Jyoti Shekar — #UnstoppableForce

Feminism is about winning over your fears and not over men..
She had strong views about feminism even when she was four years old and questioned a family for changing the name of the ‘daughter-in-law’, and won the battle. The Star in Me team spoke with Jyoti Shekar, a Delhi-based freelance lawyer and the editor of Eyra, an online magazine, about her exciting journey to becoming an inspiration and support to women around the country.
“I am the youngest of three daughters. I was brought up to be an independent person. I always asked questions and wanted to get to the root of any issue. It was natural for me to select Law as a career. I completed my Law degree from Pune and moved to Australia for my Masters. All this time, the feminist movement inside me kept burning.”
“I had grown up seeing women around me compromise because they were scared of society and feared surviving alone. The incident that struck me the most is that of a lady I met in Pune while studying law. She used to cry and tell me that her husband mistreated her. When I asked her to stand up against her husband, she said, ‘I don’t need advice. I just need someone to listen to me.’ That is when I realized that each person has a different way of dealing with the same situation. And unless women themselves are bold enough to take a stand, outside help cannot do much. And that itself is a big challenge.”
“At my job, I got to see the world. I travelled around the world before I joined a law firm in Delhi. I interacted with women from all walks of life and learnt about how most women created their own shackles in their minds. I wanted to tell these women that their liberation is in their own hands. So I started posting videos about how women can strike a balance in life. I quit my job soon after to start my own practice.”
“A woman has many sides. She can be a warrior and a peace-maker; she can destroy and can create. So why should she supress her emotions? This is why Eyra was born. Eyra derives its name from the Egyptian Eye of Ra, the protector of Sun god and the Indian goddess Ira, aka Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and peace. Eyra is an amalgamation of the best of both and that is what a woman is. Eyra helps women find themselves and realise that they have the right to choose their lives. Eyra, available online at www.eyramagazine.com, has monthly articles in five categories: Achiever in You, Nurturer in You, Beautiful You, Fighter in You and Artist in You.”
“Eyra helps women find their real selves. It helps them channel the right quality and emotion for every situation. Every emotion and thought is important, and should be used effectively. At Eyra, we talk about how women around us take charge and deal with the day-to-day life.”
“My mother taught me that if you are not convinced about what you are doing, then it is not a success. And my father taught me that people will make comments at whatever you do, so do what your instinct tells you to do. I use their advice as a mantra every day.”
Jyoti is running a successful law practice along with running Eyra. She plans to take Eyra to the next level by launching it on multi language platforms soon. Jyoti also counsels people about their life choices. “Women don’t need a management degree. They are born with it. Let us remind them of it,” she says.
