Chennai, Aug 31: In line with India’s ambition for women to drive social and economic progress, Bharat Soka Gakkai organised a symposium on Sunday with the theme “The Century of Women Starts with Me: From Awareness to Action” at The Music Academy, TTK Auditorium, where women leaders suggested proposals to give concrete shape to the vision.
The symposium highlighted how women are uniquely positioned to drive change – transforming families, workplaces, communities and society through effective action.
Welcoming the gathering, Ms. Rashi Ahuja, Director, Bharat Soka Gakkai, said, “Meaningful change does not always begin with a grand gesture; it begins when each of us takes responsibility and turns awareness into action, one step at a time.”
Participants shared real-life examples highlighting the extent of women’s contribution to building a more equitable, compassionate, and progressive society, which is integral to the country’s aim of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Ms Revathy, a National Award–winning actor, filmmaker, and advocate for social causes, urged women to actively participate in the societal transformation essential to the country’s progress.
“I believe that questioning injustice and speaking up for one’s dignity and rights is essential. Even if such ideas are met with resistance at first, they are the ones that ultimately drive meaningful social progress,” she said.
The emergence of independent thinking among women, driven by social change and India’s cultural values, had played a critical role in her own self-development, she added.
Ms Vedika Agrwal, Founder of Yein Udaan, an organisation working for education and child-focused development, said the symposium’s theme of taking action resonated with her own belief in positively shaping the lives of hundreds of girls.
The symposium was held at a time when clusters of women across the country are setting up self-help groups and undertaking a slew of entrepreneurial ventures, abandoning outdated ideologies which relegated them to secondary roles.
Dr Kalpana Sankar, MD and CEO, Varashakti Housing Finance Ltd, and Co-Founder, Hand in Hand India, is known for her leadership in women‘s economic empowerment. She firmly believes in the well-known adage, “where there is a will, there is a way,” and in the importance of not taking a short-term view but instead focusing on long-term, sustainable solutions. Ultimately, she felt, the well-being of human beings is what matters.
Dr Jaya Rao, Head – External Relations, Media & Sustainability, Bharat Soka Gakkai, said, “The century of women will not be shaped by awareness alone, but by the courage to translate conviction into action. When one woman takes a determined step forward, she can inspire change in her family, community, and society.”