Born in 1955 into the illustrious industrialist family of Modis, Modinagar in Uttar Pradesh, Rekha Mody is in her own right, a woman who wears more than one hat. She is a connoisseur of art, well-known publisher, social worker and a woman campaigner. She started her education at a labourers school in Modinagar, which brought her close to the plight and the pain of the less privileged people. She did her high school from Gwalior, where she studied with tribal girls. This interaction imbued in her a value system with social responsibility. She got her Bachelor in Arts degree from Meerut University in first division. Her college education at Modi Nagar exposed her directly to the dignity of labour.

Her Masters in literature was interrupted after one year due to her marriage with Padam Mody in 1974. She has two daughters Aditi and Isha who have both received higher education in England. Settled at Kolkata at the age of twenty nine in 1984, she answered her inner call and set for a cultural revolution, with a strong emphasis on social development. She started her work journey twenty years back by founding four prestigious institutions working in different field. She is the founder of Divya Chaya Trust- a public charity which along with an associate UK trust, Save A Child, works to restore hope and is providing opportunity to the deprived children. She is the CEO of a publishing house Garutman Pvt Ltd, which promotes quality Indian literature translated from Indian regional languages to English and encourages them internationally. She is the founder of Habiart Foundation, which promotes contemporary art and traditional craft. To campaign for the cause close to her heart to fight for women’s issues she founded of Stree Shakti – The parallel force networking women’s forum with few eminent women.

More challenges are ahead of her as she is driven by the urge for nation building. Her forte lies in developing strategies and implementing them with international standard.

With an objective to provide visibility to women and their issues Rekha founded Stree Shakti – The Parallel Force, a dynamic forum aiming at ‘Networking for Action’. This forum aims to provide a platform for joint actions as well as for collection, systematic processing and distribution of information related to women’s issues in particular and general networking. The movement is a catalyst for fundamental social changes and to awake and activate women of every class. Women from different walks of life have responded and joined this networking forum. Parliamentarians, Writers, Intellectuals, Artists, Scientist, Entrepreneurs, Scholars and grass root rural workers are a part of the campaign.

Stree Shakti is committed to provide strategies for empowering women, one such is to mobilise support for an Equal Opportunity Commission in India. Last decade has witnessed improvement in women’s participation in power sharing world wide. According to the latest findings the percentage at women’s representation in Single or in Lower House is: Nordic countries 39%, America 15%, Asia 15%, Europe, excluding Nordic countries, 14%, sub-Saharan Africa 12%, Pacific 12% and Arab states 5%. Yet India has been lingering around 8%. The National Commission for Women was formed in 1990, but the need today is to establish an “Equal Opportunity Commission” with a mandate to lobby nationally for political, social and economic empowerment of women.

To encourage Indian women achievers all over the world, Stree shakti awards have been established. Prior to this only one or two awards were given. Since Stree Shakti awards, many prestigious women awards have been introduce to recognize the efforts of woman achievers in the India, a feather in the cap of Stree shakti, the Parallel Force.

Struggle For Space
Objective: To create more space for women-Social, Economic and Political

Women make a major contribution to the economy. They have access to and control an enormous store of indigenous knowledge and wisdom. Therefore, despite their predominant role in the primary sectors of the economic development, women today, continue to be marginalized with limited access to public and private services. To counter these trends, the experiences and perspectives of women need to be heard, and their capacity for economic and social contributions to the community should be recognized and strengthened. The planned neglect of women is a major concern for Modern India. Today, the female literacy rate stands at 54 %. The percentage of women in different sectors is as follows: 8% in the Parliament, 3% in the ministerial posts, executive bodies of political parties 9%, High court judges 3% and 7% in civil services. The coverage of their issues and concerns in media is below three percent. The proportion of women in workforce in rural area is 30.98% and 11.55% in urban area. The total outlay on women in the Union Budget is around 1.5%.

The demand of media for a super- woman is dwarfing the achievement of the average woman who is making tremendous contribution in nation building and that is going almost unnoticed. The twentieth Century cry 'women demand half the sky' has created a base for the lobbyists to work for one third representation in the legislative bodies, jobs, awards etc. There is however a growing need by women to have their own space in Indian society.

We feel that there is a scope to initiate a networking forum which can be called '100 Women's Forum'. The proposed forum will have representatives from various sectors like, government departments, business icons, political leaders, renowned social activists, academicians, and women from media, art and culture. All these women will be achievers in their own fields and would work together as a think tank to influence the policy makers for providing more space to women in India. This forum will provide a platform for women from different sectors to interact and arrive at a consensus on key issues like leadership, insights into best management practices and become role models for young generation of women in the country.

This networking initiative can contribute a lot for Indian women's empowerment.
Rekha Mody

A Quest for Roots - Edited by Rekha Mody

First edition 1999
Second edition 2006

This book contextualizes the experience of women in India from the earliest recorded times to the mid-20th century. We have compiled in one book the histories of women through the centuries, of all faiths, castes and communities. Today's women in India have a need to be aware of the experiences and the achievements of their foremothers, stories not always recorded in conventional texts. To fill this gap, we document individual women, whether well known or little known, whose lives have contributed to the identity and concerns of Indian womanhood. Living women have not been included as they are still making history.

The focus is on making woman visible and creating public awareness of the positive role that woman have played in the socio-economic and cultural life of India. It is true that absolute justice to all woman in these periods cannot be done, but we have tried to make this collection as comprehensive and authentic as possible.

Reviews regarding the book:

It is a bibliography dictionary , a useful reference book to keep on your working table. - Khushwant singh , The Hindusthan Times : 20 Nov 1999.

There is a common thread that binds all these achievers : they succeeded in transgressing the constraints of a patirachal society in their own ways. It is a collector's item. Book Club - The Asian Age : 20 Nov 1999

It is a story of women who have shaped India's History. It presents pen portraits of women from ancient to modern times and across caste, community and religion. Movers and SHapers : The Telegraph 19 Nov 1999.

Profiles of great Indian women through the ages . Seek highlight the female contribution to Indian Society. - India Today.