SHEROES - VOLUME VI

Love Yourself!

Never Stop Reading!

Editor’sNote 15

We will never stop providing the best content related to Women Empowerment. It is my commitment and the entire Sheroes Magazine team to always provide the latest and most substantive content on the Women Community because we believe our readers deserve the best.

In this edition we have Anupama - The Inspiring Diva as our Cover Star. We salute Sudha Murty for winning the prestigious Padma Bhushan. Team TIWC, Congratulates all the Winners of HELEN KELLER - GLOBAL ICONIC WOMEN ACHIEVERS.

MAY-JUN 2023

Dr.PriyasiDas

Editor-in-Chief

VOLUME VI

Email:theinspiringwomencommunity@gmail.com

A W E S O M E A N U P A M A

INTRODUCTION

'm Anupama Ravindran Menon, fondly known as Anu to near & dear ones. Having roots going back to the beautiful God’s own country, Kerala, I was born and brought up in the humble suburbs of old Seremban town in Malaysia.I’m the oldest of my siblings , nurtured & loved by the nucleus of my life, my dad, Mr Ravindran Menon, mom, Madam Prema Nair, grandparents Mr V Krishnan Kutty Menon & Madam Sankari Menon , aunt Mrs Sugunna Krishnan, uncle Mr Sateesh Menon & Mr Nesa , sisters & best friend Anitha Menon, Anisha & Ashwani Nesarajah Upon being conferred the scholarship of the Malaysian Defense Ministry & obtaining MBBS degree from Manipal University, I started training as an intern shortly after & began serving as a doctor in the Malaysian Armed Forces. Setting foot as a doctor & a lady officer in the military was an experience of its own. My career begun as a junior doctor in a combat training centre situated down south of Peninsular Malaysia. Adapting into the military culture with a job scope expanding beyond just being a doctor, it was an eye opener.

As a call of duty, I was privileged to serve under the United Nation’s (UN) flagship in a peacekeeping operation in Lebanon in 2019-2020 (UNIFIL). Being a part of entourage of the Malaysian Battalion 850-7, I was amongst many others who have actively served in this region over the decades Joining international exercises provided an arena, pivoting as a melting pot of culture & brains, enabling the exchange of personal & professional experiences between various forces & continents. Apart from being a United Nations ambassador & a doctor in field, I was also the Gender Focal Point representative of the nation & became an active part of the COVID-19 crisis team under the tutelage of UNIFIL Medical HQ & WHO. It was a wonderful opportunity to be walking hand in hand with all these beautiful people of all walks of life, hearing & experiencing their life first hand. I was also fortunate to represent Malaysia in a few international virtual symposiums to present regarding the adversities & challenges of COVID-19 in operational areas, namely by Vietnamese Defence & UNDPKO & CUNPKO of India As much as I love practicing medicine, I’m in awe of art in its every form, be it music, dance, writing, painting or creative work.

Being the simple, regular girl next door, my likes are very much encompassed by little miracles of life… As I’m an ardent believer of live, love & laugh , I try to find happiness in the tiny, daily forgotten bundles of joy… I love a morning dew blanketing the sleeping surroundings, a pluviophile who loves raindrops that hit off the barren earth emanating the fragrence of fresh minerals & soil, a combination of helio & opacarophile loving every outburst of sunrays specifically at dusk , which carries me out to being an astrophile looking out at the dazzling stars that scatter the inevitable black, dark sky.. I love diving into books & splashing colors over a blank canvas… rolling out snaps of nature, trying to capture the perfect moment of a heartbeat in a single click of camera lens. Above all, I love my dad, I love my family , I love love & loved ones, I love being able to practice medicine & every adventure that life throws out everyday…Wearing my heart on my sleeve & brain somewhere between my cranium & mouth, is another… Everyday is a fresh new start & I’m still learning something new. I guess that’s what makes life interesting as it goes

I’m rebellious against social norms, preordained dogmas that dictate life on how it should be, I despise pretense & selfishness & I dislike hierarchy based context of any daily living practice…

COFFEE & CONVERSATION

1. What does your name ANUPAMA means?

I think Anupama is quite a vintage Hindu name dating back to decades or even centuries before. I was told by my grandmother that my mother loved the name & was very insistent to naming me so even before I was born. The name carries a beautiful definition to it. In Sanskrit, Anupama means beautifully unique, incomparable excellence… Now, considering the ruckus I’ve turned out to be, given the opportunity ,I think my mom might consider changing had she known it was me she bore in her womb… Hahaha..

2. "Womanhood is a blessing"

- what has been your inspiring journey being a woman?

Womanhood is indeed a blessing. Travelling down time tunnel, back to centuries old, women have grown & evolved in more ways than we can ever imagine… Elizabeth Blackwell, Raymond ade Laroche, Enheduanna, Laura Bassi, Anandi Doshi, Kalpana Chawla, Frida Kahlo, Anne Frank, Maya Angelou, Mother Theresa, Sushmitha Sen, Nadeera Vasu, Dagmar Nissen Munn, Malala, Muniba Mazari, Chef Fatima Ali are amongst many pioneers & Sheroes who broke the weight bearing handcuffs of gender deterministic streams starting way back before B.C till this day…

Coming from a family lineage of strong women myself, lead by my Amumma, my Mom, my Cheru & my sisters & equally brought up by men like my Dad, my Apuppa, my Mama & Papa who respected women as equals rather than subordinates, it was easier for me to understand the importance & impact of women in this multifaceted era. Furthermore, the opportunity to work as a UN ambassador & apart gender focal representative, it served as a platform that substantiated the empowering role of women in peace keeping globally. Watching their struggles & working hand in hand with them in field & community, each one taught me the fragility of life & how love & courage is all we have to carry after. It made me stumble & fall often times, but also helped me emerge stronger on the other side. Having to juggle the multiple roles life throws in at her, women are the living proof of quintessential exuberance & keen observation of life. Carrying the very womb of life in softness, she simultaneously stands tall in her self made armour & shield facing daily hurdles & challenges in the battlefield of life with such agility. Despite the number of times she hits hard rock bottom, she poses these scars of valour with such poignancy & grace. A woman is an enigmatic emblem of life, a true balance between delicate fragility & tough agility…Every story is a spark to another enraging flame, both inspiring & aspiring. She is the very force of nature, a force to be reckoned with… So , yes it is a gift of penance to be born as a woman.

3. How do you wish to inspire the Woman Community?

For me an inspiration is someone we look up to being aspired in true awe, love & gratitude . In my case, I’d say every Shero of my life have inspired me in their very own authenticity & uniqueness. Having my Amumma, Mom, Cheru, sisters, Kutty mom & veliamas imbibing core values within me, they are the pioneer women who inspired me. In their own small or big way, these unsung heroes were the ones who taught me what it means to embrace womanhood as a whole. However, I always believe that I’m also a reflection of every other person who have been in my journey of life. So starting right up from my preschool bus driver aunty, helping hands of cleaners & cafeteria aunties, neighbours, right up to teachers, friends, professors, unknown strangers & many more have all been unsung heroes to me. I carry a small part of them within me, projecting them out when time need be. My deepest gratitude & thank you to them all. I hope to inspire someone just that way too, regardless in silence or loud proclamation, I wish I’d be able to change the life of at least one little girl. I hope to be able to break the nomenclatures that dictate the lines of success for every woman out there. Be it through my medical profession, writing, painting or even by just being me, I earnestly hope to aspire them to dream, love & fight with every breath & every beat they live. It’s alright if you are different, don’t give up ur authenticity for acceptance & normalcy.

5. What does the word SHEROES means to you?

I believe that Sheroes are an abbreviation of She is hero. They are the living proof of Mother Nature & an absolute force to be reckoned with. Being the quintessential exuberance of life, women are the true emblem of progression & empowerment of any empire. Not forgetting our roots & legacy, it is prideful knowing we come from a lineage of strong women who have broken gender deterministic streamlines dating back to centuries BC. They have already paved the pathway for us, taking the many roads not taken & creating new avenues. Women are the true faces of unsung heroes. Being maternal instinctively & a natural provider, we often forget that we deserve love & appreciation as well. Always remember, you are the balance between agility & fragility. Carrying the womb of life with such softness, you are also the very same warrior who fights her own battles wearing scars of valour with pride. Carrying the various hues of life & shades of its numerous challenges, you are the shero of your own life.

6. What has been your biggest obstacle being a Woman?

It is my humble two cents, that accepting the commonly associated weakness & women is the biggest obstacle we face. Time after time, there is a set of preordained dogmas & normas that society has invisibly imbibed into our minds. No matter how high we reach for the sky, women are naturally portrayed as the damsel in distress looking up to chauvinism disguised male chivalry to save their day. Despite living in the millennia, the subtlety of this scenario still seeps upto surface & boils over in daily practice. So what if the tire gets punctured in the middle of nowhere, can’t a woman change it? If there maybe a technical breakdown to the electrical circuit, wouldn’t a lady be able to rectify it? Don’t travel alone at night unless you have a male companion to safeguard the woman. Carrying weights are unacceptable as it taints the fragile femininity we carry… I’m sure these are common things we encounter daily & have fallen prey to believe & further carry down to our children. I’ve been one of them many a times. Femininity need not be associated with strength & courage as it surpasses them way & beyond. I think the only solution to this problem is women ourselves. Only when we decide to say no, only when we break these binding chains of societal norm & only liberate ourselves from their fixed cage of normalcy, we can wade through any stride or obstacle.

7. Include a story/paragraph of Womanhood which would inspire your readers while reading your interview.

4.

VOLUME VI

8. Is it easy being a Woman? Or we need to face partiality in terms of uplifting our profession/passion.

I would say that being a woman has it’s fair share of ups & downs as much as a man faces day in & out. However, our share of turbulence & obstacles differ from what men see. Although our world now revolves on its axis of futurism & modernity, yet we still lag behind in wiping out gender deterministic stereotypes. It is admirable that the awareness of gender equality & equity is improving , but there is still a lot of accomplished there. Be it in the professional world or the roofs of our humble abode, the odour of gender discrimination still reeks our society. I believe working together hand in hand, as humans rather than men & women, this will be eradicated in no time. It is the extremes of pressure that produces the rarest of gems on the face of earth & woman you are precious!

As literary scriptures dating centuries tell us tales of ancestors, it is undeniable that women have been the identity to many legacy filled empires. To quote again, Elizabeth Blackwell, Raymond ade Laroche, Enheduanna, Laura Bassi, Anandi Doshi, Kalpana Chawla, Frida Kahlo, Anne Frank, Maya Angelou, Mother Theresa, Sushmitha Sen, Nadeera Vasu, Dagmar Nissen Munn, Malala, Muniba Mazari, Chef Fatima Ali & beloved ladies of our very own kin & kith are amongst many pioneers & current sheroes who have taught us to dream beyond the skies. Hence if I were to quote any specific woman in particular, it would never suffice. Instead, I’d like to tell you a story of the mirror. For that, I’d humbly request for you to stand up in front of your mirror… Yup, you, the one reading this right now. Don’t bother the make up or dressing etc.. Just do me a favour & walk up to your nearest mirror & stand there for a few seconds. Do you see the reflection on this prism ? That is the story I’d love to narrate and relate to. Your story is not only your legacy, but it is our inspiration & tomorrow’s aspiration. You are a mirror of a multifaceted diamond carrying apart of each of us within you. You are the true image of paradigmatic progression & empowerment. You are important, you are seen & you are always heard. Be it being a homemaker or a professional, you are regal & you are the queen. So go out there and do whatever it takes to achieve your dreams. You matter and ur very existence is an imprint that makes a whole lot of difference in this vast cosmic existence. Always remember, your voice resonates beyond peaks & deeper than seas. You are unique and never let anyone else say otherwise. Hail queens!!!

MAY-JUN2023

9. How do you feel being the Cover Star of SHEROES? Write a inspiring Quote which every woman can connect with.

To be honest, I’d say exciting & humbling. First of all , I’d like to congratulate & thank the organisers for their noble pursue of reaching out & creating platforms for many out there. Despite being nations apart , it is an honour to be accepted & acknowledged as one and united by roots & womanhood. I am privileged to be standing along side so many beautiful people of such diverse paths of life, being nominated & chosen. This acknowledgment isn’t just a self recognition but a dedication to loved ones & a collective recognition. to voices of many girls out there , resonating echoes of power of dream & women.

Hence to every baby, every girl, every teenager & every woman, never forget you are the living proof of life force & nature at its rawest. Your destiny is entirely yours to write & don’t let anyone else say otherwise… Dream high & give it ur best fight You are an epitome of a beauty & a warrior, agile within the shell of fragility, enigmatic & poignant with love & courage. There is nothing that you cannot achieve once you put your mind to it…

To the wonderful women of my life , mom Madam Prema Nair, Amumma Madam Sankari Menon, Cheru Mrs Sugunna Krishnan, Kutty mom Madam Visa Nair, veliamas Madam Easwari, Madam Saraswathy Nair, Mrs Sathi Devi, cheriamas Mrs Shailaja Rajendrakumar, Chechis Vithya Rajan Nair,Liva Sreedharan, Savitha Sanathanan,Priya Sri, little sisters & best friend Anitha Menon,Anisha, Ashwani Nesarajah Dheevya Vijayakumar & many more. This is a homage to you. Thank you for paving pathways amidst many roads not taken for me & the future generations … Thank you for being my Sheroes.

anupama'S

Awarded the United Nations Peace Keeping Medal & Honorary certificate for contributions as UN ambassador & medical officer in 2020.

Awarded Honorary certificate for being apart of the UNIFIL COVID-19 Crisis team in 2020

Awarded Honorary certificates for being the representing speaker of Malaysia in the International Virtual Symposium of Adversities & Strategies of Handling COVID-19 in area of operation organised by Vietnamese Defence Ministry & UNDPKO & CUNPKO India.

Participating speaker & joint organiser for curbing Malaria outbreak amongst military personnel in collaboration with The Johore State Health Department of Infectious Disease & Entomology in 2018

First prize in Notion Press International Short Stories writing Competition 2018.

Published as joint author along with 19 other authors in Plotpourri, an anthology of short stories by Notion Press in 2018.

Successfully completed first Solo Art Exhibition entitled “Hridhaya : The Language of Heartbeats” in 2019

Accolade!

Published debut novel venture entitled “Dear Manusha” under the publication house of Notion Press in 2019

First runner up in the 7th Indie’s Author Championship by Notion Press in 2023

Awardee of Sheroes Nari Samman 2023 Award by TWIC-PWP

Awardee of Banabhatta Saahityik Puraskaar 2023 Award by Cherrybook Awards & Digital Golgappa

Awardee of Pratibha Samman 2023 Award by SheForward Official

Awardee of Bharat Bhushan Ratna Samman 2023 by PWP

Awardee of Sahitya Kosh Samman 2023 Award by Ne8x Litfest

Nominee of Litfest 2023 & Author of the Year 2023 by Ne8x Litfest

MUST

BOOK Read

by ANUPAMA

Dear Manusha

I had spoken from the depths of my heart; I had spoken what love had taught me. These were words that echoed within every corner of my soul, rightfully belonging to my one favourite person--Manusha. As I moved across the wave of newly made fans at the book launch, I could only smile with a streaming film of teardrops. I imagined him standing by the door, looking back at me and breaking into a double dimpled smile like he always did Before I could immerse myself in his memory, the imaginary image faded away as reality sunk in The world continues to revolve on its axis, yet his and mine are completely different and separated I know we had set forth in perpendicular paths, with chances of crossing destinies shimmering like the dying sparks of a final flame. Now, only hope remains, hoping that the universe will conspire for us to meet once again Just so I can scream that no matter how far life had destined my journey, my heart and soul will only belong to him, my one true home, then, now and forever.

6.

SUDHA MURTY Padma Bhushan

Renowned author and philanthropist Sudha Murty was feted with the prestigious Padma Bhushan for her immense contribution to the field of social work.

- THE

ECONOMIC TIMES

HELEN KELLER

GLOBAL

DR. SUBHASH RANI