HOWW to CHANGE THE WORLD

“First, they ignore you. And then they ridicule you. And then they attack you and Then you Win”

This in short is the story of womankind...

World will forever remember…

·??????Marie Curie for discovering radio activity to leapfrog science and humanity

·??????Rani Lakshmi Bai for being the vanguard of mutiny against all that is unjust about colonialism

·??????Mother Teresa for embracing the poorest of the poor (in my city)

·??????Oprah Winfrey for shattering the glass ceiling to become the first self-made billionaire

·??????Katherine Switzer for dodging assailants to finish the Boston Marathon and opening minds

so many women have left an indelible mark in human history.

Truth be told, History remembers 10 men for every 1 woman.

Sharing some facts:

·??????Did you know that most Ivy league Universities allowed women students as late as in 1960s?

·??????Did you know women in USA could open a bank account and have access to equitable credit only as late as in 1970s

·??????Did you know that Switzerland is just celebrating 50 years of women suffrage? (For perspective that’s 20 years after women in India had the right to vote)

I want us to take cognizance that even in the most progressive nations, basic rights, access to higher education and better livelihood happened to women only about 50 years ago. Plight of women in the developing nations 50 years ago was significantly worse off- and still is.

Fast forward to today the world has changed faster than we imagine- sharing some statistics:

1.??????51% of Harvard class of fall 2021 are taken by women

2.??????45% of Fortune 500 new board of directors appointed in 2021 are women

3.??????Closer to my heart, India has the highest % of female pilots in the world at 13%

In the last 4 decades I have witnessed the world evolve through 5 generations:

·??????My great grandmother spent her adult life as a widow and never held a pen

·??????My grandmother never set foot in a school and bore seven children

·??????My mother was married off and had me before she could finish school

·??????My wife completed her PhD as mother of our little one

·??????My daughter will have access to the best of everything the world has to offer

Memory of my great grandmother is that of a disciplined monk. At 90, she would wake up at 5am without an alarm, get done with her ablutions by 6am. She would fast twice a week and be always draped in an immaculate white saree. She did this for 75yrs of her life.

My grandmother was an avid storyteller. She used to narrate how she had to escape with her children during riots, vivid stories of Bengal famine, World War II times and her life as a child

My mother is a resilient woman, and my wife is the smartest human I know

Each one of them have lived very different lives in different times, yet there is something extra ordinary about each one of them. Each one is a wonder woman!

Every woman is a wonder woman.

Behind and beside every wonder woman there is a woman and a man who is her Hero!

Who is the Hero of Wonder Woman (HOWW)?

Answer: Parents, Grandparents, Teachers, Partner, Spouse, Children, Siblings, Friends, Colleagues, and everyone else in her ecosystem who forges her to unleash her true potential

·??????The hero dreams her dream and cheer leads

She asked, “What if I fall” …she heard, “but darling what if you fly?”

·??????The hero steps back, so she steps forward. Let her fall so she could rise. Watch her shake off the dust and fly.

·??????There is no work not suitable for a woman (or a man). Competency is the only qualification- gender is not. The hero shatters every stereo type

African proverb: You educate a Man you educate an individual…you educate a woman you educate a nation. We made History…now let us make Herstory

In Conclusion:

·??????Women the world over have had an onerous time through centuries

·??????The world is turning equitable for better now faster than ever- there is a long way to go

?Every woman is a Wonder Woman!

Calling humankind to become her Hero to Change the World!

Happy Birthday Dr Amrita Ganguly