By Prukalpa Sankar:
This year on international women’s day, Social Cops conducted a #mySHElfie campaign crowdsourcing the face and voice of everyday women inspiring us in their own simple yet unique ways. For the day, the #selfie turned into #mySHElfie — with people around the world telling us about the women who inspire them. Find out what types of remarkable women inspired the world this women’s day:
1. Celebs with a Cause
Celebs who use their voice for change were a popular choice for participants — with a number of people sharing selfies of themselves with approachable personalities such as Smriti Irani and Nandita Das who aspire to make a difference.
2. Oye Oye, Heroine!
After all, the campaign clearly said, “Share your selfies with the women who have inspired you”. So when you do not have photos with your favourite actress, who serves as a constant source of motivation in all respects, then you have to get creative, no? And when you want a selfie with Kareena Kapoor in the rain, the only way to do that and escape the wrath of the Chote Nawab would be with the help of Photoshop. Photoshopped #mySHElfies with India’s favourite heroines were definitely the flavour of the day!
3. The Lesser Known Heroines
When was the last time you spoke to your maids, security guards or beauticians about their lives? Several of our participants took out time to talk to them, and discovered stories of courage, determination and hard work that cannot fail to stir anyone who hears them. If Sonam, an 18-year-old can clean rooms to put herself through college…
4. The Ever Dependables
Be it your sister or your best friend, these gals will always be there for you. They are the ones who know your biggest secrets, your deepest fears and your ever-evolving crushes. You can always depend on them to cover up for you and sometime you wonder what you would do without them! A number of people decided to dedicate the women’s day to their favourite sisters and friends who not only inspire them but also take their calls at 3 am on a weekday without a word of complaint.
And the winner, the most popular choice for most of our participants was…
5. Meri Maa
The first woman you ever knew, the one who nurtured you even before you came into this world, the one you go to when you are hungry, the one you can always take for granted and the one who never seems to mind your irrational behaviour: Your MOM! This international woman’s day, most people chose to thank their mothers for putting up with their idiosyncrasies and for pushing them to realise their dreams. What will we do without our mothers?
To conclude, we’d like to steal the words of one of our participants who posted his #mySHElfie saying “There are so many incredible women in my life – some have inspired me, some have loved me, some taught me… Its insane to dwell on how much each one of them have shaped my life..”
International Women’s Day might be just one day, but you can make your favorite women feel special everyday. All it takes is a #mySHElfie!