Sisters' Stories

Women from different walks of life shared intriguing accounts of courage, tenacity and resilience at We The Women.

- Pooja Biraia Jaiswal

The first Sunday of December was a day of many moods and emotions at We The Women—a one day conclave curated by journalist Barkha Dutt—at Mehboob Studio in suburban Mumbai. Inspiring women achievers from different walks of life came together to spark a range of conversations around patriarchy, sexism, gender inequality, prejudice, safety, dignity and women’s rights. The central theme of the summit, across all 25 sessions, was about challenging gender stereotypes and opening the metaphorical doors to freedom and choice for women living in the shadows of their own inhibitions or under the pressures of society at large.

A spirited Sania Mirza, who looked smart in a yellow skater dress, set the tone for the day when she questioned the notion that women cannot have it all. Sania, who took a break from tennis during the birth of her son, Izhaan, is looking at making a comeback early next year. But, her journey to this point, she admitted, has not been easy, given the sexism she had to battle along the way—first as an independent and ambitious career woman and later as a wife and a mother. “There were moments when people got personal, wondering why we did not have a child for eight years after marriage, completely ignoring the fact that as a couple we made some choices,” said Sania, “When I put on 23 kilos during pregnancy people whom I knew very well passed rude comments and questioned my ability to bounce back.”