International Women’s Day 2018 | The Inspiring Story of Deepika Kumari to Add to your Watch List
To celebrate the mark of International Women’s day 2018, Mae Cassidy takes a look at the release of Netflix’s latest inspiring documentary, ‘LADIES FIRST’.
Ladies First tells the inspirational and powerful story of the fearless female and Indian archer, Deepika Kumari. The award-winning documentary is captured beautifully by the Director Uraaz Bahl, executive producer Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and producer Shaana Levy.
“I often feel like answering back, but then I think if I respond with words people will soon forget, but if I respond with my arrows they’ll never forget.”
- Deepika Kumari –
In 2012, the U.N voted India the worst place to be a woman out of all of the G20 countries. According to the Thomson Reuters Foundation, ‘A girl's fight for survival begins in the womb’. India is a tough place for a woman to grow up and pursue their dreams, which is what brings us to admire the incredibly fearless story of Deepika Kumari.
Deepika was born on the roadside in the 2nd poorest area in India. At the tender age of 12, she travelled 130KM from her home town in search of food and a better life for her family, only to find archery. Kumari defies poverty and challenges the social norms of the role of a female in Indian society, only to become
a world champion archer by the time she was 18 years of age.
Ladies First, gives us an incredible insight into Deepika's sheer determination and undeniable talent, but highlights the lack of support and facilities she was given to achieve her dreams.
In India, women are treated like second class citizens. They have the same legal rights as men, but they are not given the same encouragement, opportunities or resources.
Despite the fact that Deepika was ill-equipped compared with other competitors, we were saddened that even after all she had over-come and achieved, that just because she did not return with a gold medal, she is left feeling deflated and uncelebrated.
Instead of focusing on the gold medal she didn't achieve, we at Mae Cassidy would like to celebrate the miracle that Deepika did achieve!
We don't know about you, but we think this fearless female is just the kind of aspirational woman we would want to see celebrated on the cover of Vogue!
