Three Indians have made it to the BBC’s list of the 100 most inspiring and influential women worldwide for 2024. Wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat, funerary rites pioneer Pooja Sharma, and social activist Aruna Roy are amongst 97 other influential women across the globe who are featured on the list.
BBC’s 100 Inspiring Women 2024 | Who Is Pooja Sharma
Why In News
- Three Indians have made it to the BBC’s list of the 100 most inspiring and influential women worldwide for 2024. Wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat, funerary rites pioneer Pooja Sharma, and social activist Aruna Roy are amongst 97 other influential women across the globe who are featured on the list.
- Indian Americans Sunita Williams, a NASA astronaut, and Sneha Revanur, a 20-year-old AI expert, are also part of the list, which includes Nobel Peace laureate Nadia Murad, Hollywood actor Sharon Stone, climate activist Adenike Oladosu, and rape survivor Gisele Pelicot.
All You Need To Know
- Aruna Roy: Social activist Aruna Roy left a career in civil services to work directly with rural communities, empowering them to demand their rights. As co-founder of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), Aruna has been instrumental in fighting for transparency and fair wages. Her efforts led to the enactment of a landmark law in 2005, enabling citizens to demand government accountability. Her people-led initiatives have earned her numerous awards, including the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award.
- Pooja Sharma: Pooja Sharma, another Indian on the list, has been recognised in the Culture and Education category. Pooja, a beacon of compassion, has performed the last rites for over 4,000 unclaimed dead bodies in Delhi for the past three years. Her journey began with a personal tragedy, performing the final rites for her brother after he was killed and nobody came for her help.
- Vinesh Phogat (Wrestler): Vinesh Phogat, a three-time Olympian, is one of India’s most decorated wrestlers, with a number of medals from World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games. This year, she made history by becoming the first female wrestler in the country to reach an Olympic final. Unfortunately, she was disqualified due to a weight issue. She retired from sports and has since joined politics. Phogat is also an outspoken critic of sexist attitudes towards women in sports. She was at the forefront of a protest by Indian wrestlers against their federation chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexually harassing female athletes.
- Sunita Williams (Astronaut): Sunita Williams has been recognised as one of the BBC’s 100 inspiring and influential women worldwide for 2024. Her remarkable career includes being a retired Navy helicopter pilot, a former record holder for the most spacewalks by a woman, and the first person to run a marathon in space in 2007. Williams initially embarked on an eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024. However, technical challenges extended her stay to eight months and she will now return to Earth in February 2025.
- Sneha Revanur (AI expert): Sneha Revanur, an Indian-American activist, is making waves in the world of artificial intelligence (AI). As the founder of Encode Justice, a global youth movement, the 20-year-old is mobilizing over 1,300 members across 30 countries to advocate for safe and equitable AI. Her dedication has earned her numerous accolades, including being named the youngest individual on TIME magazine’s inaugural list of the 100 most influential voices in AI.
