The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few years.The ideal woman of our age is glamorous, sophisticated, aggressive, powerful, outspoken, career-minded, independent, self-sufficient, and sensuous.

It is said that “Behind every successful man there is a woman”.Not only in the case of a man but this saying stands for the functioning of the whole world. Just like that, meet the 'Iron Lady' of Manipur Irom Sharmila Chanu, about whom you can tell your friends at every corner of the globe.

Irom Chanu Sharmila, born March 14, 1972, is a political and civil rights activist, poet, and journalist from Manipur, India.

It was in November 2000 when Sharmila began a hunger strike to protest against the gunning down by the Assam Rifles of 10 civilians waiting at a bus stop at Malom near Imphal airport. She is demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which gives unbridled powers to the armed forces, practically giving them a right to kill.

At 28, she could have chosen a life like the rest of us, one that was simple, normal and ordinary. However, she did what very few of us choose to or have the will to do. She chose to fight the system. She chose to fight for justice. She chose to start a movement.

On the third day of Irom Sharmila’s strike, she was arrested and charged with attempting to commit suicide.

Since then, she has been force fed through nasogastric intubation and has been constantly arrested and released.

Much as they tried, the police and the government couldn’t break Irom Sharmila’s spirit. Every time she was released, she would go on a hunger strike and get rearrested.

As of May 28, 2014, official records of the Manipur Central Jail show that Sharmila has spent 4,776 days in prison since she was first arrested.

Irom Sharmila got the attention of Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2003, who promised to take up the issue at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Irom was awarded the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights from South Korea in 2007 and the Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize in 2010 by the New Delhi-based IIPM.

The force-feeding during 16 years ended her freedom, her struggle and. But It keeps her alive which matters as well as her fast holds no meaning for those she’s trying to move.

Today, Irom Sharmila ended her 'world’s longest hunger strike' of 16 long years and wants a normal life. But the reason behind her strike didn't fulfilled yet, and, now the Iron Lady wants to be a CM of Assam, so that she can succeed.