The BBC released its 2019 list of 100 inspiring women. Seven Indian women, from a Space entrepreneur to a Yoga guru are included in the list.
The 2019 list is as diverse as it can get with women from across the globe, diverse backgrounds and various walks of life.
The seven Indian women included in the list are:
Parveena Ahanger
Parveena Ahanger is a human rights activist from Kashmir and the founder of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP). She is also referred to as the "Iron Lady of Kashmir". APDP campaigns against enforced and or involuntary disappearances of people from the state. It has closely researched and documented incidents of enforced capture Kashmir and can personally vouch for at least a thousand such cases.
Aranya Johar
The 21-year-old young brown Indian girl, as she calls herself has moved thousands of people with her words. She first became a known name when in 2017 her spoken-word poem 'A Brown Girl’s Guide to Gender' went viral on social media. Aranya’s slam poetry smartly address global issues like sexism, misogyny, gender-based-violence, slut-shaming, stereotypes, sexual abuse and assault and mental health.
Susmita Mohanty
India "space-woman" Susmita Mohanty has started the first-ever private space start-up. Mohanty received her training in prestigious institutions such as India’s National Institute of Design, France’s International Space University (ISU), went on to acquire a PhD in aerospace architecture from Sweden. She started Earth2Orbit in 2008 in an attempt to use space as a resource for monitoring climate change.
Subhalakshmi Nandi
Subhalakshmi Nandi has worked on improving gender equality in Asia for the past 15 years. Her work is primarily focused on women farmers and women's education and ending violence against women.
Natasha Noel
Natasha has had a rough childhood, she lost her mother at the age of three and is also a sexual abuse survivor. Natasha fought back the depression and ensuing mental health issues with dance and holistic fitness. She currently is a yoga guru, motivational speaker and social media influencer.
Vandana Shiva
Vandana Shiva has achieved many titles in her life, she is recognized as a gender activist, food-sovereignty advocate and prolific writer to name a few. She is famously known as the eco-feminist. She is also an awardee of the Alternative Nobel Peace Prize.
Dr Pragati Singh
The founder of the online community "Indian Aces", India's first platform for addressing asexual people and asexuality, Dr Singh is also a poet. She is a celebrated researcher and poet. She has received the Laadli award for her poetry based on asexuality.