Some moments in life leave an indelible mark on our hearts, and for me, EmpowerWP Bhopal 2025 was one of them. As the lead organizer, I envisioned an event that would bring a positive change to the lives of people around us, in society, and not just in the community. And what an incredible experience it has been!

A Vision Turned Reality

As part of the global WordPress initiative, WP Bhopal organised EmpowerWP on March 9th to commemorate International Women’s Day 2025. What began as an ambitious goal turned into a milestone moment, proving the power of representation, inclusion, and collective support.

I was introduced to the idea of #WomenInWordPress at WordCamp Bhopal 2023. But the purpose became clear only when the low ratio of women attendees in the monthly meetups became a constant. This event was important for several reasons, one of the major reasons globally was to bring in as many women in the radar as possible, to get them involved and change the already deteriorating state of women participation in the community & STEM in general.

Challenging Norms and Expanding Inclusion

For the first time in our chapter’s decade-long journey, we hosted a meetup with a female-majority audience. Going with the idea that empowerment doesn’t happen in isolation, we made this a woman-majority event. The point is that if we want women to upskill themselves, help & empower their own kind, it is also for men to support in whatever capacity they can and make space. It is also about them showing and reflecting that they are there, and therefore, the event attendees were divided into two categories: women and allies. It’s about uplifting society and making it empowered in the truest sense. To give the credit and appreciation wherever due. And we’re so thankful we stuck with that.

Secondly, these events are largely limited to targeting students & professionals. But when we envisioned EmpowerWP Bhopal, we knew it had to be inclusive—not just for the conventional attendees but also for the very women who have shaped our lives. We wanted to utilize this opportunity to actually make a difference, not just for women already involved in WordPress or Tech but for those somewhat left behind from the active workforce due to family responsibilities, societal pressure, or other reasons. Our goal was to (re)introduce them to digital opportunities, help them upskill, and connect them to a supportive network.

So we decided to target homemakers with untapped potential, women on career breaks looking to upskill, small business owners who had yet to digitalise, apart from students & professionals. The idea was to bring the digital revolution home.

Execution: Bridging the Gap

Targeting this group required a different approach. Many of these women needed reassurance and encouragement. We had to instill in them the idea that it’s not difficult; it’s just different. Our team curated learning videos and motivational messages from tech professionals (special thanks to Michelle & Krupa) as part of a dedicated social media campaign. We reached out via WhatsApp and Facebook, where these women were more active.

Even then, we were uncertain if we could achieve our ambitious goals. But the response exceeded our expectations—106 registrations and 70+ attendees on event day. The diversity in the room was incredible: students, entrepreneurs, journalists, homemakers, designers, freelancers, and social activists. Our youngest attendee? A 5th-grade schoolgirl! That’s when we knew a difference had been made.

EmpowerWP in Action

The event was designed as a full day of learning, inspiration, and contribution. We started with a fun ice-breaking activity where all the attendees were asked to define ’empowerment’, and it was nice to gather all perspectives before we began.

We had four technical sessions covering marketing, AI, WordPress, and design, by Nikita Varma, Purva Kushwah, Poonam Namdev, & Saloni Rathore, respectively.

This was followed by a Contributor Hour, where attendees were guided to make contributions to Make WordPress—mostly as first-time contributors to the Photos and Translation teams. As sources tell us, more than 15 first-time contributions were made that day.

We also hosted a panel discussion titled Learners to Leaders, featuring Parul Shrivastava, CEO of a tech-marketing company, Arshi Khan, a startup founder leveraging social media for her business, and Manisha Lakhwani, a freelancer. They shared personal experiences, career journeys, and practical guidance on the howabouts.

Before ending, we did a community talk, because, at the end of the day, awareness is what matters— What they can do for the community & what the community can do for them. The attendees were informed about the current schemes available and how they can benefit from them by becoming an active member of the WP Community.

Additionally, every attendee’s ID card contained a link to a curated resources page, ensuring, at whatever stage of their journey they are at, they could continue learning even after the event.

To ensure accessibility, the event was conducted primarily in Hindi, our local language, along with English.

Challenges and Triumphs

Gathering speakers was no easy task. As one of our panelists, Parul, rightly said, “We need to be comfortable in our own skin. We need to believe that what we do is worth sharing.” Thanks to the WP Bhopal community’s encouragement & outreach, we were able to host an all-women speaker lineup!

It was inspiring to witness women from diverse domains, backgrounds, and experiences come together under one roof with a shared intent—to support, uplift, and empower each other.

Know more about our speakers here.

The event ended on a perfect note—with a networking dinner at Raasta Cafe, as India played the Finals for Champions Trophy 2025. India won, and so did we (in our little way)!

Gratitude and Acknowledgments

None of this would have been possible without the incredible people who believed in us. To our speakers, sponsors, and attendees—thank you for making this event meaningful. Every role mattered, and this success belongs to each one of you.

A huge shoutout to our sponsors—Jetpack, A2 Hosting, WooCommerce, Bluehost, Hostinger, Kinsta, SEOPress, and CreedAlly— for standing with us and making this dream a reality. Bluehost & Jetpack’s swags were a hit among attendees and organizers alike!

Know more about our sponsors

This note would be incomplete without acknowledging my incredible team. Pooja, my indispensable support for all the right reasons; Amit, an all-rounder & primarily the one behind our website; Antra, Anukriti, and Shashank from our social media team; Ishita and Mansi, from our content team; Aditya, who guided us from behind the scenes as our local mentor & Anshika who supported us on the final day of the event.

Having led numerous teams and been part of even more, I know how rare it is to find a team that not only shares your vision but also takes ownership of it. Each one of them was diligent in their roles, but what stood out was how seamlessly they managed everything on the event day, without needing my intervention. This may seem simple, but it’s anything but. People often stick to what they are asked to do, rarely taking initiative on their own. Yet, this team did just that, going above and beyond in ways I hadn’t even anticipated. I’m incredibly grateful to have worked alongside such an amazing bunch of people.

Know more about our team

A special thanks to Pooja Derashri for taking the lead on a global level, Juan for preliminary checks, and Yogesh, our mentor.

To the global community, especially the #WomenInWordPress—you inspire us. You embody the spirit of lifting each other up and making this space better, one step at a time.

Special thanks to our local sister community GDG Cloud Bhopal and a heartfelt token of appreciation to community members Atharva Kulkarni, Kripesh Adwani, and Deepansh Gupta, for extending their support wherever we required a hand. With the support of the WP Bhopal community, we were able to create a space where diversity thrived and new voices found confidence.

To every woman out there contemplating her first step, this is your sign. Tech is for your empowerment, and you don’t need a degree to be a part of it. The digital revolution is yours to embrace. Women’s Day isn’t just about celebrating ourselves, it’s about empowering each other in small yet meaningful ways. 

Hopefully, we will witness a different picture at our next meetup.

For now, just grateful!