We Can Inspire, by Stuti Jalan, New Delhi

Born, raised, and currently residing in New Delhi, Stuti has a dream and loves life and has a passionate drive and determination of things she wants to achieve.

A week had gone by since lockdown, when my friend Karan called me. He wanted me to help him with an upcoming webinar and needed my communications expertise.

I thought about it and decided, Why not do it under the banner of the women’s network that I created a few months ago?

I had not done much with it, but the lockdown and COVID-19 gave me a different perspective. It was time for all of us to reflect and work on a different strategy. 

I remembered the year 2011. It had been an experience for me. A mentorship program taught me about women’s leadership, and I’d been wanting to do something for women in India for a long time, but never had the time. 

So when I was presented with this opportunity and decided to collaborate, in a week, we put together 70 speakers on 14 panel discussions, and a few sessions on women changemakers. I was inspired and found a purpose. I had so much fun putting together  the digital conference back in April of 2020, when such events weren’t common. The loss of some clients in my communications business did not affect me; I was on a roll. 

Then in May, we put forth the ideas of 100 women from different walks of life. Their stories inspired me and my team. The network has taken shape and become an inspirational storytelling platform. Since the lockdown began, we have put together various film series, winning minds and promoting sustainability and mental health in partnership with educational institutions. 500 plus videos have reached some 10 million people on social media. 

I sometimes see my four-year-old daughter trying to peep at the screen during live sessions. It brings a smile to my face that she knows all about inspiring women on video. 

We have a long way to go, but it has been a great year for our network.

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(This story was prepared for an “Imagine Another World” online storytelling workshop held October 28, 2020.)

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