Women in different eras

Often we come across women who have attained victory in various fields- Government, Politics, Business, Entertainment, Media, Sports and many more. Although we rejoice over their accomplishment, but seldom do we spare a thought about the efforts and commitment put in by them in order to climb the ladder of success. Unlike men, they not only have to shed their blood, sweat and tears but also have to break the deep- rooted cultural and social stereotypes. In this article of mine, I have tried to present the stories of some women in different eras, who just rose through the ranks and have left their footsteps behind for billions of young girls with big ambitions to follow.

In the year 1577, a daughter was born to the Persian aristocrat Mirza Ghias Beg, a minister in Akbar’s court. She was Nur Jahan, often having the esteemed title- ‘The Light of the World’ associated with her name. After receieving the best possible education, Nur Jahan was well versed in Arabian and Persian Languages, art, literature, music and dance. However, she tied a knot with Sher Afghan Khan at the age of 17. Their marriage was snapped after her husband’s death, following which she was summoned by Jahangir as the lady-in-waiting at his palatial palace. Soon, cupid’s arrow struck them both and Nur Jahan, now 34  married him. Soon the new Empress was in full command over the vast stretch of the Mughal Empire. Jahangir’s addiction to opium and alchohol acted as a catalyst in Nur Jahan’s case to exert her influence in the day-day affairs. Some characteristic traits which were disparate and differed her from the ordinary women was sitting behind her husband in the jharoka to receive audiences, issuing orders, overseeing  the administration of several jagir, hunting for tigers and even consulting the ministers. Inspite of these achievements, Nur Jahaan never seemed to shy away from impediments. One of them being a rebel faced from her third son- Shah Jahan, which soon turned bitter when Jahangir was captured. However, Nur Jahan’s wit helped them escape right under the rebel leader’s nose. Jahangir’s death sparked off a new political rivalry which ultimatley made Shah Jahan the new emperor. Inspite of trying to iron out matters, Nur Jahan found it difficult to restore peace in the empire. Thus came and end to the lady who was a symbol of beauty with brains!

Shifting focus to the 20^th century, where a woman is often regarded as ‘The Venus of Indian Cinema’ and the ‘The Beauty with Tragedy’, who is an embodiment of stardom, stellar beauty and has scaled the heights with her phenomenal acting skills dating back from Basant in 1942 to Jwala, issued in 1971. She is Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi, popularly known as Madhubala. She was born to a Pashtun Muslim Family and as the years rolled by she joined the film industry as a child artist to make ends meet. She soon created her ‘self made journey’ to stardom where Mughul- e – Azam became the blockbuster of that time. Thus within a short span of 22 years in the entertainment field, she established an illustrious career by working in 70 films and is still renowed. However, she wasn’t able to enjoy the fruits of her labor as she had an early death at the age of 36 due to ventricular septal defect. Even now as we speak, she is distinguished far and wide not only for her magnificence, but also for her exemplary acting proficiency.

In this cosmic, there are some women who create their own personality and stand out against all odds to bring about a significant change in this world, without fear or giving a second thought about the circumstances that would follow. One of them is the 44^th FLOTUS, an American writer and lawyer- Michelle Obama. Born and brought up in Chicago and having done her schooling from Harvard, Princeton and Whiteney, her topmost priority has always been education. In 2007, she scaled back her own professional work to campaign on her husband’s behalf for the 2008 U.S. Presidential elections. Such was her commitment and devotion towards her family. As far as supporting social causes is concerned, Michelle has been spotted many a times in public, making inspirational speeches, volunteering to help the needy and supporting various socially driven revolutions such as Organic Food Movement, Let’s move and many more. To narrow it down, she still stands tall as a role model for several young people who want to witness the American Dream. In her final speech as the FLOTUS, before she could start up a new lease of life, she addressed the young Americans “I want you young people to know that you matter, that you belong. So, don’t be afraid. You hear me, young people? Don’t be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered. Empower yourself with good education. Then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise. Lead by example, with hope, never fear.”

In today’s era, where the subject of woman empowerment has reached the zenith and females have reached a position to articulate their ideas and opinions as men do, there is one woman who fits perfectly in this spot  and is an inspiration to several young women who have their eyes glued to her illustrous career that she has had over the past 16 years of being in the broadcast journalism space. She is none other than the Managing editor of CNBC-TV18, Shereen Bhan. One of the striking qualities of Shereen is her commitment and passion for news, which is indeed commendable. From Indira Nooyi to Bill Gates, Shereen has interviewed the top business tycoons who have changed the business landscape of global finance and economics. Apart from anchoring some of the country’s prime time shows- India Business Hour and the Nation’s business, she also hosts India’s longest running show on startups- Young Turks which has hit the 16^th year. FICCI, ENBA and many other accolades have already been achieved by her. With a lot of experience under her belt, Shereen just rose through the ranks and knows the true significance of labor, commitment and perserverance. Truly, she is an absolute gem in the Broadcast Journalism field!

In a nutshell, I think this article exemplifies how women can be loyal yet fierce. They can be empathetic  yet determined. A big kudos to all those women who have achieved their targets and have now become an inspiration for several people.