Published 28 Jul, 2016 01:12pm

This video rebuffs Nike's take on women's empowerment in India

Saris tied, bangles on and wicker baskets atop their heads, this new video shows the other strong women in India; the ones who don't have ticks on their shoes, in fact, they wear no shoes at all.

Earlier this month, Nike released an ad on strong women which featured eight Indian athletes including Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone, a former national level badminton player. The ad aimed to highlight women's empowerment, however, detractors said it only painted a tainted image: the glamourisation of sports.

Spurred by the ad, a video by YouTube channel Epic Spiritual snubbed the Nike ad by merging images of their ad with India's women in the labour force, who work grueling hours on farms, in construction factories, at people's homes, all barefoot.

The three-minute Nike clip shows women playing various sports on the streets (and cars) of India and amassed generous acclamation world over:

Of late, Bollywood stars have been endorsing equal rights and women empowerment in India. The Nike ad is just one example, before this Jacqueline Fernandez starred in a remake of Spice Girls' Wannabe which highlights the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. It shows women from all over the world telling government leaders what they hope to achieve - from an end to violence against women to quality education for girls.

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