On the occasion of International Women's Day, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals shared four inspirational stories of women from the capital city, who broke stereotypes and gender roles.
From rally racer Ba Yadav to detective Bhavna Paliwal to transgender model Nitasha Biswas to bouncer Mehrunnisha Shokat Ali, the Delhi Capitals as part of their #MainHoonNayiDilli campaign brought forward stories of these incredible women, who showed a never-say-die attitude and overcame every obstacle that came their way to achieve their dreams.
When Ba Yadav first got a taste of racing at the French Grand Prix at the age of 11, she was certain that she wanted to take up racing as a career. However, before even getting near a car, she was told by her father, "racing wasn't an option in India, and even less so for a girl."
Ba wasn't going to give up on her dreams easily and years later after getting married and having two children, she decided to put her full focus on her goal of becoming a rally racer.
"At the age of 43, I participated in my very first race. I was met with a lot of ridicule, I struggled to find any sponsors and fellow racers didn't take me seriously. They all expected me to participate in a couple of races and then move on as they didn't think I had the ability or time for racing, being a woman and a mother," the Delhi Capitals' website quoted Ba as saying.
"But I kept turning up to the track, race after race, determined to prove them wrong. My turning point was in 2016, when I stood 2nd in the challenging Rally De North, something no woman had done before. That is when I felt I had finally arrived. It also forced the male racers to sit up and see me in a different light," she added.
Since her childhood, Bhavna Paliwal always wanted to take the road not taken. After realizing that a career in journalism wasn't going to satisfy her desire to pursue an unexplored path, Bhavna took the bold step of becoming a detective.
"When I came across an advertisement for private detectives and I decided to turn up for the interview. As soon as I wrapped up my first case, I knew that I had found my calling," said Bhavna.
Growing up in an extremely conservative family, Mehrunnisha Shokat Ali's entire life was mapped out on the day she was born. Mehrunnisha's family expected her to do the household chores, get married young and stick to the path that had been followed by all the women in her family for generations.
But Mehrunnisha wasn't going to budge. A career wherein she could protect others really appealed to her, therefore she went on to become a policewoman, but she was discouraged by her father. A few years later, Mehrunnisha had found her calling and this time, nobody could stop her.
"When I was 16, I came to Delhi with my little brother for his audition at a singing reality show. There, I saw bouncers for the first time, handling the crowd and keeping everyone safe. I realised this could be the way for me to finally live a part of my dream," said Mehrunnisha.
As a child, Nitasha Biswas always felt that she was a woman trapped inside a man's body and therefore she decided to undergo hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to convert her body to that of a female.
Without any support from her family and friends, Nitasha underwent HRT and achieved her dream of becoming a professional model.
"I decided to leave behind everything I knew and moved to New Delhi with one goal -- to live the life I always dreamt of. I started my HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) treatment, I met new people who gave me love and respect, and I even had a book written about my journey," said Nitasha.
"Then, I came across an online ad about India's first transgender beauty pageant. I decided to enter on whim, not expecting anything, and with no knowledge of how my life was about to change forever," the model further said.
Each year on March 8, International Women's Day is observed in order to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day commemorates women, who despite various challenges posed by society have proven their mettle in every sphere across the world.
( With inputs from ANI )
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