The shy Indian women donned in tradition are steadily walking out of the closet. As a social revolution, hundreds of names are cropping up, creating a niche in the areas that were considered traditional domains for men. While Aishwarya Rai and Co. may have walked into the hall of fame in the glamour world, in the corporate world, names like Kiran Majumdar Shaw (CEO Biocon), Naina Lal Kidwai (HSBC) and Renuka Ramnath (CEO, ICICI ventures) have been examples that millions of Indians want to emulate. Tennis star Sania Mirza and weight lifter Karnam Malleshwari have been in the list of achievers who have represented India on various occasions at the world level and won many accolades.
As a sign of the changing times, several Indian women have set standards for the world to follow. Critics might call it an urban-centric phenomenon, but the truth remains that till the time India continues to have 400 million or so below the poverty line, and an equivalent number illiterate, for this ‘womancipation’ to percolate down to the bottom 80%, would be near impossible.