On International Women’s Day, six accomplished women from diverse fields took over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Twitter handle to share their inspiring journeys of empowerment and achievement. The initiative highlighted the contributions of women in sectors such as farming, sports, and science and technology.
The women who took over the PM’s social media account included Vaishali Rameshbabu from Chennai, Dr. Anjlee Agarwal from Delhi, Anita Devi from Nalanda, Elina Mishra from Bhubaneswar, Ajaita Shah from Rajasthan, and Shilpi Soni from Sagar.
This initiative mirrors a similar effort from 2020 when seven women achievers took over PM Modi’s social media accounts to share their remarkable success stories.
Elina Mishra, a nuclear scientist at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), expressed her gratitude for her family’s academic influence. “My interest and inquisitiveness for science developed due to my father, who is my inspiration,” wrote Mishra. Reflecting on her work in developing magnetic and RF characterization of Drift Tube Linac cavities for the Low Energy High Intensity Proton Accelerator (LEHIPA), she added, “It was indeed a very proud and satisfying moment when a 20 MeV proton beam was successfully accelerated.”
Shilpi Soni, a space scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), shared her pride in contributing to over 35 communication and navigation missions for ISRO over the past 24 years. “It was a dream come true to work with ISRO,” she said. Encouraging women to explore science, she remarked, “India surely has the right platform for women to innovate and grow.”
Ajaita Shah, CEO of Frontier Markets, has empowered over 35,000 digitally-enabled women entrepreneurs in rural India. “One issue that remained close to my heart was the challenges women face in rural areas. Thus, I have spent the last two decades mitigating this,” she wrote, encouraging women to become self-reliant and contribute to India’s economic growth.
Vaishali Rameshbabu, a chess Grandmaster from Chennai, called her chess journey “learning, thrilling, and rewarding.” She urged young girls to chase their dreams, regardless of obstacles, and encouraged parents to support their daughters’ ambitions.
Encouraging young girls, she said, “Your passion will power your success… Follow your dreams, no matter the hurdles.” She thanked her parents for their unwavering support.
Known as the “Mushroom Lady of Bihar,” Anita Devi founded the Madhopur Farmers Producer Company in 2016 to empower women through employment and entrepreneurship. She proudly spoke about her journey from struggle to success, helping hundreds of women achieve self-reliance by providing employment opportunities and essential farming resources.
“Today, hundreds of women working in this company are getting a life of self-respect along with a livelihood,” Devi shared.
Dr. Anjlee Agarwal, a staunch advocate for universal accessibility and founder of Samarthyam Centre for Universal Accessibility, called for a society that transcends labels and barriers. Her vision is to create inclusive spaces and empower individuals with disabilities, inspiring change through improved policies and ground-level action.
“Let’s ensure that every woman, every individual, can navigate their life with dignity and independence,” she urged.