To honor the soul of Indian women, the iTV Network organized the We Women Want festival in New Delhi.

The third edition of the We Women Wants Shakti Awards, on April 3, honoured female achievers from all areas of life. Union Minister Smriti Irani joined the festival and congratulated the Shakti Awards 2023 winners.

Irani reflected on how Prime Minister Modi’s social construct of women’s needs has evolved. “Women achievers don’t need a message; all they need is for people to get out of their way,” the minister said when asked for a statement for women.

“Misogyny isn’t just a political virtue,” Irani said, “ Misogyny is used to diminish you, but I am not concerned about insults directed at me…I’ve made it in two distinct fields and have always performed well.”

Speaking about equal representation in parliament, Lok Sabha MP and former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, “We need more women in parliament.”

Women achievers from sports, technology, and politics, including Delhi Education Minister and AAP leader Atishi, also witnessed the event.

“Only 20 percent of women in India work,” said Atishi of women’s education and employment, adding, “80 percent of female students opt out. Twenty percent of women are underweight.”

Women lawmakers, including Priyanka Chaturvedi, Sushmita Dev and Aparajita Sarangi, debated the status of Indian politics ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the channel said in a statement.

The We Women Want conclave witnessed courageous stories of women IAF officers, women IPS officers, women parliamentarians as well as the triple talaq activists.

Wing Cdr Deepika Mishra of the Indian Air Force spoke about how women face challenges in every field they are working in. “You are responsible for your family and are also expected to perform professionally,” she said.

Speaking about the need for female cops, constable Sonika said, “It’s easy for a woman victim to express herself in front of a woman officer. That’s why Delhi Police is recruiting women at a large scale.”

Indian Under-19 women’s cricket team vice-captain Shweta Sherawat attended the event virtually and stressed the importance of encouraging women to compete in sports. Indian weightlifter Karnam Malleswari and World Champion boxer Nitu Ghanghas joined the conclave to discuss their journeys as women in sport.

Malleswari and Ghanghas shed light on the positive changes that have emerged in the lives of Indian sportspersons.

Women achievers were also honored at the gathering as part of the Prime Minister’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ series. Surekha Yadav, a train driver, spoke about her journey and urged women to take the unconventional route. “No woman had done this before,” she said. Everyone should support a woman who chooses the route less travelled,” she said.

Kartikeya Sharma, Rajya Sabha MP and promoter of the iTV Network, congratulated the award recipients. Aishwarya Pandit Sharma, Chairperson of the iTV Foundation, said, “We wanted to create a platform for open conversations, freer discussions, and meaningful lessons. The Shakti Awards honour women who have been trailblazers and women who simply refuse to give up.”

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