Seven women achievers handled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media handles through the day on Sunday, 8 March, marking International Women’s Day. PM Modi “signed-off” from his handles, after extending his greetings.
The seven women achievers shared their life journeys and interacting with the followers of the prime minister.
Who Are the Women Achievers?
1. ‘Feed At Least One Needy Person’: Sneha Mohandoss
The first woman achiever to tweet from the prime minister’s handle was Sneha Mohandoss, founder of Food Bank India.
Working to eradicate hunger, Mohandoss urged everyone to feed at least one needy person and contribute to a hunger-free planet.
2. ‘Take On The World With Confidence’: Malvika Iyer
After surviving a bomb blast at the age of 13, Malvika Iyer, who is differently-abled went on to get her PhD.
“Giving up is never an option. Forget your limitations and take on the world with confidence and hope,” tweeted Iyer.
She stressed that it was important to portray “people with disabilities as role models instead of showing them as weak and dependent.”
3. ‘Traditional Crafts Empowering Kashmiri Women’: Arifa
“When tradition meets modernity, wonders can happen,” tweeted Arifa from Kashmir, who is working to revive Namda craft to empower local women.
She said that the state of women artisans and the lack of platforms to showcase their art inspired her to revive art.
4. ‘Be a Water Warrior’: Kalpana Ramesh
Meet water warrior Kalpana Ramesh who is encouraging people to collectively act to create a “water secure” future for children.
“Water is a valuable inheritance we got. Lets not deprive our next generations. Contribute by using water responsibly, harvesting rainwater, saving lakes, recycling used water and creating awareness (sic),” tweeted Kalpana.
5. Vijaya Pawar: Sperarheading Handicrafts From Rural Maharashtra
Vijaya Pawar, from the Banjara community in rural Maharashtra, who has worked in manufacturing and promoting local handcrafts was also one of the women who handled the prime minister’s account.
6. Helping Women, One Toilet at a Time: Kalavati Devi
Kalavati from Kanpur, the sixth woman to take over the PM's handle has relentlessly worked to spread awareness about cleanliness in her neighbourhood.
“I lived in a small hut in a very bad condition. There were insects everywhere, and no proper drinking water or in any way to bathe or wash clothes,” she said.
One penny at a time, for a whole year, Devi collected money and used it to construct toilets.
7. The Secret Mushroom Cultivator — Veena Devi
Veena Devi, from Munger Bihar was the seventh women to take over PM's Twitter handle on Sunday.
Her journey started with growing mushrooms under her bed in her room.
Since 2013, she has been involved in mushroom cultivation through which she has sustained herself and many others around her. She also received a prize from the chief minister for her work.
Modi is one of the most followed world leaders on social media with 53.3 million followers on Twitter, 44 million on Facebook, 35 million on Instagram.
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