Femina Spark celebrates spirit of women with release of anthem ‘Main Bhi Shakti’

Femina, India’s leading women’s brand, has embarked on a new chapter in its glorious 61-year-old history of empowering women by introducing a novel initiative called Femina Spark. With the mission to ‘Light Up Her Spirit’, Femina Spark, in association with the Uttar Pradesh government, has released an anthem this Woman’s Day dedicated to the inspiring women from the state. The special video titled ‘Main Bhi Shakti’ was launched on March 8, Women’s Day, at the Femina Spark event in Lucknow. Eminent leaders and personalities such as Shri Dinesh Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh; and Dr Kiran Bedi, IPS (retd), and former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry showed their support, both on ground and virtually.

The special video titled ‘Main Bhi Shakti’ celebrated women who have made a name for themselves in their respective fields. The anthem featured seven unstoppable women from various arenas. These include Ms Sagrika Rai — Founder and creative director, Warp 'N Weft; Ms Puja Garg — Chairperson, FICCI FLO; Dr. Sharda Dubey — Champion of traditional Bhojpuri songs; Ms Pankhuri Gidwani — Femina Miss Grand India 2016, actor, model, and UP khadi ambassador; Chef Pankaj Bhadouria — India’s first MasterChef, and an entrepreneur, TV host and author; Ms Neera Rawat — IPS, Additional Director General of Police, Women & Child Security Organization, Uttar Pradesh; and Ms Prashanti Singh — Indian national basketball team player, who is also a Padma Shri awardee, Arjuna awardee, and Rani Lakshmi Bai Bravery awardee. The inspiring lyrics of the anthem highlight how women are the embodiment of Shakti (power). 

With the launch of the anthem on Women’s Day, Femina, via the initiative and with the state government of Uttar Pradesh, sent out a strong message to the masses that it stands with women. Dr. Kiran Bedi, IPS (Retd), Former Lieutenant Governor, Puducherry gave a special virtual address on the topic  Making Women Safety a Human Issue and not a Gender Issue. Neera Rawat — IPS, Additional Director General of Police, Women & Child Security Organization, spoke of the government’s ongoing Mission Shakti campaign. This was followed by a conversation on empowerment with Prashanti Singh, and a panel discussion on a new dawn for women in Uttar Pradesh; panellists included Ms Renuka Mishra —  IPS, Additional Director General of Police with the UP Police Recruitment and Promotion Board; Ms Sagrika Rai, Dr Laxmi Gautam, Ms Malini Awasthi, Ms Aditi Singh, MLA, and Chef Pankaj Bhadouria, who spoke about women’s issues and the various measures being undertaken by the state government to address them. 22 women achievers were honoured at the event and it ended with a special performance by Meri Zindagi, a three-girl band that enthused the audience with rousing songs on empowerment.

Ahead of Women’s Day, Femina Spark took this very thought forward and collaborated with Grameen Foundation India and Abhishek Yadav — Special Commando Trainer and World Record Holder to curate special workshops for the lesser privileged women in Varanasi on March 4 followed by the same in Gorakhpur on the next day. The two workshops, on the topics of Financial Literacy and Self Defence garnered a resounding participation of women from these two cities. The workshop centred towards making these women independent, secure and empowered in every way possible.

Mr. Deepak Lamba, CEO, Worldwide Media, said, “A purpose-driven campaign requires like-minded partners and we are glad to amplify the underlying thought of Femina Spark with the UP Government. Through its efforts, we are starting to see the change that we want to see, and we are privileged to have played a role in building a better and safer future for women. We have always looked to make a difference, and we aim to reach out to as many women across the state with inspiring stories that will lead to a positive change in society. The anthem and event are a token of appreciation to those women who continue to shine amid all adversity and will surely encourage and empower every single woman out there to be a shining light.”

Dr. Dinesh Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh, said ‘’Femina Spark is an initiative to ‘Light Up Her Spirit’. Under this initiative, we have been doing many workshops to make women recognize their own honour, make them financially self-reliant, and to empower them. We believe joining hands with Femina will give  Mission Shakti Abhiyan an added dimension. We all know Femina has been  empowering the  women of India for over 61 years now by mentoring them at various stages. With this association, we look forward to keeping that tradition going for the women of Uttar Pradesh.’’

The Femina Spark campaign identifies and celebrates achievers from every walk of life. The initiative aims at spreading awareness on women’s safety and dignity, which dovetails with the Mission Shakti campaign driven by the state government.  The core idea of #MainBhiShakti will be explored through thought-provoking stories, spirited anthems, and testimonies from the female leaders of Uttar Pradesh, along with awareness workshops. 

Femina has also curated a series of videos featuring celebrities and achievers.