Revisit Some Of Our Most Powerful Women-Centered Stories From The Year That's Passed

"You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise."

— Maya Angelou, Still I Rise

The history of humankind is the history of womankind. We know now that women have been playing a vital role in shaping human civilisation since the beginning of time. From early agriculture (read about women's role in ancient agrarian societies here) to the invention of computers (read about Ada Lovelace, world's first computer programmer, here), women have been breaking glass ceilings and pushing the boundaries of what we consider possible in spite of the social, political, and religious constraints imposed on them by patriarchy. And yet, time and time again, women have risen above and beyond to achieve and accomplish remarkable feats across various domains.

As a man, I'm always in awe of the extraordinary women in my life and those who I come across through my work at Homegrown, from my mother who grew up in a remote village in rural Bengal and defied social norms to become an artist against the wishes of her family to my colleagues Disha Bijolia, Anahita Ahluwalia, and Pari Pradhan, who discover and write so many of the wonderful stories we cover at Homegrown to Homegrown's co-founder Varsha Patra, whose vision guides everything we do.

In celebration of International Women's Day 2025, here are some Homegrown stories from the past year celebrating the courage, resilience, and ingenuity of Indian women through history:

"Aunty bars were the speakeasies of Prohibition Bombay, run out of middle-aged women’s homes. Most of these women were Goan and would brew feni and moonshine in their homes to serve customers. Later, the aunties would grow savvy, bribing police and finding elaborate ways to transport and sneak bootleg alcohol into their homes for their customers. You could find out about Aunty Bars only through word of mouth, or if you were perceptive, by noticing an increased presence in street food stalls near certain apartments and homes."

Read Pari Pradhan's article about these enterprising women here.

"Homegrown photographer Keerthana Kunnath's 'Not What You Saw' is a prime example of the beauty that exists outside of society’s narrow expectations of femininity. And more than just beauty, these pictures show the power women’s bodies hold," Pari wrote in her article about Kunnath's portraits of female bodybuilders in India. "Our bodies do not exist for sexual appeal or male validation; they are ours to strengthen and use as we please. Femininity, in its truest sense, is then not the constricting standard I believed it to be as a child. Instead, it can be found in these pictures: in strength, truth, and embracing ourselves as we are."

Learn more about Keerthana Kunnath's photoseries documenting these gender-barrier-breaking bodybuilders here.

"Ima Keithel, or 'Mothers’ Market', is the largest all-women market in the world. Its 5,000 traders aren’t just selling vegetables and textiles. They’re carrying a history of defiance, resilience, and autonomy that has outlived empires, insurgencies, and even earthquakes. This is a living monument to the women who run it," Anahita Ahluwalia wrote about this remarkable all-women marketplace in Manipur. Read her article here.

"For decades, Evelyn 'Iggy' Rose was one such mystery. A woman who graced the back cover of Syd Barrett’s The Madcap Laughs, leaving behind only speculation and a cult following. She was the ultimate ephemeral muse of Swinging London, appearing at the right clubs, with the right people, and disappearing just as quickly as she had arrived. But what made Iggy truly remarkable was not just her Zelig-like presence in the 1960s music scene, but the fact that she spent most of her life actively avoiding any association with where she came from. Her roots — deeply embedded in the hills of Mizoram, India — remained a story she did not wish to tell. And that, perhaps, is the most fascinating part of her legend."

Read Anahita's deep-dive into Syd Barrett's elusive Indian muse here.

‘Mai Ni Meriye’ —  literally meaning ‘mother mine’ — by Aashna Singh and Farheen Fatima that looks at the ‘labour of love’, commonly described as ‘housework’ or ‘domestic work’, most traditionally executed by women through a photobook and a 20-minute short film. Historically, this work is perceived as naturally ‘feminine’ which encourages a false biological destiny for women in which appreciation or ‘love’ — rather than wages or money — is meant to serve as its own reward for the work. Learn more about the project here.

“The irony lies in the gender stereotypes that dictate women are best suited to cook at home or for their families, simply because it’s an unpaid job,” Chef Farha Naaz told me when I spoke to her about the challenges and triumphs faced by women in India's professional kitchens. “The moment a woman aspires to work in a professional kitchen and make a career out of cooking, she is met with doubt and scepticism. People often question her ability to handle the high-pressure environment of a professional kitchen, assuming she won’t be able to bear the workload.”

Read the article here.

'Ullarivu (The Awakening)', a powerful short film by Indian filmmaker Sumi Mathai, captures the quiet yet shattering moment when childhood wonder cracks under the crushing weight of reality. The film depicts a young girl who starts to see the invisible rules shaping her world. Starring child actor Devananda Shamej, it takes us into the lush landscapes of Poonjar, Kerala, where our protagonist moves through her days with the kind of boundless energy and awe that childhood allows. She runs, she observes, she exists fully — until she doesn’t.

Read Disha Bijolia's take on the film here.

“I think cities, especially ones like Mumbai, have an inherent quality of contradiction,” Payal Kapadia told Homegrown Associate Editor Mikhail Khan last year during an interview. “They’re liberating and a lot of people come from all over the country to make a life in Mumbai. Coming here gives you options and the possibility of a far more independent life, especially for women. Whenever a place has such a great degree of diversity it always makes for interesting stories. This film combines my love for Mumbai and my criticism of some of its flaws.”

Read the interview here.

If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:

Femininomenon: Meet The 20th Century Women Who Shaped Modern Indian Art

Sangham Radio: Inside The Dalit Women-Run Radio Station That's Reshaping Indian Media

How The Tagore Women Of Jorasanko Thakurbari Led The Way For Women's Empowerment In India