Inspirational Sikh females celebrated in Smethwick to mark International Women's Day

The campaign theme for yesterday's (Thursday) International Women's Day 2024 was Inspire Inclusion.

Smethwick Councillor Parbinder Kaur wanted to spread the message to women across the ward telling any female she met on the day about the importance of inspiring others.

She said: When we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world.

"As a baptized Sikh Cllr for Sandwell Council I am inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment. In Sikhism we have a number of Sikh women warriors who have inspired me:

"Mai Bhago also known as Mata Bhag Kaur Ji, was a Sikh woman who led Sikh soldiers against the Mughals in 1705. She was an exceptionally skilled warrior on the battlefield and is revered as a warrior saint in Sikhism."

Another revered woman who made a difference was a Sikh suffragette who strived and succeeded to be a thorn in the British Empire's side.

Councillor Kaur added: "Sophia Duleep Singh was born in 1876, and was an important suffragette in the British suffragette movement. The daughter of Maharaja Duleep Singh of the Sikh Empire

"After visiting India both in 1903 and 1907 she became against the British Empire. She met freedom fighters, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Lala Lajpat Rai. And after her return, she joined the Women’s Social and Political Union where she began her work in the suffragette movement.

"She used her title of “Princess” to her advantage and in 1910, with a group of other activists asked to see the Prime Minister and discussed women’s advancement. It is these kinds of stories as women we need to share with one another."