Let’s be clear, Women’s Day should be every day. But it doesn’t hurt to celebrate the power of womanhood. So, it seems a good time to show the achievements that paved the way for growth for women. Here’s a look at some of the most significant historical moments scripted by Indian women:
1. Avantikabai Gokhale, leading a group of women in Dadar during Dandi March.
2. Sarla Thukral became the first Indian woman pilot.
3. Major Divya Ajith Kumar became the first woman in the Indian Army to receive the prestigious Sword Of Honour.
4. Kalpana Chawla tries on her suit on 14 January 2003 at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in preparation for launch.
5. Sarojini Naidu giving a speech to the public.
6. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, signing the agreement of friendship and cooperation with Bangladesh in 1972, after India’s victory at Indo-Pak War, 1971.
7. Nilima Ghose and Mary Dsouza, the first Indian female Olympians, with the winning US men relay team at the 1952 Olympics.
8. Weightlifter Karnam Malleshwari, became the first Indian female Olympian to win a medal in 2000.
9. Bhanu Athaiya, a costume designer became the first Indian to win an Oscar. She was awarded the Oscar for the Best Costume Design Category for Gandhi, in 1983, at the 55th Academy Awards.
10. Shanti Tigga became the first female Jawan in the Indian Army.
11. Bachendri Pal became the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest.
12. Pratibha Patil became the first Indian female President to fly a Sukhoi jet.
13. Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth, and Mohana Singh became India’s first women to fly fighter aircrafts solo, in 2017.
14. Liberia bids goodbye to India’s first all-female peacekeeping force, formed in 2007, which was a first in the history of UN peacekeeping.
15. Indian women’s hockey team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, led by Rupa Saina. Women’s hockey was introduced here and India finished fourth.
16. Women-led Chipko movement.
17. First all-women contingent parade on Republic Day in 2015.
18. Avani Lekhari became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics.
19. When Sushmita Sen was crowned Miss Universe, in 1994.
20. Kiran Bedi, India’s first woman IPS officer, leading a contingent on Republic Day, in 1975.
More power to all the women in the world.