A space odyssey

Abhisha Chordia, entrepreneur
Going through a divorce and raising a child as a single parent isn’t easy, I remember how my hands and feet trembled when I first entered the family court, but an inner voice always lingered in me, saying “My life is my responsibility and no blame is allowed.” That moment when you stand in front of the judge and you say that, “Here I am standing in front of you as a responsible mother, seeking justice for my son’s future” — that moment makes you feel very empowered! It gave me the feeling that I am here to make it big in life! Now, looking back, I pat myself for whatever I have gone through and at the same time, I embrace my future with my son.

Mahak Samdaria, entrepreneur
Behind every successful woman, there is a tribe of very successful women who have always had her back’ and for me, it is my mother and grandmothers. Being a postgraduate in Biotechnology, after spending some time in scientific research, I felt the need to pursue my passion in life — cooking. I successfully took up the challenge of creating a vegetarian version of something new in my kitchen every day. So, now I feel highly empowered after having a homemade business of my own called ‘Cakes and Bakes by Mahak’ and the ability to be able to stand on my own, with complete happiness, pride and accomplishment. It would not have been possible without these heroic ladies in my life. So I would say that being in my kitchen with my mother and grandmothers is my space of empowerment.

Farha Haseen, celebrity make-up artist
I love make-up. Everything about it. From buying it to using it for clients, to how it makes me feel proud of my work. Make-up is an immediate platform to show the world your creativity. While many people use it to enhance their features and skin, I use it to be bold and self-confident. I am the happiest woman inside when I wear make-up or apply it on my clients and it makes them feel bold and confident. I have been fascinated with make-up since I was a little girl. I remember playing with my mom’s lipstick and eyeshadow. Now, I can spend hours just experimenting, and putting on a full face of make-up, and nothing makes me feel more like an empowered woman.

Shri Mithraa, freelance artist
As a recent Masters graduate from the United Kingdom, it was always the night runs in London that was my most empowering space. I think it was the fresh air and the sort of high you get when you see your reflection on glass buildings. The reflection reminds you of so many things — you’re fit, you’re eating healthy, you’re going places at work! And I guess, in the mind of a millennial, these are almost all that matters at one point! The fact that you’re making a responsible choice by going for a run, tomorrow is a new day and you’re super pumped to owning it from the moment you wake up is how I translate the feeling of being empowered! And then, there’s the explosion of ideas, one after the other, making you feel like you’re invincible! I swear by it and more people should try going for a run as it truly clears the mind and brings about clarity!

Shweta Sadani, anchor
I feel extremely empowered to be an emcee/anchor. The stage is the place where I find my happiness and get to be the real me. My job is to entertain people, sense their pulse and keep the crowd alive throughout an event. Speaking in front of thousands of people gives me a sense of pride, satisfaction and makes me feel complete as an individual, and empowered as a woman.

Reeni Lionel, CFO & head of Human Resources
The business that I co-manage with my husband is the space that makes me feel the most empowered. I joined this business with my husband because I wanted to have the best of both worlds — family life and a flourishing career. This space allows me to do that. I can work at my own pace because it is my firm. I don’t have to report to anyone. I can also rely on my husband to take care of things when I am busy with other work. I’m sure I would not have felt the same had I been working under someone else. 

Tanvi Singhi, analyst
Dance empowers me, and when I’m up on that stage I feel liberated, empowered and truly in my element. My experience with High Kicks, an all-girls dance ensemble, opened doors for me in numerous ways, shaping the woman that I’ve grown to be today. During hard times, I could always fall back on them, dance it out, add meaning to my life and start all over again. Dancing and stage performances have become my sweet escape from all the jarring realities and noises of everyday life.

Shruthi Vasanth, radio jockey
I’ve always been a woman with strong opinions, someone who has loved speaking my mind from a young age. Now a radio talk-show host with 94.3 Radio One, I feel most empowered in front of the mic at my studio, talking to the people of Chennai through my show. It is my safe space, a place where I am free to express my opinions and be unabashedly myself. The power to say what I feel and make my voice heard through the airwaves is a strong weapon to have, and I use it very wisely. I love the power it gives me and I know I can help make a difference. To me, nothing can be more empowering. Here’s to us and all the firebrand women around us.

Angeline Barron, lecturer
Empowering is not about authority, it’s about helping someone achieve something you did. I always feel empowered in my classroom. Every day, when I walk into my noisy room, I keep in mind that my students are going to be learning something that my teachers taught me and sometimes something even more than that. Those kids look at me eagerly, waiting for me to deliver my morning lecture, and I feel responsible and empowered then. It’s so beautiful because we are inspiring each other. Most of the time, we learn from my lesson plan; otherwise, we discuss how to deal with life’s most difficult situations. For me, empowering is a skill and if you can empower someone to be better than you, the happiness you get from that is the greatest gift you can give yourself.

Rashmi, scholar
I had to visit an all-women police station this time last year with my mother to lodge a domestic violence complaint against my father. We initially had a lot of inhibitions about going to a police station. Relatives and acquaintances said, “You’d rather face your violent father than the menacing police”. We still proceeded with it. To our surprise, the police were very appreciative that we stood up for our rights. One of the cops even shut down all that negativity that was surrounding us. They were extremely cooperative and helped us get justice. They made us realise our self-worth. That’s where I felt empowered — the all-women police station made me understand that empowerment starts from within.

Upasana Asrani, artist
My home is an absolute oasis of peace and calm. The interiors are a perfect blend of contemporary and modern aesthetics and it’s a pure labour of love creating this space. It’s the only space I miss when I’m away from home and it’s almost the centre of my universe. It’s here that I find my empowerment. A beautiful environment is the one ingredient that gives me the feeling of being empowered. This space helps me reset, revive and rejuvenate after a long day of running around for work. I’m very grateful to have such a space and be surrounded by such beauty. 

Virginie Bompoil, chef
India. I feel more empowered in India than I do in France. I’ve achieved a lot in the one year since I moved here. I started a company and its been picking up good business. I feel more empowered in this country than anywhere else because of the success I’ve had here. So, thank you, India!

Avira Karky, journalist
My two-BHK rental house is where I feel empowered. It is a space where I can shed all the restrictions that I had to live with till my mid-20s, a place where I can be myself. From the simple pleasures of walking around the house without pants or doing my chores in the middle of the night with music playing loud to spending the night in the company of a man of my choice, it allows me to structure my life (at least a substantial part of it) the way I want. It is also a place where I can help my friends break free from the stereotypes and conditioning they are subjected to — from being a love nest for a few, a place to drink for others, a house to crash at after a movie night or late date, or just a safe place in times of need, it is a lot of things to a lot of people. That is one reason why I rented a two-bedroom house despite being a single occupant. I’ve had help from like-minded friends when I was in need; now that I can turn around and offer the same for my people (any people, for that matter) is all the privilege I expect out of life (almost!).

Padmapriya Raja, educational consultant and public speaker
Empowerment is figuring out your life’s purpose and fixing your mind and thoughts on that purpose. As I was in the process of finding myself, I felt an obligation to make others feel empowered as well. Indeed it feels great to have control of your life but it feels the best when you inspire others. Being a public speaker, I feel empowered when I’m on stage or in front of an audience, inspiring them.

Aasiya Hashim, entrepreneur
Conducting my culinary workshops at home, this is the space in which I feel most empowered. I’m a food-lover and having spent so much time exploring it, I want to share my knowledge about food with the world. This transfer of knowledge is why I feel empowered. My workshops and sessions give me a chance to share all that I know about cooking. All my clients are mostly women; so, that makes it all the more special.

Inputs BY: Kannalmozhi Kabilan, Naaz Ghani, Roshne Balasubramanian, Shwetha Surendran, Vaishali Vijaykumar, Veena Mani