Leading Motivational Speakers for International Women’s Day 2022

While gender equality is not limited to a day or month, March is a great time to pick up the dialogue, hold meaningful conversations and showcase the work your organization has been doing on this front. Every year, 8th March is commemorated as a day to celebrate women and their achievements. And organizations carry out activities across the month towards discussing and highlighting gender parity within their work place.

This year, the theme for IWD 2022 is #BreakTheBias – focusing on tackling bias at various levels, from the individual to the community, workplaces, social groups and more. Here’s our pick of 10 leading ladies who can bring in riveting perspectives and inspire with their own stories of breaking the bias. 

Deepa Malik: Paralympian, Khel Ratna, Arjuna & Padma Shri Awardee  

Considered one of the best motivational speakers in India, Dr Deepa Malik is an award-winning Paralympian – first Indian female para-athlete to win a medal at the Asian Games, World Championships and Paralympics, and recipient of the Khel Ratna as well as Padma Shri. On her Mission of ‘Ability Beyond Disability’, she has gone on to create 4 Limca World Records in Adventure, becoming the first paraplegic woman in biking, river swimming, high altitude mountain driving and car rallies like Desert Storm & Raid-De-Himalaya.  With her inspiring story, Deepa motivates her audience to take charge of their personal transformation and life journey.

Eika Chaturvedi Banerjee: CEO, Future Learnings

Astute, passionate and perceptive, Eika, believes in deriving faith from the ‘power of within’. Along with talking about women’s issues and diversity, she brings her unique perspective on Indian history, mythology and yoga to a corporate environment. Her sessions teach that one only needs to turn inwards in any context for the right answers – be it individual, organisational, national or global. She is currently the CEO of Future Learning, heading three verticals – Corporate Capability, Skilling, Employability & Livelihoods, and Education.

Rashmi Bansal: Best-Selling Author, Entrepreneur and Motivational Speaker

Rashmi Bansal is counted amongst the top business writers of the country – author of 9 bestselling books on entrepreneurship which have sold more than 1.2 million copies and been translated in 12 languages. A widely followed motivational speaker, Rashmi’s sessions throw light on various aspects of entrepreneurship – from women in business to social enterprise, building a winning mindset and more. Rashmi’s first book, Stay Hungry Stay Foolish, on 25 MBAs from IIM Ahmedabad who went on to create successful businesses, was a runaway success.

Chhavi Rajawat: Sarpanch, Village Soda

We don’t usually hear of a woman Sarpanch. Chhavi, the elected head of the Village Council of Soda located in the District of Tonk, Rajasthan, is the only one to have been elected to this seat for two terms in a row. During her first term, Chhavi was successful in bringing transparency into the council office, electricity to the village and water to a drought-hit region. Focused on social development and working with the belief of making a difference in the lives of people, Chhavi speaks about empowering oneself, setting a goal and striving to achieve it. She also talks about the importance of giving back to the society.

Shalini Saraswathi: Adventure Enthusiast, Marathoner and Blade Runner

Infused with exceptional will power and driven with an unbeatable energy, Shalini Saraswati is an adventure enthusiast, a blade runner, and a marathoner. A runner without any limbs who has surmounted challenges through sheer determination, her sheer presence is a reminder to audiences that winners never give excuses. In 2012, Shalini fell victim to a rare bacterial infection and lost all four limbs. A strong-willed Shalini spent the next few months in self-rediscovery and training, which led her to athletics and marathon running. In 2017, she completed the TCS 10K marathon with a finishing time of 95 minutes.

Nungshi And Tashi Malik: Everest Twins, Explorers Grand Slam Achievers and Motivational Speakers

Popularly known as the ‘Everest twins’, Nungshi & Tashi are the world’s first and the youngest twin siblings to complete the ‘Explorers Grand Slam’ i.e. scaling the highest peaks in all seven continents including Everest, and skiing to North and South Poles. Guinness World Record holders, they are also well-accomplished speakers. They have delivered gripping talks at various educational institutions and organizations in India and abroad, including influential platforms like TEDx. They speak with conviction about their motto ‘Gender Equality Now: Fight Female Feticide’. 

Captain Shalini Singh: Army Veteran, Mrs. India 2017, Trainer & Motivational Speaker

A true definition of woman of substance, Capt. Shalini Singh is a story of grit and strength. After losing her husband at the tender age of 23, Shalini decided to join the army despite her lack of experience or prior exposure to such a physically grueling environment. In 2017, she was crowned Mrs. India Queen of Substance. She is also the first Indian to represent the country in a beauty pageant (Ms Earth in USA) in the single parent category. Other than being a soft skills and pageant trainer, she is a regular and sought-after speaker at various platforms in schools and companies like GD Goenka, Yum Foods, Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), Lions Club, Revlon India, Mukta Foundation Chennai and many more. 

Arunima Sinha: First Female Amputee to Climb Mt Everest and Padma Shri Awardee

Arunima, a national level volleyball player lost her left leg in a tragic accident. Determined and strong-willed, she went on to conquer the Everest in 2013, becoming the first female amputee and the first Indian amputee to have achieved this feat. She is also the first female amputee to have climbed Mt Kilimanjaro (South Africa), Mt Elbrus (Russia) and Mt Kosciusko (Australia). Arunima has also received several prestigious awards. Her autobiography – Born Again on the Mountain – has been published in several languages. Her talks inspire people to believe that they can go beyond any disability to fulfill their dreams.

Laxmi Agarwal: Acid Attack Survivor and Motivational Speaker

Laxmi, once known as the acid attack survivor, is now just Laxmi – a mother, a symbol of courage, hope and love for life. A messenger for millions of social voices, she has inspired people and emphasized on the strength of inner beauty. Laxmi received the 2014 International Women of Courage award by US First Lady Michelle Obama and was also awarded the prestigious Mother Teresa Award in 2018. In 2020, her story was turned into a Bollywood movie, Chhapaak starring Deepika Padukone. Laxmi it also the face of several brands today including a fashion brand, challenging beauty stereotypes.

Shubhra Mohanty: Mother, Motivational Speaker, Influencer and Reformist

Shubhra Mohanty is a mother, global motivational speaker, reformist and a transformation partner, who has been successfully inspiring and transforming many lives through her positive philosophy backed by logical reasoning and science. She offers insights on a range of topics focused on personal transformation, including belief morphosis, women as leaders and optimum living as well as organisational transformation including humanizing leadership in organizations, diversity & inclusion, building a gender equal organization, women and work, women empowerment and women entrepreneurship.

For more ideas, browse through our selection of leading Women Speakers across sports, arts, technology, business, wellness and more.

You can also talk to our team of experts to discuss these and other interesting ways to celebrate IWD 2022. We can help you identify the right voices as well as formats to build engaging and meaningful discussions on women and gender in the workplace. Write to us at contact@tosb.in.