Seven Women Who Took Over PM Modi's Social Media Accounts

Seven women from across the country from different walks of life took over the social media accounts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Women's Day to share their journeys to mark International Women's Day and inspire people across the country.

PM Modi recently announced on Twitter that he was "thinking of giving up social media accounts". "This Women's Day, I will give away my social media accounts to women whose life & work inspire us. This will help them ignite motivation in millions. Are you such a woman or do you know such inspiring women? Share such stories using #SheInspiresUs" (sic)," he had posted.

He sent out the greetings on Women's Day this morning and wrote: "As I'd said a few days ago, I'm signing off. Through the day, seven women achievers will share their life journeys and perhaps interact with you through my social media accounts."

Chennai-based Sneha Mohadoss who was the founder of non-profit "Foodbank India" - was the first one to share her story. "You heard of food for thought. Now, it is time for action and a better future for our poor. Hello, I am Sneha Mohandoss Inspired by my mother, who instilled the habit of feeding the homeless, I started this initiative called Foodbank India," she tweeted along with a video where she introduced herself and explained about her non-profit.

"I'm using the PM's handle to spread awareness on the need to remove hunger. Will you and others help me?" another post read.

President awardee Dr Malvika Iyer, who identifies herself as a disability activist on Twitter, was the next to share her story on PM's handle as she explained how she survived a bomb blast at the age of 13, went on to get a PhD with her family's support. "I survived a gruesome bomb blast at the age of 13 that blew off my hands and severely damaged my legs. Yet, I worked and went on to get my PhD," read a tweet by Malvika Iyer.

"Acceptance is the greatest reward we can give to ourselves. We can't control our lives but we surely can control our attitude towards life. At the end of the day, it is how we survive our challenges that matters most," read one of the posts that she put out from PM Modi's handle.

A Srinagar-based woman entrepreneur's story followed next. "I always dreamt of reviving the traditional crafts of Kashmir because this is a means to empower local women. I saw the condition of women artisans and so I began working to revise Namda craft," read a tweet by Arifa, who says she wants to create jobs in Kashmir.

Hyderabad's Kalpana Ramesh, an architect by profession and a TedX Speaker, shared how she is working towards creating "a water secure future" for the next generation. "Small efforts can make a big impact.  Water is a valuable inheritance we got. Lets not deprive our next generations. Contribute by using water responsibly, harvesting rainwater, saving lakes, recycling used water and creating awareness," her tweet read.

Kalavati from Kanpur shared how she collected funds to stop open defecation, encourage cleanliness in her neighbourhood.

The seventh woman to handle PM's social media account was Veena Devi. She shared how hard work helped her earn respect, recognition and the position of Sarpanch in Bihar's Munger village.