From Grassroots to Greatness: We The Women 2024 Celebrates Progress and Resilience

The 7th edition of We The Women, helmed by Barkha Dutt, unfolded at Sophia College, Mumbai, with the powerful theme of Glamour, Gravitas, and Grassroots. A star-studded lineup, including Rajkummar Rao, Ananya Panday, Sonam Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Javed Akhtar, Sonali Bendre, and Bollywood wives Bhavana Pandey, Seema Sajdeh, Neelam Kothari, Maheep Kapoor, and Shalini Passi, came together to spark conversations on critical societal issues.

Ecstatic about being a part of We The Women, Sonam Kapoor shared, “This is the second time I am coming here, this feels amazing!” Talking about embracing femininity, the actress elaborates, “To embrace your femininity is amazing I feel like at that like when you Embrace that it’s incredible but at the same time when it’s taken from a man’s lens or a man’s eye yeah it’s that that view is very different the male gaze is very different from a woman’s gaze and how you look at yourself so I remember I shot for the cover for GQ and the stylist and photographer were women because I know that if it was a man shooting me or a man styling me it would been a completely different kind of idea and it wouldn’t have looked the kind same I was I was very comfortable and it was a very sexy shoot it was me embracing my body!”

While Kriti Sanon took this forum to bring forth a strong message, she said, “Women need to Value themselves and take a stand and be okay saying no! I have started saying no and I think there was a point you know we always work um from a sense of from a place of insecurity and fear you know and that insecurity and fear of losing onto work of not getting the best projects of someone else getting the uh project that you want to do makes you say yes and compromise and be like huh take okay fine but I think you if you don’t value yourself nobody else well so you have to take a stand and in terms of also the kind of roles that you want to do and not want to do you know you have to be okay with losing a project if that’s not something that you feel is in sync with you you know and uh that is something that I’ve learned!”

The event began on an electric note with saxophone maestro Subbalaxmi, a Guinness World Record holder, followed by a keynote from Barkha Dutt.

Among the many compelling sessions, highlights included stories of resilience and transformation: India’s women pilots Capt. Priti Kohal and Capt. Ishita Bhatia breaking barriers in aviation; influencers Sakshi Sindwani and Prachi Nigam dismantling beauty myths; and Kshma Singh, who courageously for the first time shared her journey of overcoming childhood trauma of rape to seeking justice after several years with the help of her kids. Yashoda Lodhi, the small-town “Dehati Madam” influencer, inspired with her journey of learning English online and empowering others through YouTube, while Yogendra Bangar and a group of elderly women, the “Ajjis,” proved that learning has no age limit.

The day also addressed essential topics such as menstruation and menopause, featuring a discussion with Malini Agarwal, Neha Kare Kanabar, Shamita Shetty, and Sandhya Mridul. Women warriors Col. Preeti Kanwar and Major Bhumika shared stories from the frontlines, while fashion icons Anita Dongre and Anaita Shroff Adajania discussed female leadership in design. Inspirational leaders like Nisaba Godrej, Vinita Bali, and Sonali Bendre shared their entrepreneurial journeys, while Richa Chaddha added a witty touch with her take on men, women, and motherhood. Comedienne Sumukhi Suresh brought levity to the day, and men like Parmesh Shahani, Nikhil Taneja, and Anish Gawande joined a meaningful dialogue about gender dynamics.

The event also delved into wellness with Dr. Tanaya Narendra, aka Dr. Cuterus, before concluding on a heartwarming note. The finale featured Lucknow’s talented street kids, whose creativity in recreating Sabyasachi designs earned them their first fashion show and a generous gift of ₹25 lakhs from the designer himself.

Through captivating stories, bold dialogues, and a celebration of women from all walks of life, We The Women once again proved to be a beacon of empowerment, hope, and change.