A few days ago, while I was catching up with my daily dose of information in the morning on Twitter, I saw 3 things that brightened my day.
- Women winning Oscar
- Nike’s Dream Crazier
- Period: End of Sentence
Women set some sort of record by winning maximum Oscars ever; a total of 15 out of 24 categories. This is in sharp contrast to last yearâs meager number of 6.
That’s a great milestone for us women. I hope from here we only march forward!
And as though Nike already knew it was going to be a womenâs night, it launched its newest campaign âDream Crazierâ with Serena Williams. You can see the campaign below, if you havenât already.
In Jimmy’s (Jwngshar) post a while ago on the Zion Williamson issue, he mentioned that Nike won’t stay down for long. And this is exactly the reason why. Their advertising is inspirational.
It is not just an ode to Serena (who is still questioned by many people if she is the greatest athlete after winning 23 Grand Slams).
It is a tribute to the woman who ran the first Boston Marathon after being called fragile by her coach. It is a tribute to the woman who fought hard to be in the boxing ring. It is a tribute to the woman who coached an NBA team. And in many unsaid words, it is a tribute to Rosa Parks, who refused to be discriminated against because of her colour.
It is a tribute to Lady Gaga, whose abusive boyfriend once told her she is a failure.
And above all, it is a tribute to all the women who think of doing something that the society considers crazy.
It captures the womenâs struggles, the labels that the world plasters upon us, our right to be equal, not just in representation and wages, but also equality in expressions of joy, passion, anger, hurt, dismay.
It captures our dreams, our passions, our hopes and most of all our will power to do what we set our mind on.
It speaks to every woman who has tried to reclaim her place in the world. Be it leading a company to soaring heights, or just beginning to dream to be a police officer, going out for work, walking alone in the night, or dressing up as they want to.
It talks to every girl who has pushed her limits. It connects with the Hijab wearing girl dreaming to beat that world record, it inspires the girl who wakes up at 4 AM everyday to walk to her school.
It speaks to the girl being forced to sit at home and inspires her to dream about her crazy dreams, and break her boundaries. It speaks to all the women, because we have all been there.
This advert brought out many emotions in me: aggression, passion, fight, hope, respect, determination.
And Nike, as always, did it just so beautifully, ending the commercial with âItâs only crazy until you do it. Just do it.â That message is going to stay with me for long.
And as though this wasnât enough, a very beautiful short documentary called âPeriod. End Of Sentenceâ also won the Oscar.
Watch the trailer below.
In 25 minutes, it manages to capture so many emotions, and tackle so many issues: the shyness related to periods in India, the lack of awareness about menstruation (it is a disease that generally concerns women quipped one young man on camera), the futures ruined as many young girls get their first periods, and then some hope.
The documentary (available on Netflix) opens in a small village in Northern India (very close to the town where I was born) with young girls shyly giggling at periods.
As the story progresses, we learn through the women of that village that how it was difficult for them to continue education due to periods. Because of prohibitive pad pricing and sometimes lack of awareness, many young girls use a cotton cloth instead of pads.
Lack of toilets forces them to change it in the fields. Most girls are extremely uncomfortable with that, and rightly so. The only option they are left with is give up on their education, dreams and ambitions and be at home.
This story is about how women lead a quiet revolution in a small village in India, where patriarchy is deep-rooted. How their initiative empowers and employs the women in the village, women who got their dreams back, girls who will be able to continue to go to school fearlessly.
A sanitary pad making machine is installed in the village by the man who revolutionized the low-cost manufacturing of sanitary napkins in India.
He teaches a few women how to make the pads. Some women are trained to sell house to house this pad (aptly named Fly), and thus begins the journey of breaking the barriers and reclaiming the space.
This short film is extremely heart warming, and gives hope to every woman struggling with basic needs.
With stories like these, we all find our purpose and inspiration. I hope this leaves you inspired too!
Go, do something Crazy!
As usual, please feel free to add your comments in the section below.
