7 BRILLIANT MODERN WOMEN WHO SMASHED STEREOTYPES

While the world continues to divide individuals into collectives, there is a rare breed of persevering people who rise above it, reinventing themselves and those around them. These are the people who refuse to let others define them, their roles in society, and what they can and cannot do. And this spirit is best exemplified by the work of strong women.

Posted On August 9th, 2021

Usha Kiran, CRPF Officer, India

She is the youngest female CRPF officer in Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA), and she is currently serving in the volatile region of Bastar in Chhattisgarh. Having joined the CRPF's 232 Mahila Battalion during her one-year training course, she requested that she be assigned to the male battalion in either the extreme left-wing state of J&K or the North-East front areas. She's not one to back down from a challenge, and she's proven her mettle time and again.

Leila Janah, Social Entrepreneur, United States

For a woman whose life was tragically cut short, she achieved more than most people can hope to achieve in a lifetime twice as long. Leila grew up in a Los Angeles suburb as the daughter of Indian immigrants. As she recounted in her book, Give Work, a childhood filled with financial insecurity fueled her drive and work ethic from an early age.

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand

Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern is a New Zealand politician who has been the country's 40th prime minister and leader of the Labour Party since 2017. She was first elected to the House of Representatives as a list MP in 2008, and she has served as Mount Albert's Member of Parliament since March 2017.

Sanna Marin, Prime Minister, Finland

Sanna Mirella Marin is a Finnish politician who has served as the country's Prime Minister since December 10, 2019. She has been a member of the Finnish Parliament since 2015 and served as the Minister of Transport and Communications from June 6 to December 10, 2019. She is a member of the Social Democratic Party.

Whitney Wolfe Herd, Co-Founder Tinder and Founder Bumble

Whitney Wolfe Herd, a co-founder of rival app Tinder, which she left earlier that year, founded Austin, Texas-based Bumble in 2014. Whitney Wolfe Herd joined a Los Angeles-based startup at the age of 22 and later worked on the development of a dating app that would later become Tinder.

Marwa Al-Sabouni, Architect, Syria

Syrian architect and writer Marwa Al-Sabouni believes that architecture contributes to the peace of a city. Her first book, The Battle for Home, was named one of the top architectural books of 2016 by The Guardian. In 2019, she was named one of the BBC's 100 Women.

PARVEENA AHANGER, INDIAN-ADMIN KASHMIR HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST

Parveena Ahanger, dubbed the "Iron Lady of Kashmir" for her unwavering protests against the alleged abduction of her son by the Indian Army in 1990 and subsequent formation of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Parents (APDP) in 1994, has been named to the BBC's list of the top 100 inspiring women. For the past 25 years, Parveena, 50, has led the United Nations-supported organisation.