A space for ladies only!
Her website is frequented by female readers who want answers to everything from handling bawling babies to stock market options
By : soumashree sarkar
Update: 2015-11-21 22:56 GMT
Aparna Vedapuri Singh had enough of being told to slim down, dress well and put on a certain shade of make-up by the glossy pages of lifestyle magazines aimed at women readers. That was five years ago. Today, Aparna runs the website, Women’s Web – a place where women can go for reasons ranging from curiosity about the share market to interest on how to tame a bawling baby. From work to wellness, this Bengalurean woman is now on a singular mission to empower ‘the women who do’ with not only an online platform that is open for them all of 24 hours, but also a series of curated events and workshops for women who need that one push ahead to set them off in this world.
With a five-member Bengaluru team to orchestrate, the Chennai- born editor’s days are rather busy. On her way to a public talk on women entrepreneurs, Aparna says, “I really try to structure my days between editing work, emails and organising activities for lady entrepreneurs – because otherwise working from home makes it all go for a toss! I am an avid reader and make it a point to read every day. I also enjoy travelling with my husband – he and I are wildlife enthusiasts and whenever we have the time, we head out.”
From wardrobe makeovers to DIY methods, Aparna covers it all. “We have been writing for five years and in this time, more than 700 women have contributed for the upliftment of their kind. In a month, we publish about 150 to 200 posts and the submissions we receive are about 25 percent more than that number, which keeps me and my compatriots busy as editors,” says Aparna, who continues, “I feel that the lives of the Indian women of today are multi-faceted. There are health challenges, workplace dynamics and autonomy concerns which until 10 years ago would only be voiced by activists but are now being asked by everyone.”
What began in Bengaluru then spread its wings to several other cities with a network of women in Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad. Each aspect of the website and its on-ground activities are managed by women who are multi-tasking superheroes in their own right. Aparna says, “I actually did not know too many of them before. I sent out emails to these women who were already present in the web sphere in some prominence, asking them to take charge and they did! We now get lots of letters from readers who have received emotional support from posts that resonated with them.”
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