Boss Beti Spotlight: Confident South Asian Women Breaking Norms
Confidence doesn’t always look like a TED Talk or a mic drop moment. Sometimes, it’s a quiet decision to choose yourself, even when the world doesn’t understand. For South Asian women, choosing an unconventional path—whether that’s in art, activism, tech, or healing—is often met with resistance. But that’s exactly what makes it revolutionary.
This month, we’re spotlighting young South Asian women—real and fictional—who are rewriting the rules. Each of them is walking a path rooted in courage, healing, and unapologetic ambition. These Boss Betis aren’t waiting for permission. They’re doing things their way.
🌿 Zara (Fictional) – Tech Founder & Coder
Zara broke every expectation when she launched an ed-tech startup focused on teaching coding to young girls across South Asia. “They told me girls like me don’t lead in tech,” she says. “So I became the kind of leader I never saw.”
🧠 Mehar (Real) – Mental Health Advocate, 23
Mehar’s podcast centers honest, unfiltered conversations about mental health in Desi communities. After years of hiding her depression, she turned her pain into purpose. “I wanted someone to say it’s okay to not be okay—so I became that someone.”
🎨 Rani (Fictional) – Visual Artist & Cultural Archivist
Rani uses art to dismantle gendered taboos, reclaim folktales, and reflect the emotions brown girls are taught to suppress. “My art is a love letter to brown girl rage, softness, and power,” she shares.
🔬 Aaliya (Real) – Neuroscience Researcher, 24
Aaliya is studying the long-term effects of trauma in marginalized communities. As one of the few South Asian women in her field, she says, “Representation isn’t the goal—reform is.”
✊🏽 Farheen (Fictional) – Campus Activist & Speaker
Outspoken and unbothered by societal approval, Farheen leads intersectional campaigns on South Asian campuses across the globe. “I’m not here to be digestible. I’m here to be real,” she says.
💖 Deepika Padukone – Founder, The Live Love Laugh Foundation
Deepika Padukone publicly shared her experience with depression at a time when mental health was deeply stigmatized in South Asian culture. In 2015, she founded the Live Love Laugh Foundation, an initiative dedicated to raising awareness, reducing stigma, and supporting mental health across India.
Through education, outreach programs, and partnerships with mental health professionals, Deepika’s work has changed the landscape of how mental illness is viewed in South Asia. That’s confidence—not just in self, but in creating space for others to heal.
💼 Nominate a Boss Beti!
Know a real-life or fictional South Asian woman redefining confidence on her own terms? Tag them or DM us—we’d love to feature their story and amplify their voice.