On March 18, the ‘We Women Want Festival‘ was held in Mumbai to honor the spirit of Indian women.

The festival was held at the Razzberry Rhinoceros in Mumbai’s Juhu Hotel. Marking the second edition of the ‘We Women Want’ Shakti Awards, the event honored women achievers from all walks of life.

The festival was graced by the presence of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis who felicitated the winners of the Shakti Awards 2023. Fadnavis spoke about the Prime Minister’s vision of women-led development.

“Mudra loan statistics show that the most loans were given out in Maharashtra, and the most loans were given to women,” Fadnavis said. Concerning women’s safety, he stated, “We have changed the laws to make nighttime work safer for women,” adding that Mumbai is the safest city for women.

Prime Minister Modi tweeted about the meeting with the women honored on ‘Mann Ki Baat’ for their accomplishments. “For the past 98 episodes, #MannKiBaat has featured inspiring life journeys of grassroots-level champions. “I would encourage you all to learn more about them and their efforts,” the PM said in a tweet.

Women achievers in music, cinema, and OTT, including Anuradha Paudwal, Rasika Dugal, and Priyanka Chahar, also attended the event. “My father did not support my singing in the industry in the beginning,” Paudwal said, “but it was my mother who wanted me to sing just one song, and that is how I began.”

Dugal discussed how she gets her shakti from her complete dedication to her work, which gives her strength. “My father, despite his reservations, supported me when I decided to enter the industry, and that is when I supported my family when times were tough,” Chahar said of her humble beginnings.

Stories of female naval officers, acid attack survivors, and discussions about breaking stereotypes with female rickshaw drivers, ‘dabba waali,’ and fisherwomen were all part of the panel discussions. Leading female chefs, doctors, designers, and nutritionists from India also spoke about women’s health and the stereotypes they face.

Shakti Sharma, Trustee, of iTV Foundation and the Mayor of Ambala also felicitated the award winners. Sharma said, “This festival honored inspiring women who have been trailblazers for countless Indians. It represents and honors their invaluable contributions.” Aishwarya Pandit Sharma, Chairperson of the iTV Foundation, said, “This festival celebrates women, their achievements, their dreams, their hopes, and their courage. It brings together women from diverse backgrounds and we can see how their stories are similar yet unique.”

Rajya Sabha MP and promoter of iTV Network, Kartikeya Sharma said, “We hope this community which we endeavor to build will grow leaps and bounds and we will be joined by several tenacious women and their stories of courage.”

The day-long festival was telecast live on NewsX throughout the day with repeat telecasts over the weekend.