Four Indian women made the BBC's list of the year's 100 most influential women: actor-producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas, aeronautical engineer Sirisha Bandla, Booker Prize-winning author Geetanjali Shree, and social worker Sneha Jawale.
The broadcaster uses the annual list to highlight the experiences of women around the world through a dedicated series of interviews, documentaries, and features, from grassroots volunteers to world leaders.
This year marks the first time the BBC has solicited nominations from previous 100 Women in order to compile the 2022 list.
According to Chopra Jonas, "there's something extremely strong about togetherness" as evidenced by the MeToo movement and following voices of collective women joining together, safeguarding each other, and standing for each other.
According to the ranking, she is one of the highest-grossing actors in Bollywood. Success in Hollywood didn't come until 2015, when the former Miss World became the first South Asian actress to lead an American network drama series. Her film debut was in 2002. Her filmography in Hollywood includes roles in Isn't It Romantic and The Matrix: Resurrections.
In India, she directs and produces her own films for her own production firm. Chopra also serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for Unicef, where she advocates for girls' education and children's rights "according to BBC.
In 2021, as part of Virgin Galactic's first fully crewed sub-orbital spaceflight, the Unity 22 mission, Sirisha Bandla will become the second woman born in India to travel to space.
Actress and 2016 '100 Women' honoree Sunny Leone, who nominated Bandla, says of her: "For Sirisha to overcome everything and push through solely on simply her hard work and commitment makes her an example to me and, more importantly, to all young ladies out there with similar goals."
At a young age, Bandla's fascination with space compelled him to pursue education in aeronautical engineering in the United States. Since joining Virgin Galactic (VG), her responsibilities have expanded to include coordinating with research clients to launch space-based scientific and technological projects on board VG's SpaceShip.
By winning the International Booker Prize for "Tomb of the Sand," the English version of her novel "Ret Samadhi," novelist and writer Geetanjali Shree created history as the first Hindi writer. The novel was also nominated for the Emile Guimet Prize in its original language of French.
From the beginning of time, women have had to fight for their rights to their own personal space. They have made significant strides in every area of life, albeit those strides have been less pronounced between different cultural groups and socioeconomic groups "Some words from Shree can be found in the text.
She pens works in both Hindi and English, including fiction and nonfiction. Her writings, which are characterised by fresh approaches to language and structure, have been translated into a wide variety of Indian and international tongues. She's a founder member of the theatre company Vivadi, where she helps write scripts for performances.
The fourth Indian on the list is Sneha Jawale, a former victim of domestic violence who is now a social worker.
"Survivors of acid attacks and severe burns have noticed a shift in public opinion over the past decade. No, I don't think of myself as being any less than a Miss World or Miss Universe. If I tell myself I'm gorgeous, then I am "This is what she is reported to have said.
According to the list, Jawale's husband doused her in kerosene and set her on fire in December of 2000 after his parents refused to meet his demand for more payment. The family didn't report it to police, but Sneha was determined to start over after her husband took their son and disappeared. She found work as a tarot card reader and scriptwriter, both of which allowed her to avoid direct contact with the public.
"Now working as a social worker, Jawale was approached about starring in a play called "Nirbhaya," which was inspired by the real-life story of a victim of gang rape in Delhi in 2012 and bore her name. Overcoming her anxiety by performing for crowds all across the world, "reports BBC.
Billie Eilish, an international music sensation, actress and disability rights campaigner Selma Blair, and "West Side Story" star Rita Moreno also made the BBC's "100 Women" list. Elnaz Rekab, an Iranian climber who made headlines in her country for competing in South Korea sans a headscarf, and Ons Jabeur, a Tunisian tennis star who became the first Arab or African woman to reach a Grand Slam final in the Open period, are also included.
The first female President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is on the list, as is Mia Mottley, the first female Prime Minister of Barbados, and Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine.
I am proud that the BBC continues to do vital work by shining a spotlight on these women and sharing their stories around the world through our first-class journalism and storytelling, as Tim Davie, BBC Director General, put it: "The women on this year's list are all remarkable in what they have achieved and contributed to their communities and society."
The list's tenth season coincides with the BBC's centennial and the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the BBC World Service. The 100 Women in 2022 season will feature a collection of programmes that reflect on the past decade's changes and bring attention to the remarkable women who have contributed to those transformations through the initiative's focus theme, "progress."
