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 had envisioned an event that brings a positive change to remember, in lives of people around us, in the 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 the 9th of March, 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 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 apprecation 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 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. The idea was to bring digital revolution home.
Execution: Bridging the Gap
Targeting this group required a different approach. Many of these women needed reassurance and encouragement. 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. With the support of the WP Bhopal community, we were able to create a space where diversity thrived and new voices found confidence.
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 attendee were asked to define ’empowerment’, and it was nice to gather all perspectives before we begun.
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 their first contributions to Make WordPress—most 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, a marketing CEO, Arshi Khan, a startup founder leveraging social media, and Manisha Lakhwani, a freelancer. They shared personal experiences, career journeys, and practical guidance.
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, 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!
Gratitude and Acknowledgments
None of this would have been possible without the incredible people who believed in us. To our speakers, volunteers, 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!
This note would be incomplete without acknowledging my incredible team. Amit, an all-rounder & the one behind the website; Pooja, my right hand for a reason; Antra, Anukriti, and Shashank from our social media team; Ishita and Mansi, from our content team; and Aditya, who guided us from behind the scenes as our local mentor & Anshika who supported us on the final day of the event. Honored to have led a team of such smart, talented, hardworking and deligent individuals.
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 sister community in Bhopal GDG Cloud Bhopal and a heartfelt token of appreciation to WP community members Atharva Kulkarni, Kripesh Adwani, and Deepansh Gupta, for extending their support wherever we required a hand. This event was a success because the community stood with us throughout.
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 witness a different picture at our next meetup.
For now, just grateful!
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