Brands have grasped the significance of women’s empowerment and incorporate it as the central theme in their campaigns. By Sakshi Sharma
From advertisements showcasing adventurous girls climbing mountains (and in some cases, even moving them) to women leading corporate teams and facing every challenge that comes their way, brands have now turned their attention towards shattering the image of Indian women which operated within confines of honour and boundaries. They are motivating the better half of the human species to unleash their potential. The brands have identified the power that their platforms hold because of their extensive reach. So, they couple fashion with acts that empower women instead of adhering to the standard focus on consumerism.
In turn, they not only grab eyeballs and are applauded for their work, but also initiate a discussion around these points and reflect on the world we ought to live in. Recently, brands such as Levis, AND, H&M, Puma and others have come out with advertisements and campaigns enunciating the idea in myriad ways. On International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Levis launched its I Shape My World, a global initiative dedicated to celebrate and elevate the extraordinary women who move the world forward every day. The campaign celebrated the spirit of women empowerment and their determination to inspire change. Through this unified global campaign, they tried to create an inclusive world.
Another campaign, ANDiRISE of AND celebrated women who broke societal stereotypes. It introduced a world where women believe in themselves and propel themselves to the top. They believe that their dreams are bigger than the challenges they face.
H&M created a splash on social media by smashing stereotypes with its campaign, She’s A Lady. The campaign was designed to break down gender norms and encourage self-expression by encouraging women to be fierce and fearless with their fashion choices rather than fitting into the restrictive definitions of a lady.
The most recent example of such an initiative is Puma’s new campaign Propah Lady in collaboration with Digitas, which counters the conventional idea of what makes women proper and redefines it. It celebrates the shift from women being told what to do, to them writing their own rules. The campaign recognises how women are owning their space and living unapologetically. It encourages them to live life in keeping with their own mantra.
It brings together Indian Olympic boxer, Mary Kom, International athlete, Dutee Chand, Sara Ali Khan and transgender model, Anjali Lama.
Mary, who has rewritten the history of Indian sports says, “I’ve always been clear about my goals and what I wanted to achieve. Through this campaign, Puma celebrates the shift in our society where women fearlessly chase their goals.” She feels proud leading the movement and believes that this will set an example to encourage young girls to pursue their passion.
Another athlete, Dutee who credits all her success to hard work, says, “As long as you work hard to achieve your goals, you shouldn’t worry about what others think. I broke many shackles to get where I am and how I want to live.”
She is the first lesbian athlete to reveal her sexuality and relationship with a woman from her village. She found the courage to do so after article 377 was scrapped in September last year. Talking about the change it has brought, she says, “Many things have changed since the decriminalisation of 377, most importantly people’s mindset. They have become positive. The LGBTQ community now openly discusses their identities.” As a girl from a small village in Orissa, naturally, the challenges that she faced in coming out and discussing it openly were higher. But now with the decriminalisation, she says that, even her villagers’ mindset is changing. They have adapted to the changing ways of life. She is hopeful about the extension of this law to same sex marriages.
For the campaign, she says, “I am happy that Puma is changing the narrative for women in a progressive and positive way. They are promoting girls to go forward in life and make India proud.”
Anjali, who is the first transgender model to walk at the Lakme Fashion Week in 2017, says that it is good to see that the brands are stressing upon issues like women empowerment and gender equality. “In fact, all brands should do something in this direction because the youth looks upto such brands. They see, learn and follow what they promote, for example Propah Lady inspires a woman to be herself. This will help many women watching the campaign.
As a transgender, Anjali’s journey was not easy. During her childhood, people taunted her for the way she dressed up, did make-up and carried herself. She says that when she disclosed her identity in 2005, she was abandoned by her family and friends. But slowly and gradually, when she started achieving her goals, they returned to her life.
“Today I feel proud impacting a lot of lives. People get inspired by my powerful stories. I always believe that one should never be afraid to tell the world who you are. Girls worry a lot about ‘what will people say?’ when they want to do anything beyond the traditionally accepted notions. They often step back and, then, are left behind,” says she.
When asked about what drives her, she pauses for a while but couldn’t come up with an answer. She then says, “I don’t know. Very few people have this strength and courage to overcome their fears. I had it and maybe that is the reason I am here. I am glad that my story and experience match the concept of this campaign, so, believe in yourself.”
Photo: Pankaj Kumar
