Prez To Felicitate 100 Women Achievers Next Month

Indian women have emerged victorious in busting myths, breaking stereotypes and proving their mettle in male-dominated fields. Next month, President Ram Nath Kovind will felicitate 100 such women who have made the country proud with their talent.

The names of recipients were picked by the Women and Child Development (WCD) ministry from record books, central ministries, state governments and media reports.

“We have been felicitating unusual groupings of women for the last two years and have honoured 100 women achievers from across the country. This time, we thought it fitting to bring together women who have been the first to make a career in male-dominated professions on a common platform and laud their achievement,” Union WCD minister Maneka Gandhi told HT.

Read Also: 5 Women Filmmakers Giving Art Cinema A New Identity

Shortlisted names

The list includes names from diverse fields. For instance, Ira Singhal, the first differently-abled woman to top the civil services; Punita Arora, the first woman to become lieutenant general; Priya Jhingan, the first cadet to join Indian Army; Radhika Menon, the first female merchant navy captain; and Harshini Kanhekar, the first woman firefighter.

Also: 10-Year-Old Boxer Talks About Being In A Male-Dominated Sport

The list also has names of women who opted for unconventional career choices like Chennai-based Praveena Solomon, the first woman to manage a crematorium; Manju from Rajasthan who has the distinction of being the first female railway station porter in India; Muskan Sethi, the first professional poker player; and Shatbhi Basu, the first female bartender

It is good to see the government making some sincere efforts to elevate the status of women by giving them their due recognition. Such endeavours will go a long way in inspiring other women to follow their dreams and become whatever they aspire to.

Read Also: 7 Women In 7 Unconventional Professions