The anthem of SheShakti 2024 sung by Maithili Thakur echoed through the hall,celebrating the power and resilience of women across generations. Among the audience were India’s most accomplished individuals—sports stars and scientists, academicians and actors, leaders and change-makers—all united by a shared purpose.
As the program progressed, the spirit of the anthem resonated in the strong voices of women during insightful panel discussions, candid interviews and compelling speeches. It was visible in the determination that twinkled in the eyes of young achievers and in the confident strides of the trailblazers who have walked untrodden paths and overcome countless obstacles. It was felt in the electric atmosphere of collective possibility, powered by those who had the courage to lead the way, to be the first in their families, first in their fields, first to say, “Yes, I can.”
1
Memorable Day22
Thought Provoking Sessions40
Spectacular Speakers1000s
of Women EmpoweredThe second edition of SheShakti, presented by Lions Clubs International in association with News18, took place on September 16, 2024, in New Delhi. The significance of the initiative was underscored by a special message from the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, whose own path exemplifies the spirit of breaking barriers and championing gender equality.
For Lions Clubs International, this was a natural alliance—a match made in empowerment. With 443,559 women members globally, including 75,676 in India, Lions walk the talk every day. Their interventions have transformed the lives of over 10,000 rural women, while vocational training and entrepreneurship programs have enabled 100,000 Indian women to achieve financial independence.
Adopting a multi-pronged approach to women’s empowerment, Lions Clubs across India organize health and maternity camps, promote menstrual hygiene, and conduct self-defense training. They educate young girls about gender equity while supporting their education through practical measures—building schools, providing sanitation facilities, donating bicycles and constructing check dams toensure girls spend less time fetching water and more time in classrooms.
Reinforcing the synergy between Lions and SheShakti, CA Shwetankini from District 321A2 highlighted the significance of Women Symposiums organized in almost every Lions District. “Women come together and talk about the challenges they are facing and how to overcome them. Not all participants at these symposiums are Lions, but they learn from us and they are inspired, and we inturn are inspired by them. So I believe we are doing the same thing that SheShakti is doing. SheShakti is creating conversations about women, their challenges and their incredible success stories. And so are Lions.”
“…some people have the audacity to call women the weaker sex. They are terribly wrong. Power resides in you.”
Jagdeep Dhankhar
Vice President of India
Listen to the entire conversation here:
“…some people have the audacity to call women the weaker sex. They are terribly wrong. Power resides in you.”
Jagdeep Dhankhar
Vice President of India
Bharat’s Naripreneurs
Joita Sen, Director, Senco Gold & Diamonds; Chaitali Das, Chairperson & Managing Director, Route2Jute; Rinzing Choden Bhutia, Founder & CEO, Agapi; Sankari Sudhar, Founder, Overqualified Housewives
A Queen of the Masses
Radhikaraje Gaekwad, Maharani of the Erstwhile Princely State of Baroda
Finding Your Inner Light
Jaya Kishori, Motivational Speaker & Spiritual Guru
Next-Gen SHEnsation
Geet, Aspiring Astrophysicist & Young Innovator; Namya Joshi, Minecraft Student Ambassador by Microsoft; Atiqa Mir, GoKarting Prodigy
Empowered Hands Bune Sapne
Nitika Gupta, Founder, Pine Cone and Pabiben Rabari, Founder, Pabiben.com
Sashakt Aur Sampann
Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, Hon’ble Vice President of India
Bharat’s Rajnayikas
Lakshmi M Puri, Former UN Assistant Secretary General & Ambassador of India; Ruchira Kamboj, Former Indian Ambassador to the UN
Cops on Reel
Shefali Shah, Actor and Rasika Dugal, Actor
Safety, Systems, Society Justice
Indu Malhotra, Retired Judge SC & Senior Counsel – Supreme Court of India; Suman Nalwa, DCP & PRO Delhi Police; Saheli Chakraborty, Assistant Professor, National University of Juridical Sciences
Yog Shakti
Nouf Marwaai, President, Saudi Yoga Committee and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Spiritual Leader, Motivational Speaker & Author
Success, Struggles & Sahas
Kirron Kher, Former Member of Parliament & Actor and Sikander Kher, Actor
Nyay Shakti
Hon'ble Chief Justice of India Dr Justice D. Y. Chandrachud
Guts & Glory
Avani Lekhara, Para Shooter & Paralympics Gold Medalist 2024
Bhoomi for Bhoomi
Bhumi Pednekar, Actor
A Celebration of Life
Usha Uthup, Singer
“The work-life balance is very critical for working women. So fostering a work environment that is more accommodative of care-giving responsibilities would be a very important institutional change.”
Ruchira Kamboj
Former Permanent Representative/Ambassador of India to UN
Fascinating stories unfolded throughout the day—personal journeys that were both heart-wrenching and heartwarming, filled with trials and triumphs, passion and perseverance; conversations that sparked new ideas and shattered long-held myths. Among these was a compelling interview with Pabiben Rabari, an entrepreneur from a small village in Gujarat. With a touch of pride in her voice, Pabiben shared how she became the first businesswoman in her rural community. Encouraged by her husband, she launched her artisan enterprise in 2016, initially selling her signature Pabi Bag at exhibitions. But her vision extended far beyond these venues—she wanted to take her unique embroidery to the world. And thus was born Pabiben.com.
The SheShakti audience listened, captivated, as this self-taught entrepreneur, with no formal education, spoke confidently about branding, marketing, and leveraging technology to grow her business.
Listen to Pabiben’s interview
Her story resonated deeply among other groundbreaking achievements shared that day—from Nigar Shaji’s leadership of the Aditya L-1 solar mission to Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh’s journey as India’s first woman Rafale pilot.Each speaker reinforced the event’s central message that barriers are meant to be broken.And no example could have been more powerful than that of 22-year-old Avani Lekhara, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist.
Paralysed below her waist after a life-changing accident at 12, Avani refused to let her disability define her. She discovered her passion at the shooting range, andfuelled by Abhinav Bindra’s autobiography, she set her sights on winning gold for her country at the Paralympics. And she did it! Not once, but twice: first at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020, and then at the Paris Paralympics in 2024. Her session aptly titled “Guts & Glory”left the audience with goosebumps.
Recognizing her remarkable achievements, the Lions Council of India felicitated her and presented her a cheque of Rs.5 lakhs.
“These days, most parents dream of their children studying hard, making a name for themselves, earning well, and even reaching the moon—especially their daughters. But before she takes off, they expect her to make four parathas and two cups of tea.”
Jay Kishori
Motivation Speaker & Spiritual Guru
The spotlight also shone on the ‘Next-Gen SHEnsation.’ Three young girls spoke with confidence as they shared their successes in their respective fields. Like 9-year-old Atiqa Mir, the Go-Karting prodigy who aspires to become a Formula 1 driver. Asked who she would like to race against, the fastest girl in the world named Max VerstappenandLewis Hamilton, though she playfully added the caveat that they would need to fit into her category and compete at her level.
“Gender equality is not just a function of statistics, but a function of the lived realities of women…”
D. Y. Chandrachud
Former Chief Justice of India
Even as SheShakti 2024 celebrated Indian women who have made a mark globally with their extraordinary accomplishments, it also addressed some important concerns regarding their safety, the societal and institutional barriers they face, and the stereotypes that continue to hold them back.
As Radhikaraje Gaekwad, Maharani of the erstwhile Princely State of Baroda rightly pointed out: “One doesn’t realize it, but being born a girl in India, even today—and in many parts of the world—is itself a disadvantaged position, for the child and for the mother. Because very often, even today, a mother will be apologetic for bearing a daughter.” Maharani Radhikaraje Gaekwad shared how she navigates the deeply entrenched patriarchal traditions of her dynastic family, where leadership has historically been the domain of men. She approaches this challenge with a fresh mindset, viewing leadership through a gender-inclusive lens. “A lot of my conscious leadership comes from the fact that I have to be a positive role model for my daughters,” she added.
In his keynote address the then Chief Justice of India D. Y. Chandrachud stressed on the need to change mindsets. “The mindsets must move from making concessions for women to recognizing their entitlement to lead life based on freedom and equality…As women break rank and enter professional workspaces traditionally dominated by men, they are expected to act like men. Ironically enough, they are tacitly expected to also act like women,” he said.
“For women to shine and for us to enable other girls and women to shine, we have to really believe – believe in ourselves and believe in others.”
Shaheen Mistri
CEO, Teach For India
Voicing her concern about violence against women and their safety, Justice Indu Malhotra, Retired Supreme Court Judge, said: “…There are enough laws which are now being framed and there are enough policy guidelines. Where I feel that the whole system has broken down is at the level of implementation of the existing laws.”She emphasized the need for effective, industry-specific redressal mechanisms and recommended that committees include external members to ensure greater scrutiny and a fair system for addressing sexual harassment cases.
“Education is the beginning point. If education shall be available then the chains of inequality will be shattered,” said Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, the Hon’ble Vice-President of India, in his keynote address. Urging women to be their own navigators and take control of their lives, he pointed out that the system could not be more affirmative than it is at the moment. Drawing from India’s ancient heritage of respected women scholars like Gargi and Maitri, he emphasized that women are inherently powerful and need access to opportunities rather than empowerment itself. The Vice President pointed to a significant paradigm shift from women’s development to women-led development, evidenced by their increasing participation across sectors – from village panchayats (where they constitute 46% of representatives) to strategic roles in defense, space research, and governance. His message resonated with a vision of women not as passengers but as drivers of India’s progress, capable of overcoming both visible and invisible barriers when given the right structural support through education, healthcare, and economic independence.
“Instead of being a job seeker, be a job creator. And I would love to see hundreds of Agapis flourishing in the entire North East…”
Rinzing Choden Bhutia
Founder & CEO, Agapi
The day reached its crescendo with Usha Uthup’s performance, her deep baritone voice exemplifying the breaking of conventional norms in Indian cinema. Indeed, there couldn’t have been a more delightful conclusion to SheShakti than a heartwarming conversation and a foot-tapping performance by the Padma Bhushan awardee. As interviewers and interviewees joined the iconic singer on stage, and the audience danced, clapped, and sang along, it became more than a celebration of Usha Uthup’s extraordinary life—it was a moving tribute to women, their incredible resilience, their boundless creativity, and their potential to ignite change.
For those who couldn’t join us at SheShakti 2024, here’s the complete video for you to experience the unforgettable event.
Click here
Lions were an integral part of the SheShakti event. Past International President Dr. Naresh Aggarwal, International First Vice President A. P. Singh, many Past International Directors and a strong contingent of women members – some of whom roared from the stage too! And while the SheShakti event may have concluded, the Lions’ mission to build a more inclusive, just, and equitable society continues. The stories in this issue offer a glimpse into that ongoing commitment.
“I have always said this, that our daughters would be safe, if our sons are raised right. And I genuinely believe it.”
Shefali Shah
Actor
“SheShakti, an initiative by the Lions Council of India, was a remarkable event focused on celebrating and empowering women achievers. The entire day was filled with interviews of inspiring women from diverse fields, including scientists, foreign affairs professionals, IPS officers, judges, YouTubers, and other talented women. These women shared their stories, challenges, and successes, offering valuable insights into their experiences.
A significant part of the discussion revolved around workplace safety and the steps needed to create a more inclusive and secure environment. The event was aired live throughout the day, providing great exposure and branding for Lions, showcasing its commitment to women’s empowerment and leadership.
This experience has deepened my commitment to the cause of women’s leadership and community service. SheShakti was not just an event, but a reminder of the power we hold as women to bring about meaningful change.”
Dr. Hemavathi Srinivasan, MJF
Region Chairperson, District 317E
The SheShakti 2024 program was both a life-changing and enlightening experience for me. The event had panelists from all walks of life. Incidentally, the one common thread that tied almost every woman panelist was that all of them had supportive parents who believed in them and provided them with a nurturing environment. Being a parent myself, I realised the huge responsibility I have in creating a gender-neutral world.
Though all of them were winners in their own right. I was particularly impressed by Avani Lekhara, the Paralympic Gold winner who defied all the limitations of her wheelchair and decided to win.
I also felt one with the life story of Shaheen Mistri, the founder of Teach for India foundation. She started as a volunteer at a young age like us Lions and chose service as her life goal.
My journey with SheShakti didn’t end with the completion of the program. In fact, it feels like it’s only just beginning. I am now more determined than ever to work for women empowerment and to change the destiny of my community.
CA Shwetankini
District 321A2
SheShakti 2024offered me a unique blend of inspiration, learning and networking. The learning extended beyond the formal sessions to informal interactions. Shed inhibitions, exude confidence, ignore taunts, keep updating knowledge, pursue interests with passion, aim for excellence in any chosen field - these messages kept on resonating all through the program. SheShakti 2024 was not just a one-time event; it was a call to action for ongoing change and progress.
Being a Lion, I feel that it’s my responsibility to be a voice of the voiceless. Let’s keep the momentum going in our organisation and work towards a future where every woman can shine brightly in her leadership role.
Dr. D. Aarthi
District 324E