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Mriganka Dadwal: Championing Women's Rights with Unstoppable Determination

Meet Mriganka Dadwal, a visionary leader shaping the future of social change.

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Mriganka Dadwal wears many hats - all of which make her a trailblazer. She has turned the pages of Indian media as a journalist at PTI and Zee Business Anchor. Her most prominent venture yet is in the social change space - where she works as the Founder of SLAP (Street Level Awareness Program). And that is not all, her passion for writing led her to publish an inspiring collection of poetry: A Blaze of White Lotuses.

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Despite her varied successes, Mriganka remains grounded and has immense gratitude for life and the many opportunities it has given her. She steadfastly believes that the word “self-made” is a myth; and that people are the sum total of each person who has stood by them when the world questioned their worth. She has been supported by family, friends, teachers, and mentors - who have added to her accolades and success.

As a changemaker and entrepreneur, Mriganka is no stranger to challenges. She believes that the thrill of being undaunted and showing up each day is unparalleled - making each victory a major stepping stone in one’s life.

PWhen she founded SLAP to proactively work on preventing gender-based violence and making Delhi NCR safe for women and children - she was a one-woman army. Initially, she funded all workshops and strived to sensitise people about subjects focusing on women's safety in public spaces, by-stander intervention, and the role of men in dismantling patriarchal attitudes that lead to violence and gender dialogues towards creating an equitable society. She relentlessly worked to change perspectives across schools, colleges, and public spaces - and did marvellously.

Today, SLAP has trained over 16,000 people directly and sensitized more than a million audience through roadshows and workshops, and is actively working to achieve gender equality and prevent gender violence in India. It has collaborated with the Government of India, the US Embassy, and Krav Maga France - and received attention from leading media organisations such as Doordarshan, Aaj Tak, CNN IBN, and Al Jazeera.

The powerhouse behind this change is Mriganka, whose unstoppable belief in the possibility of a violence-free, harmonious world serves as an inspiration to changemakers and women everywhere.

Vision Board: Dil, Will & Skil

Inspiration: No act is too small, no effort too weak, and no story too silly to make a difference in the world.

Awards and accolades:

2014: IVLP fellowship by the US government on combating Gender-based Violence.
2015: National Achiever Award by women’s advocacy group SNP (Sashakt Nari Parishad)
2016: Featured as Citizen Journalist by CNN IBN Women Safety Special
2016: Featured by BBC for work on gender justice
2017: Scholarship from LEAD Academy, Berlin, to represent India at Digital Leadership & Communication summer school
2017: Journey of SLAP showcased at WISCOMP's (an initiative by H. H. Dalai Lama) national consultation on Gender-based Violence Prevention
2018: All India Mahila Congress & All India Professional Congress party bestowed 'certificate of recognition' for work on women's rights
2019: Betiyan Award from the Ministry of Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME).
2020: Mriganka's #takechargestory of founding SLAP featured by the women-only social network SHEROES

Words of wisdom for future women leaders: Do not dim your light to suit the settings of the room

Lady-boss inspiration: Sushma Swaraj ma’am, Sushmita Sen, Dr Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Favourite travel itinerary: Hiking in the mountains, lost in the woods and birdsongs, immersing in exotic art, culture, food and languages

Must-haves for all women leaders: The art of leading like a woman (powered by compassion and intuition) in a man’s world (of cut-throat competition dictated by logic).

Bigest Money lesson: You aren’t truly empowered until you make your own MONEY!

What makes me unstoppable:Self-belief and the faith that there’s a higher power that wants each one of us to win.