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How Marieen Vijay went from animal welfare to sustainable living and women empowerment
- Marieen Vijay has dedicated her life to multiple causes—from animal rights to women's self-defence and vegan entrepreneurship.
- Growing up with two older brothers, her home was filled with playful wrestling matches and the constant presence of their family dogs, which sparked her lifelong love for animals.
- Vijay's journey into animal welfare began in earnest in the mid-1990s when she co-founded People for Animals (PFA) in Chennai with Shiranee.
- After a series of meetings with the then-commissioner of the Madras Corporation, Abul Hasan, they managed to gain approval for ABC.
- As the years passed, Vijay realised that her efforts in animal welfare, though impactful, were addressing the symptoms rather than the root cause of animal cruelty.
- Inspired by the book ‘Heads and Tails’ by Maneka Gandhi, Vijay embraced veganism at the age of 22.
- Vijay's products became popular among friends and family, and soon, Catalyst Food began operating on a larger scale.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, she realised the urgent need for practical self-defence skills, especially for young women.
- The workshops, priced from Rs 2,500 to Rs 24,000, quickly gained traction.
- Today, her journey is as much about advocating for animals by promoting healthy and sustainable lifestyle choices as it is about empowering women to protect themselves.
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