who shot into headlines when Slumdog Millionnaire won the Golden Globe, BAFTA and Oscar awards. A small-time casting director, Loveleen Tandon was unknown till Danny Boyle’s film Slumdog Millionaire burst like a scintillating meteor at all film awards ceremonies this year. Overnight, Loveleen became a name to reckon with in the entertainment industry worldwide.

Equally fortunate was the female lead of the film Frieda Pinto, a little-known college student-aspirant who became an international star with the success of Slumdog.

Further, Asin, the South Indian actress, took off like a meteor in Bollywood with Ghajini, the highest grosser in Bollywood’s history. So also, Deepika Padukone touched the top spot for a heroine though she is just a few films old.

Let’s look at designers. Through 2009, women designers like Neeta Lulla, Pria Kataria Puri and Ritu Kumar held fashionistas spellbound with their ensembles for Bollywood films and the much-publicised fashion weeks. Pria Kataria made headlines with her couture creations for Paris Hilton, and Ritu Kumar was crowned the mistress of traditional Indian glamour. Neeta Lulla became the ultimate film costume designer when her Jodhaa Akbar ensembles worked wonders for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan.

Internationally, Indira Nooyi, the chairperson and chief executive officer of Pepsico, hit the headlines yet again. She is the only Indian woman to head a $25 billion multinational, and perhaps the first Indian to reach to this level. `A0For Indira, this has been an exciting journey, especially now that the company is looking to capture the huge Indian market. "Being a coloured woman immigrant made it thrice as difficult for me to reach this position," she says, "but working twice as hard as a man made it possible for me."

One thing is now abundantly evident, say ardent India watchers. Today, Indian women are generating more wealth than women of any other country in the world. India’s beauty, glamour and fashion industry has crossed the boundaries of India and garnered fame at the international level. Indian women have given up their past burden of ignorance, poverty and stagnation. They are getting recognition and applause around the world for their courage, confidence and capability — and, of course, their legendary beauty.