India CSR News Network
NEW DELHI: Akanksha Sharma, a CSR professional has been selected to represent India on a global expedition to Antartica Leadership on the Edge Program and to be among 80 leaders worldwide for the Antarctic Expedition (IAE 2017)!
She will be sharing her experiences with others leaders from around the world and learn more about climate change and its impact.
Born and brought up in Jaipur, Rajasthan, Akanksha is a CSR professional and an Environmentalist apart from being a Zero Waste Traveller.
In her professional capacity while working with corporates on CSR and Sustainability, she has driven sustainable social programs on Disaster Relief, Education, Poverty Alleviation through Skill Development and Farm-based income generation, Nutrition, Education, Health & Sanitation, etc.
“A traveller needs no introduction” she says, “They prefer being anonymous”. She believes that anonymity carries no belongingness and no fear of loss. Her pursuits sometimes end in silence or in conflict zones. For her, every travel is like the start of a new affair with oneself, it’s an un-describable personal emotion.
The expedition aims to inform, engage and inspire the next generation of leaders to take responsibility and create sustainable communities. Post this, she will build a one of its kind program for educating children on Climate Change under the mentorship of none other than world renowned environmentalist Dr. Robert Swan himself who is also the expedition head.
At such a young age, professionally too Akanksha has many feathers added to her cap.
She is noted amongst ‘100 Most Impactful Social Leaders Globally’ by World CSR Congress; Woman CSR Professional of the year (2016) by India CSR.
She is also a National Social Expert empanelled by the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Corporate Affairs. She has written several articles on social issues published at notable forums.
She is also the founder of CHAIWALIS, a community that she runs promoting women to come out of pseudo-protective environment and feel free and fear-less at public places. She actively writes and speaks on various social development issues and features at various forums.
Akanskha is the elder of the two sisters, raised in an unorthodox family where her parents ensured that the two girls stand for themselves and not just surrender to the society.
Her gypsy spirit is fuelled by her pursuits to meet new people, visit new places, create new memories and live a life of more stories. She also practices Buddhism and Reiki.
Akanksha says, “A traveller finds her own ways of finding herself. While travelling you don’t find a place but find something surprising about your own self and also leave some part of yourself at the place where you may never come back. That’s the thrill. And that’s life too.”
In a society that has seen women as the weaker and the second sex, here’s a shout-out to the ones who decided to live the way they wanted to, no matter how crazy or rebellious.
Here’s raising a toast to those who defied societal norms and set their own.
