Malavika’s Mumbaistan: THE WOMEN’S WAY

These women define a new world order where they not only have the power but are doing things with it in a whole new way

Clearly, it’s been a Melinda French Gates month. Ever since she bowed out of co-chairing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation this May, on the heels of her divorce from husband Bill Gates in August 2021, the high-profile French Gates has been the cynosure of all eyes. What would she do with her enormous wealth and clout as a single woman and avowed philanthropist? This month it all became clear when the icon announced the launch of Pivotal Ventures, her new foundation which pledged to accelerate social progress by removing barriers that hold people back primarily in the area of women empowerment, kicking off the venture with an astonishingly generous $1 billion commitment to advance women’s power globally.

Malavika’s Mumbaistan: THE WOMEN’S WAY

But that is not all. With her powerful and viral commencement speech delivered standing tall and strong at Stanford; the cover story on her in Time Magazine and most recently, her outspoken endorsement of Biden in the US Presidential election, Gates has sent a message out that if this is the century in which women emerge -she is one of its powerful harbingers.

In her commitment to disburse her enormous wealth French Gates is not alone. Her departure from the more data-driven, controlling and bureaucratic approach of her husband and their erstwhile foundation has been compared to that of the other billionaire divorcee and philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, who recently divorced Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Scott has emerged as one of the world’s most influential philanthropists; and with a radical approach to the distribution of her wealth swiftly and with minimal bureaucracy Scott is said to have set a new standard in the world of philanthropy.

Both women define a new world order where women not only have the power but are doing things with it in what is being seen as a ‘woman’s way’. One that is quieter, with more heart and less fuss.

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From two billionaire American women to Bollywood star Sonakshi Sinha might seem an enormous leap of imagination, but in the context of women’s empowerment this month, it’s not a bridge too far.

Witness the way the thirty-something Sinha conducted herself through her high-profile wedding this month to long-time partner Zareer Iqbal, facing all her challenges with grace, dignity and honesty.

From negotiating the tricky situation with her family’s alleged unhappiness about her decision, to facing regressive trolling and negative attention to whooping it up on the dance floor like any bride should and deserves to, with her marriage, Sinha who had earlier made a significant impact in the field of body positivity, in an industry often criticised for its unrealistic beauty standards, has now emerged as a strong, empowered and inspiring woman for many across the board. Her message: live your life according to your own tenets; respect your elders but never kowtow to any one- and never let anyone- not trolls, naysayers or communalists rain on your parade- is a powerful one.

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It is said that there is no force on earth as strong as a woman who has rebuilt her life, and in the case of Asha Puthli, the Mumbai girl who’d become the toast of the Andy Warhol set in the New York of the Seventies, nothing could be truer.

This month, Puthli who grew up in Bandra and attended the St Joseph’s Convent, has undertaken a world tour, performing her distinct blues, soul, funk, disco, and techno at venues in the US, Australia and England to rave reviews and delighted audiences. The fact that she is now eighty years old, has not stopped fans from flocking to her gigs, enchanted with her path-breaking music. Her RE-emergence as a relevant, sought-after talent, almost fifty years after her initial success, is a testimony to the power of women and the fact that no one and nothing can keep a genuine talent down. Again she has accomplished this in what appears to be ‘a woman’s way’: quietly, with more heart and less fuss.

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Again, in a month when women are quietly but determinedly proving their strength and wisdom, and doing things their way, Sonia Gandhi’s strident but dignified OP-Ed in The Hindu this weekend cannot be ignored. With determination and resolve, the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party has argued in favour of maintaining parliamentary norms and strengthening India’s institutions and values. Her undaunted faith in her son Rahul Gandhi in the face of untold opposition and challenges has underlined the quiet strength of women too.

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Serendipitously this month in which all manner of women have been proving their strength and resolve, was kicked off for me at a dinner that epitomises the message, namely, the Tasting Room run by celebrity Chef Ritu Dalmia at the Good Earth at Lower Parel.

For decades, the Delhi-based and publicity-shy Anita Lal, founder of Good Earth, the household ware brand synonymous with luxury and India’s rich cultural heritage has epitomised what a strong determined woman can achieve. The wife of a leading industrialist and mother of three, Lal did not rest on her oars or waste her talent. Not only did she establish a company that redefined the luxury landscape of India, but along the way, she also

created opportunities for countless artisans, many of whom are women, to showcase their skills and earn a livelihood.

Her collaboration with chef Dalmia, another female icon known for her string of successful ventures across the world and her LGBTQ activism is only par for the course.

What further emphasised the women to the fore aspect of the evening for me, was that we were to kick off the pop-up by another talented and strong woman chef Lisa Sadanah, who was bringing her Sri Lanka cuisine pop-up to delight fans and foodies.

Last week, Sadanah, a Mumbai girl who has forged a new career in her fifties, followed this triumph up with the opening of her standalone restaurant Jaffna Jump in Goa. It’s early days yet, but initial reports are that her first restaurant is already off to a great start.

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So, as I was saying, starting with Melinda French Gates, this month everywhere I looked, strong, powerful, determined women looked back at me.. women who proved that there was a better way of doing things. One that is quieter, with more heart and less fuss.

And more power to them for it!