PyLadies India embarked its journey
20th June 2020 marked a new beginning for PyLadies in India. We had our first meetup.
I started my journey with PyLadies in 2016 as an organizer of PyLadies Pune. It began with a personal itch of the lawyer who wanted to learn Python. I revived the PyLadies Pune. We had meetups within our local limits, and everything was hunky-dory.
But PyCon India 2016 gave us the platform to peep into more larger picture. The Pythonistas in India, though divided by language, culture, geographical location nevertheless, our stories are similar. Men predominate the Indian Python community (then and so as now, unfortunately). And the community members who identify themselves as women found their place in that small PyLadies Pune booth. We shared our stories, our journey, and found out how similar they were. From the first day where I was going and telling who are we “PyLadies” and getting some not so good reaction. At the end of the conference, there was acceptance, respect, and recognition by the same people. We ended PyCon India 2016 in success with the initiation of one new chapter, PyLadies Delhi. And we realized united we stand. From then every PyCon India, we had at least a new chapter coming up. With a little bit of push, support, and help, I had some amazing ladies coming up, leading, and sharing the Pyladies baton in India. Now we have 8 + PyLadies chapters in India and many more to come. They make me feel happy, proud. But more than that, I think I have them to lean on, with whom the future of PyLadies India is safe and secure.
The chapters were running fine in their places and with a meeting every year in PyCon India. We were somewhat happy. But we felt the need for a united organization, with all the chapters being a part of it. It will be the face of PyLadies in India. A place where we will decide the future course of us, PyLadies in India. The talks were on for quite sometimes, but now the pandemic has allowed us to embark on this journey. In these times, it is a necessity to move all our meetups to an online platform. Also, it has given us every chapter to increase their reach and not be bound by the local limits.
But it came with a bunch of challenges to the chapter organizers -
a. to decide on the online platform,
b. increase the bandwidth of organizers to help set up the platform and run the online event,
c. it has opened up a lot more choice of sessions for PyLadies across India and Globe to attend and be a part of.
So in the above circumstances, we, different PyLadies chapters in India, have decided to come up with a single meetup. Each month all the chapters in India will put up a session together. But of course, if any chapter wants to have their meet up, they are free to do it. There is no rationing on the meetups. The only thing we will have to try to make sure that we do not collide on the dates. So here are we with the first Pyladies India session. It will not be an exaggeration to state that we owe this pandemic for this :)
The team got into planning and working for the same. Social media, Creatives, preparing the platform for the broadcast, av, and other settings. I, along with my amazing PyLadies Nancy, Sakshi, Vaishnavi, and Niharika, were busy and on our toes. The choice of my speaker for the first PyLadies India session was natural. We were unanimous the First Women C-Python Core Developer to be our speaker. All of us wanted Marriata. And I can not thank her enough for being ever helpful and saying yes to come to take the session, and all it took me to message her. We wanted the session introductory, so the people who are starting their journey with PyLadies India will be able to start and grow with us. So she suggested that for a tutorial on Github Bots and we readily agreed to the idea.
The plan for 20th was all set. I will introduce us, PyLadies India. Then Marriata will let us know what is happening in the field of Global PyLadies, she will take the session on Github Bot, and I will moderate the whole session. But my health (umm age) pulled my excitement down. I had to undergo gum and tooth surgery, which needed me not to talk. Then Niharika came into rescue. She gave the voice to my thoughts.
The session ended in all happy note. The people very well received Marriata’s session for being detailed and smooth.
We can not wait to meet again, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe to our youtube channel. Some of us now may want to thank the pandemic for this opportunity :) Thank you, PyLadies, au revoir.