TEDxGatewayWomen: A day with inspiring women

Writing about TEDxGatewayWomen is a great way to relive the awesome albeit very humid afternoon in Mumbai. When I first ran into a tweet about the event, I booked my seat right away in the early bird slot. I have always wanted to attend a TED event and TEDx is a great start to begin with. And there is something about the phrase "all women" which has even more women throng to such an event. I guess even when we believe the world has become more liberal with women, the opportunities we get are still less compared to the number of men around. And this being no less than the first TEDx event with only women speakers made it more momentous and I wanted to be a part of it.

So once I had my ticket, the only thing left to do is wait for the day with excitement. And gloat to others about what I was going to witness. I also planned to drape a saree to add to the celebration of the event for women. And I deserve no less than a President's medal for the feat in the humid, sultry weather of Mumbai on a May mid morning. It's not as much a pain to drape it but as the drill of figuring out the combination that still fits and ironing the 5 yard fabric to ensure that perfect drape. (And doing it last minute due to busy schedules adds to the stress) But I had planned to do it and I just had to go through with it. And it was worth it when I found so many other women turning up in a saree! Small victory!

As I reached the NCPA entrance, I could see the registration desks lined in the order of our registration numbers. I got in line only to realise when I reached the front that I wasn't carrying a photo id, which I thought I was. But much to my relief, the lady said I could also show her an online version from an email or Google Drive. And that saved my day! Phew! :)

There was also one more reason why I was looking forward to the event. This was a chance to reunite with my friends from Social Media Week held in Bangalore earlier this year. Even though I wasn't officially on the social media team for this event, I did assist during chats and promotions. And all of us getting together is no less than a celebration by itself since we all get along like a house on fire! After catching up with them at the social media desk, I grabbed a bite and proceeded to the auditorium. And it was a packed house!

A full house Photo Courtesy: Sandeep Ohri

Even though the majority were women, it was heartening to see that men also had turned up for the event. The host was Sonam Kalra and it was a goosebumpy moment when she introduced the first speaker - the first woman Chief Justice of the country - Leila Seth! I think she is awe inspiring for many reasons. She broke the mould in a male bastion when no one spoke of women's liberation. The extent of determination and power she has packed in her diminutive frame is incredible! And she just seems to have refused to give in to age, leading an active life, writing books and speaking at events just like it was normal thing to do at her age.

Each talk was moving, every story full of passion, each woman having gone through struggle and emerged triumphant. Each story was eye opening to an aspect one did not know. While Ms. Seth set the tone of the event talking about the right of women in the ancestral property, Deepika Bhardwaj chose to speak up for the rights of men! Ananda advised us to try and successfully straddle the two worlds of work and passion and urged women to follow our passion and not letting mundane duties of life pull us down. Chetna Gala Sinha's Cattle camp where life is born and preserved was an eye opening, inspiring talk. So passionate was she about her cause that she had tears in her eyes by the time she finished! Natalie took the audience by pleasant surprise with her mellifluous voice and her track record in Bollywood which most of us were unaware of. Upasana Makati set us all thinking about how life must be for the visually challenged since most of our systems don't support braille. And I think it is a pretty path breaking idea to have a magazine for them. They showed a video about the power of being able to read stories written in braille for blind children who are otherwise bereaved of the joy normal children have everyday.

The inspirational speakers, each with her unique story!

And there was also the talk I waited for - By Aditi Gupta of Menstrupedia. Also got a selfie with her and her mother!

Aditi Gupta, with her mother at TEDxGateway Women

And after such an inspiring day, the bonus was to spend the rest of the evening with friends.

The Social Media team for TEDXGateway Women in Mumbai

The best thing about TED is the beauty of its concept - ideas worth spreading. By having others share the unique ideas they have explored and experiences that have helped them become who they are, it encourages all of us to break our barriers and go a bit further in exploring our ideas and make them worth sharing someday. It's hard to pick the best talk since each one was one of its own kind. Looking forward to many more such events that add a new meaning to our lives.