International Womens Day Celebration in 2023

International Women’s Day, celebrated on the 8th of March, is a global event that honors the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This day also serves as a call to action to challenge gender inequality and discrimination. International Women’s Day has been celebrated for over a century, and during this time, women have made remarkable strides in breaking barriers and achieving representative leadership roles.

However, women are still under-represented in leadership positions and face multiple challenges, including violence and limited access to education and healthcare. Therefore, International Women’s Day reminds us of the importance of promoting gender equality, empowering women, and creating a more inclusive world.

Let us have a look at some amazing inspiring women of the country.

The list of 10 outstanding women who will be honored at the 20th Annual Woman of the Year Award on 14th April 2023 is as follows,

1. Sumeit Aggarwal

Co-Founder and Managing Director

 Finhive LLC

To enable women to take charge of their financial destinies, Sumeit has a mission. After a prosperous career working with multinational corporations, Sumeit decided to leave the corporate world to launch Finhive in 2017. Her business is a social venture to assist women-owned enterprises with personal finance, strategy, and risk management. She also instructs women and young adults on personal finance. She frequently gives presentations on relevant subjects such as sustainable investing, economic wellness, and closing the gender wealth gap because she is profoundly passionate about integrating personal values into money. Summit advises undergraduates at Babson College and Northeast University as a way of giving back to her alma mater.

2. Meena Bharath

Chairperson 

 Massachusetts Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission

Meena was listed as one of the most significant Asian American and Pacific Islanders in Boston in 2023. Karen Spilka, the president of the Massachusetts Senate, named her to the Massachusetts Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission. She has a keen interest in education and how it affects young people’s lives and society. She has held positions in state, regional, and local educational organizations. She is a fervent supporter of individualized education plans for every student that celebrate strengths, create support, and offer a variety of routes to learning.

3.Dr. Ami Bhatt, MD, FACC

Chief Innovation Officer

 American College of Cardiology

Ami has promoted heart health awareness throughout the South Asian community. She is the chief innovation officer (CIO) now at the American College of Cardiology and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. Ami earned her medical degrees from Yale School of Medicine and Harvard College. She also completed cardiovascular fellowships at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Boston. She served as the Massachusetts General Hospital’s first Richard Liberthson Endowed Scholar in Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) and served as the program’s director. In the Corrigan-Minehan Heart Centre at Massachusetts General Hospital, she also held the position of director of Telecardiology and Outpatient Services. She currently oversees the MGH Elevate Leadership Program, which develops leaders for today’s and tomorrow’s healthcare problems.

 4. Manorama Choudhury

Poetess

Artist

Poet Manorama Choudhury is also an enthusiastic artist. She is originally from Berhampur and has devoted herself to poetry (in Odia, Hindi, and English), songwriting, painting, fashion designing, and other forms of visual art. Manorama has performed poetry on a variety of stages, such as Sapne (South Asian Poets of New England), Nabagunjara, Ame Odia Ame Odisha, and Odia literature in North America. She frequently produces non-fiction pieces for several online magazines. She devotes a lot of her time to charitable work with organizations that support rural India’s needs for health, wellness, and education.

5. Parul Doshi

Chief Data Officer

Cellarity

Parul is a respected executive in the business world. After joining Celerity less than a year ago, she was designated Chief Data Officer, where she applies her extensive pharmaceutical expertise in data, software engineering, and IT. A pharmaceutical business called Celerity creates medications by examining and modifying the cellular markers of disease. Before this, Parul was the Top 10 Pharma company Takeda’s Head of Digital and Technology. She oversaw initiatives supporting several, highly public product launches, including the development of the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine in Japan, the distribution of the Moderna vaccine in Japan, and the Dengue vaccine. Parul oversaw IT Integration during the $5 billion purchase of ARIAD. She oversaw Takeda’s DEI carer and parent resource programs.

6. Veena Handa

Vice Chair

Vision-Aid

Veena has been giving her time and energy to several issues since she retired that she is passionate about and that is near and dear to her. She has demonstrated outstanding volunteerism by serving as the vice chair of Vision-Aid, a member of AIF’s Circle of Hope, a Shine Counsellor, and a Money Manager volunteer for Minuteman Senior Services, which provides Medicare and money management guidance to seniors.

7. Sunita Kanchinadam

Global Head of Securities Lending, Financing & Collateral Transformation Technology

State Street Bank

Chair: TiECON East 2023

Sunita is chair of TiECON 2023, the biggest entrepreneurial conference in New England, in addition to her role as global head of State Street Bank’s securities lending, financing, and collateral transformation technology. The conference’s subject this year is “The Emergence of the Intentional Entrepreneur,” which focuses on the character of the contemporary entrepreneur. The conference aims to increase registrants’ networks by utilizing the talented workforce emerging from New England universities, in addition to providing great programming and networking opportunities.

8.  Jharna Madan

Director, Hindi Manch

Senior Project Manager/ Designer

 Officeworks Inc.

Jharna is an esteemed local leader who zealously champions a variety of social issues in New England. She puts in the endless effort and goes above and above with her dedication to helping the community. She is commended for developing unique, creative concepts that lend all of her endeavours elegance and grace. One of the biggest Hindi organizations in the US, the Hindi Manch, has Jharna as its Director and a member of its Steering Committee. She also works as a local freelance reporter for TV Asia and has long served as a co-emcee for the Woman Award for Excellence gala. She works for Officeworks Inc. as a Senior Project Manager/Designer.

9.  Sahana Purohit

Board of Directors, Discovery Museum

Commissioner, Acton Housing Authority

Sahana serves as a commissioner for the Action Housing Authority as well as a member of the Discovery Museum’s board of directors. She feels that regional politics are far more crucial than federal politics. And she embodies that in her day-to-day activities. Sahana has participated in numerous local committees and projects as a volunteer and active participant in the Acton community. She was a member of the Acton Finance Committee most recently. In 2018, Sahana also participated in the Town Manager Search Committee and the Acton 2020 Comprehensive Community Planning Committee.

10. Gitanjali Swamy

Public Policy, Serial Entrepreneur-Investor, Innovator, Thinker

Managing Partner, Io Task

Senior Legislative & Policy Advisor Gitanjali Swamy (Gita) works for Senator Mark’s office in the Massachusetts State Senate. Before that, she worked for Senator Hinds’ office as Chief Legal Advisor and Senior Legislative and Policy Advisor. Dr. Swamy supports legislative policy or regulation, and she has a particular interest in investment policy and economic development. In her capacities as an investor or professional at IoTask, The Carlyle Group, and Booz Allen & Hamilton, Dr. Swamy (Ph. D) has started, grown, served as a board director in innovation firms, and directed the investment sourcing, structuring, and transaction of seed to over a billion USD investments

Padma Awards 2023: List of Female Winners and Their Contributions to the Society

1. Sudha Murthy: –

Sudha Murty is an Indian educator, author, and philanthropist who is chairperson of the Infosys Foundation. She is married to the co-founder of Infosys, N. R. Narayana Murthy. Murty was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, for social work by the Government of India in 2006. The Padma Bhushan will be given to renowned novelist and Infosys chair Sudha Murthy for her contributions to social service. She is renowned for her charitable activities toward society and has written scores of novels, many of which are geared toward children.

2. Raveen Ravi Tandon: –

Indian actress Raveena Tandon is well known for the diversity of roles she has played in Hindi movies. She is the director of Ravi Tandon’s daughter. She has won numerous honors, including three Filmfare Awards and a National Film Award. She received the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honor in India, in 2023. The Padma Shri award in the category of arts will go to Raveena Tandon. She made her Bollywood debut in 1991 with ‘Patthar Ke Phool’ and went on to work in other films including ‘Andaz Apna Apna’, ‘Mohra’, ‘Diwale’, ‘Khiladiyon Ke Khiladi’, among others. Recently, the actress was picked to represent the G20’s W20, the women’s empowerment engagement wing.

3. K C Runremsangi: –

 K C Runremsangi, a folk singer from Mizoram, has also been awarded the Padma Shri for his work preserving Mizo culture for more than three decades. She is recognized for having recorded numerous Mizo folk songs and was given the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2017.

4. Rani Machaiah: –

 Rani Machaiah is a Kodava Ummathat folk dancer who has received the Padma Shri award for her work in conserving and promoting Kodava culture via dance. She has been teaching female artists the Ummathat folk dance and served as the previous president of the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy.

5. Hirabai Lobi: –

 Hirabai Lobi, who was raised by her grandmother after becoming an early orphan, has devoted her life to serving as a Siddi Tribal care worker and leader. She received the Padma Shri award for her contributions to Gujarat’s Siddi community. She has received recognition for establishing numerous Balwadis to educate Siddi children and for advancing financial freedom among Siddi women via her foundation, Mahila Vikas Mandal.

6.  Vani Jairam: –

 In addition, singer Vani Jairam received the Padma Bhushan in the arts, honoring her for her significant contributions to both south Indian and Bollywood movies. Playback singer Suman Kalyanpur is one of the other Padma Vibhushan award winners, while the Padma Shri has been given to people like Jodhaiyabai Baiga, Usha Barle, Hemoprova Chutia, Subhadra Devi, Pritikana Goswami, Shanti Parmar, Sujatha Ramdorai, Neihunuo Sorhie, and Coomi Nariman Wadia.

CONCLUSION

All these women are an inspiration to society. So, let us all pledge to work towards creating a more equitable and just world. Let us celebrate the accomplishments of women in various fields while reaffirming our commitment to empowering them. At the same time, let us acknowledge and work towards dismantling the systemic barriers that prevent gender equality. By recognizing and supporting the diverse experiences of women, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or orientation, we can build a better and more inclusive world for all. Together, let us continue to advocate for gender equality and celebrate the strength and resilience of women across the globe.