With men, says Meena, “it’s like, ‘He’s a go getter. He’s about business. He doesn’t mess around.'” But when it comes to women, she continues, “It’s not the same and we need to acknowledge that. We as a society tell women how to be and exist in the world, which is the idea of, ‘You can be ambitious but not too ambitious. Stay in your lane.'”
So, she’s charting a new course with her second children’s book Ambitious Girl, which follows a tiny protagonist on a journey to reclaim her worth. Because, despite it being 2021, women are still told their personalities are too…something. Meena herself could go through the alphabet with words that have been hurled her way: Ambitious, bossy, competitive, direct…
“That’s just more empowering,” she declares. “Go ahead, continue to tell me all the things that I’m too good at.” Because the louder she is with her accomplishments, with enacting change, the louder future generations will be. “Reclaim the power in these words,” she advises. “We’re talking about changing culture and creating a more equitable society.”