‘Indian culture inherently feminine, that’s why it is not Father Bharat but Bharat Mata’

The 5th edition of e4m PR & Corp Comm Women Achievers 2024 is one of our most reputed and well-known industry events that honors and recognises the contribution of strong, empowered, and fearless women of the industry. Our industry is blessed to be surrounded by women who have risen from the ashes, broken gender stereotypes, and glass ceilings, and work at the forefront to accelerate the industry's growth in many ways. 

This year, to grace our event and recognise the army of our female winners, we have had the pleasure of having the presence of Meenakashi Lekhi, Former Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture and former Member of Parliament was the chief guest of the event. 

She has been the most prominent leader, a crusader, and a force that changed the whole prism of society towards women. She is the only leader who did so much for their constituency and advocated for women's rights, domestic violence, family law disputes, and the permanent commission for female officers in the Indian armed forces inside and outside the court. 

In her interaction with the audience, she delivered an inspiring speech on the progress of women and their integral role in society, emphasizing the historical presence of women in literature and education. She also discussed the challenges women face across various fields and highlighted the unique qualities women bring to the communications sector.

She started with an inspiring note, mentioning that our country has never distinguished between men and women and further highlighted the presence of equality since ancient times and the unique contributions of women, stating, “Vedas are among the oldest literature in the world, and within them, there are 27 women authors. If there had been any discrimination of or against women, why would they have been included as writers of the Vedas, that too in the most pious form of literature.”

During her speech, she remarkably captured the essence of the event, elucidating, “We are here to celebrate the training and opportunities that my fellow women have received in their lives—to rise in their careers and do exceptionally well in their domain. It is these opportunities that we, as women, seek.”

She also talked about the challenges that come with being a woman no matter what field you’re working in, “when people say what are the challenges of being in politics I said the challenges are the same as living a life because no matter what field you choose to work the challenges will remain conspiracies will happen there will be people who are not envious there are people who are jealous there are people who try to pull you down that will happen no matter what you do in life.”

Moreover, she then talked about the important role women play in the communications arena and the unique qualities they possess that contribute to the industry's success. “Since you're all in the field of PR, which is essentially about communication—not just about yourself, but about a product, a plan, executing that plan, setting up a product, communicating with others, understanding the needs of the community, knowing how to address the right subject, and how to pitch to the right person or market—I believe women have that 'third eye,' that instinct, or that sixth sense. This intuition helps them sell a product more effectively. And I'm not just speaking from a profit-driven perspective, but also from a standpoint of kindness. It’s about striking the right chord, hitting the right nerve—which is crucial for any business, any profession, and any field of choice,” she asserts, appreciating women’s unique capabilities.

She shared the perspective of empowerment and feminism needs to be reconsidered and stated that we should not judge women by their clothing or appearance. Instead, we should shift our perspective and evaluate them based on their skills and the results they deliver. “I appreciate all these women—with flowers in their hair, of any size, wearing sarees—who are running the country’s missile program, leading Mission Mars, or developing COVID vaccines. To me, that is true empowerment,” she says.

Meenakashi Lekhi concluded her speech with a beautiful remark, emphasising the importance of collaboration of both genders, “We must respect a person for their qualities, regardless of gender, and honor all the women who embody those qualities. I always say that there are enough good men in the world—we just need to know which door to knock on to seek their support. I have always believed that this country’s culture is inherently feminine; we value feminism and all the right principles. That is why it is not Father Bharat, but Bharat Mata.”