March 8, 2017
Actresses Taapsee Pannu and Malaika Arora on International
Women's Day have encouraged women to be strong and take up self-defence classes
to protect themselves and feel empowered.
Taapsee, who has featured in
strong roles in films like "Pink" and "Naam Shabana', is associated with
#StandStrong - Women's Horlicks latest digital campaign to encourage women to
take up self-defence
Taapsee said: "Women are breaking out from
boundaries today and while they do that their bodies need to keep up. With the
right nutritional support offered by Women's Horlicks we all can equip our
bodies with the physical strength to be able to take care of ourselves. I have
always inspired women to take up self-defence which can instil confidence in
women to tackle any situation should it arise when one's own security is being
threatened.
"I think a change always starts with small steps and through
the #StandStrong campaign, I urge all women to empower themselves with
self-defence for a stronger you."
Malaika has spoken out in support of
Reebok's 'Bruises can be good' experiment.
"Today women have risen beyond
the ordinary and made a strong mark for themselves in every role they undertake.
Boundaries and walls no longer limit our spirit and strength. In fact, they are
a stimulus to undo the status quo.
"‘Bruises are good' is a strong stance
on women empowerment. It redefines our lens of viewing gender roles and show how
determined women are in today's day and age. I have always been a supporter of
women empowerment and more importantly women standing up and rooting for each
other. This Women's Day, join me as I sign Reebok's petition to make
self-defence classes a reality for all young girls," Malaika said.
The
campaign unravels existing societal insights on violence and assault. It
highlights, through a special video, how most people perceive bruises and marks
on women to be a result of violence.
Reebok has made a petition on
Change.org to make self-defence a mandatory part of school and college
curriculum for female students. The aim is to send the petition to the Ministry
of Women and Child Development.