International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 every year. It is a day when the world celebrates women’s numerous achievements and their unwavering determination. Along with celebrating great women, the day calls for bringing gender equality in society. Its ultimate goal is to empower women in every corner of the world. 

The theme for International Women's Day 2021 is 'Choose To Challenge'. To kick-start the celebration of women’s day, we look at Indian women who challenged the status quo and inspired the world!

Here are 10 Indian women that will inspire you and change your outlook:

1. Kalpana Chawla: A national hero, Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. Chawla had an inclination towards flying and aeroplanes since she was a child and would visit local flying clubs to watch planes with her father. She embarked on her first space mission in Space on 19 November 1997 with six crew members. The astronaut died on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle crew perished during entry into Earth. She was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and has a dedicated supercomputer at NASA. She remains a huge inspiration for young girls and women interested in exploring space.

2. Mary Kom: It’s time we stop stereotyping women as physically weak. Magnificent Mary or Mary Kom, an extraordinary Indian boxer, is a shining example of women’s strength. She has collected a plethora of achievements under her belt. From the only female, boxer to have won a medal in each one of the first seven World Championships to the first Indian female boxer to win a gold medal in the Asian Games in 2014 at Incheon, South Korea. She is also the first Indian female boxer to win gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Despite growing up in a poor household, Mary was able to climb to the top through her hard work and continued making history after marriage and motherhood as well.

3. Neerja Bhanot: Neerja was an Indian head purser who died saving passengers on a flight that had been hijacked by terrorists. Even in a deadly situation, the then 22-year-old Neerja chose to help other passengers escape the plane instead of jumping out and saving herself. She was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra Award which is India’s highest peacetime gallantry. Her heroism and empathy inspired the biopic Neerja which was directed by Ram Madhvani starring Sonam Kapoor. She is a true symbol of bravery.

4. Savitribai Phule: She believed in giving emancipation to women through education. Hailing from Maharashtra, Savitribai Phule is regarded as the first female teacher of India. She and her husband founded one of the first Indian girls’ schools in Pune as early as 1848! She was an ardent supporter of equality between people belonging to different castes and gender. Despite backlash from conservative members, she continued to challenge gender norms and sexism. 

5. Shakuntala Devi: Whoever said that women are bad at math and science hasn’t heard of math prodigy Shakuntala Devi! She was an Indian mathematician, popularly known as the 'Human-Computer' due to her extraordinary ability to mentally calculate difficult equations. She was even featured in The Guinness Book of World Records for her unique abilities. Her outstanding intelligence made her a role model for Indian women.

6. Irom Chanu Sharmila: A political and civil rights activist, Sharmila is famously known as the “Iron Lady of Manipur” and she got that name for a reason. Sharmila went on a hunger strike in 2000 which ended 16 years later in 2016! She was protesting against the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 which according to her was an unlawful act. 

7. Kiran Bedi: She became the first woman to join the Indian Police Service (IPS). During her career, she fought crimes against women and achieved national and international recognition. Later, she turned into a writer and social activist.

8. Sania Mirza: World-famous tennis player Sania Mirza has brought global recognition to India women’s tennis. The top-class athlete is the first Indian female player to have won a Grand Slam title. She is a beacon of inspiration for young female sportspersons.

9. Laxmi Agarwal: An activist for the rights of acid attack victims, Laxmi Agarwal has inspired many with her courage. She is an acid attack survivor, who was attacked at the age of 15 after she refused a man’s romantic advances. In 2014, she received the International Women of Courage award at the hands of First Lady Michelle Obama. Based on her life and achievements, Chhapaak, a biopic starring Deepika Padukone was released in 2020.

10. Arunima Sinha:  She is the world's first female amputee to scale Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro among other peaks. Sinha had to be amputated below the knee on her left leg due to an altercation with robbers on a running train. Despite her injury, she managed to scale the highest peaks of the world and received the Padma Shri award, the fourth highest civilian award of India, for it.