Echoing her thoughts, the Padmaavat actress said women must document more diligently, and avoid an online battle with harassers…reports Asian Lite News
Two-time Olympic medal winner PV Sindhu and multilingual Indian actress Aditi Rao Hydari has batted for women to adopt a ‘constructive’ approach in calling out harassers and shutting them down, rather than merely blocking them online.
Sindhu said women should call it out, while tackling online harassment, and shouldn’t merely block harassers.
“You should go and complain to the authorities. You should confront it. As women, we can do anything and everything. At the same time, you have to be aware of your surroundings. You have to be in a situation where you have to take care of yourself. You have to understand the situation and act accordingly,” Sindhu told News18.
Echoing her thoughts, the Padmaavat actress said women must document more diligently, and avoid an online battle with harassers.
“A lot of them (harassers) are just bots. We have to take that into account. There is a constructive way of calling them out and shutting them down rather than starting an online battle. Sometimes it leads to a lot more noise and bullying,” she said at the session, which was part of #ItsNotOk campaign by Network18 in partnership with Truecaller.
Hydari also urged women to ‘go out and rise above their fear,’ but advised them to be cautious. “We shouldn’t let harassers win over us. But be cautious, know what to do when you are in a sticky situation, have all your numbers ready. No woman should stop herself from living her dreams just because the city makes her afraid,” she said.
Described as the ‘greatest literary show on Earth’, the Jaipur Literature Festival is a sumptuous feast of ideas…reports Asian Lite News
Scheduled from 5th – 14th March 2022, the Jaipur Literature Festival is all set to return with its 15th edition with Women in Power being one of its highlights. Taking ahead the legacy, the ‘greatest literary show on Earth’ will celebrate trailblazing women who have broken barriers and forged their own paths through a diverse set of sessions.
The rich programme will feature, among others, a session that explores the boundless sacred feminine. The panel will be graced by award-winning author and poet Arundhathi Subramaniam, author of the remarkable book Women Who Wear Only Themselves: Conversations with Four Travellers on Sacred Journeys; art historian, curator, and author of Shakti: 51 Sacred Peethas of the Goddess Alka Pande who has worked extensively in the fields of gender identity, sexuality, and the traditional arts; and renowned academic and author Malashri Lal who has produced defining literature on women, gender, and the interpretations and manifestations of the feminine including In Search of Sita: Revisiting Mythology with Namita Gokhale.
Versatile writer and entrepreneur Koral Dasgupta, author of the Sati Series; historian and author of Song of Draupadi Ira Mukhoty; and author of bestselling novel Valmiki’s Women: Five Tales from the Ramayana Anand Neelakantan will get together to pay tribute to the women of the great epics, as they argue, plead, reason and assert, rising from the embers of myth, legend, and sacred texts that often focus only on heroic men. Moving on from historical fiction, medieval historian Katherine Pangonis, will discuss her latest book Queens of Jerusalem with Ira Mukhoty. The session will see them dissect the trailblazing women of the Crusades who were not passive transmitters of land and blood but formidable leaders with political agency and aspirations, integral to diplomacy, military strategy and even rebellion. Afghan-Canadian singer, media personality and women’s rights activist Mozhdah Jamalzadah is among the most powerful voices of her generation. In the session Voice of Rebellion: How Mozhdah Jamalzadah Brought Hope to Afghanistan, Mozhdah Jamalzadah will discuss her biography of the same name by Roberta Staley, and the power of dissent with journalist Jyoti Malhotra. Author of What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape Sohaila Abdulali; journalist and policy and culture consultant Pragya Tiwari; and author of India Moving: A History of Migration and Age of Pandemics.
(1817-1920): How They Shaped India and the World Chinmay Tumbe will evaluate the mobilisation of domestic violence shelters, organisations, helplines, and the governmental and social response to this insidious threat in conversation with social entrepreneur Amita Nigam Sahaya. In a session of readings and conversations, writer, poet, translator and activist, Meena Kandasamy will take the audience along on an arduous journey navigating through the dimensions of self, politics and gender. This Poem Will Provoke You will observe a vibrant and scintillating conversation between Kandasamy and Manasi Subramaniam, Executive Editor at Penguin Random House, where they will speak of the weight of words, beliefs, ideologies and the space in-between. Eminent author and journalist Lisa Taddeo’s debut novel, Animal, is a provocative exploration of female rage fuelled by male violence and savagery. In conversation with Ajio Luxe’s editor-in-chief Supriya Dravid, Taddeo will discuss the raw embers of female rage in a male-dominated society and the precarious intertwining of violence and memory.
Some legendary names set to feature in this year’s Festival include one of the biggest names in Indian journalism, iconic journalist Barkha Dutt; novelist and disability rights activist C.K. Meena; award-winning British-Turkish novelist and the most widely read woman author Elif Shafak; former CEO and Chairperson of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi; mother-daughter duo Nayantara Sahgal and Gita Sahgal; Deputy Executive Director of UN Women Lakshmi Puri; Hindi feminist author Mamta Kalia, who writes primarily on the lived experiences of rural, middle-class women; celebrated author of over twenty books and Jaipur Literature Festival Co-director Namita Gokhale; multiple award-winning translator, writer and literary historian Rakhshanda Jalil; feminist publisher and writer Ritu Menon, author of the ground-breaking text Borders and Boundaries: Women in India’s Partition; former television actress and current Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Govt. of India, Smriti Zubin Irani, author of her debut-novel Lal Salaam in a varied set of sessions, highlighting the many aspects of womanhood in today’s world.
Described as the ‘greatest literary show on Earth’, the Jaipur Literature Festival is a sumptuous feast of ideas.
The past decade has seen it transform into a global literary phenomenon having hosted over 2,000 speakers and welcoming over a million book lovers from across India and the globe.
Our core values remain unchanged: to serve as a democratic, non-aligned platform offering free and fair access.
Every year, the Festival brings together a diverse mix of the world’s greatest writers, thinkers, humanitarians, politicians, business leaders and entertainers on one stage to champion the freedom to express and engage in thoughtful debate and dialogue.
Writers and Festival Directors Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple, alongside producer Teamwork Arts, invite speakers to take part in the five-day programme set against the backdrop of Rajasthan’s stunning cultural heritage and the Diggi Palace in the state capital Jaipur.
Past speakers have ranged from Nobel Laureates J. M. Coetzee, Orhan Pamuk, Malala Yousafzai, Muhammad Yunus and Joseph Stiglitz; Man Booker Prize winners Ben Okri, Douglas Stuart, Margaret Atwood and Paul Beatty; Sahitya Akademi winners Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, M. T. Vasudevan Nair, as well as the late Girish Karnad, Mahasweta Devi and U. R. Ananthamurthy; along with literary superstars including Amish Tripathi, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Vikram Seth. An annual event that goes beyond literature, the Festival has also hosted Amartya Sen, Amitabh Bachchan, the late A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Bill Gates, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Oprah Winfrey, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Stephen Fry, Thomas Piketty and former president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai.
The Jaipur Literature Festival is a flagship event of Teamwork Arts, which produces it along with over 25 highly acclaimed performing arts, visual arts and literary festivals across more than 40 cities globally.
For over 30 years, Teamwork Arts has taken India to the world and brought the world to India, presenting the finest of Indian performers, writers and visual artists in the cultural and art space in India and abroad.
Every year, it produces over 25 performing, visual arts and literary festivals in several countries including Australia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, the UK and USA, as well as many eclectic festivals across India. It produces the world’s largest literary gathering: the annual Jaipur Literature Festival; JLF international now travels to the US, UK, Canada, Qatar and Australia.
Even amidst the upheaval and unsettling times of 2020, Teamwork Arts successfully launched the digital series, JLF Brave New World and WORDS ARE BRIDGES, which were viewed by over 4.8 million people in their first season. Through its digital avatar, the Jaipur Literature Festival reached over 19 million viewers in January 2021 and brought together the world’s leading commentators and writers. The musical extravaganza, Bollywood Love Story – A Musical, continues to tour the world with sold-out shows everywhere it is held.
UAE pushes for women’s economic empowerment at UNSC
UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Almheiri chaired the debate which focused on women’s economic empowerment in conflict settings as a key to fostering inclusive dialogue and peace, reports Asian Lite News
The United Arab Emirates convened the first signature event of its presidency of the United Nations Security Council, a ministerial-level open debate to promote the importance of women’s economic inclusion and public-private partnerships to advance sustainable peace on International Women’s Day.
The debate, which was chaired by Mariam Almheiri, the UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and Environment, focused on women’s economic empowerment in conflict settings as a key to fostering inclusive dialogue and peace.
Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and UAE Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, also attended the meeting. UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, and Moussokoro Coulibaly, President of the Network of Women Economic Operators in Ségou, Mali, briefed the UN membership at the meeting.
“Women are critical to recovery and relief efforts around the world, yet their inclusion remains undervalued, and their access to opportunities, resources, and markets remains limited,” said Mariam Almheiri. “Women must not only benefit from sustainable post conflict recovery; they must be in the driver’s seat as planners, decisionmakers, and implementers in all sectors of society to ensure sustainable peacebuilding.”
“International Women’s Day is a day for reflection, for renewed hope, and for increased action,” said Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women. “I welcome today’s focus on the role of the private sector and private-public partnerships as an underexplored area for innovation. We have the blueprint and the business case to support women’s economic inclusion.”
“Women bear disproportionately the devastation of wars, and yet women are the best hope for peace,” said Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. “Empowering women and reducing gender inequality in fragile or conflict situations can have powerful economic benefits. The IMF’s analysis shows that improving gender equality can raise economic growth, strengthen resilience, enhance financial stability, and reduce income inequality.”
“We know that without economic development, there is no lasting peace. We also know that investing in women’s empowerment generates social dividends both in the short and the long term,” said Moussokoro Coulibaly, President of the Network of Women Economic Operators in Ségou, Mali. “If you want to build peace and stability in the world, help women participate in economic recovery to make sure that the resulting peace is more inclusive and lasting.”
The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda is a key priority for the UAE during its two-year term on the UN Security Council. The UAE, Albania, Brazil, and Norway have committed to advancing the implementation of the WPS agenda during their presidencies of the Security Council. This includes women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in Council meetings and the inclusion of gender perspectives in the Council’s deliberations and outcomes.
A labour law passed in 2005, MGNREGA aims to provide at least 100 days of work per household in rural India every financial year…reports Asian Lite News
It was a while back in 2021 that Sarifa Bibi in her late 50s had last managed to purchase substantial groceries for her family, pay the electricity bill, and buy a sari for herself and a shawl for her 17-year-old daughter, Aliknoor. This was when she had managed to secure 29 days of work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). With the financial year now drawing to a close, Sarifa now realises she is far from completing 100 days of work – the minimum number of days of paid labour that the scheme guarantees per household.
The desperation is clear in Sarifa’s voice, as she speaks from her home in Habaspur village. Their family had been forced to seek a loan of Rs 9,000, at a steep interest of Rs 3,500, to buy a smartphone for Aliknoor’s online classes and to get ultrasonography for Aliknoor, who ultimately had to give up attending tuitions due to pending fees.
“We are starving. There is no work,” lamented Sarifa, who supports her husband, three of her four children and a grandchild.
W
A women-centric scheme to no avail
A labour law passed in 2005, MGNREGA aims to provide at least 100 days of work per household in rural India every financial year. The Act requires that women comprise at least one-third of the beneficiaries, which are families whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. In reality, women make up the bulk of MGNREGA allottees across India – in Kerala it’s as high as 90 per cent and in West Bengal, at least half of MGNREGA person-days go to women. The women person-days during the year 2021-22 was 46.58 per cent of the total in the state, and in North 24 Parganas in particular, the figure was at 51.67 per cent for the same year.
Three women – Pampa Sardar, Maya Sardar and Subhashi Sardar – from Rajendrapur in Basirhat 2 block admit the mild relief MGNREGA brought them after they received work for over 30 days under the scheme a few years ago.
“Earlier, we were completely dependent on our husbands,” said Maya Sardar, whose husband is a daily-wage earner, while their son relocated to Tamil Nadu in search of work. “As a family, we had no extra income and were always in debt at the local ration shop. But that changed in 2019, when we started working and earning under the scheme. If our husbands bought rice, we’d buy vegetables. We could even think of spending a little on ourselves.”
However, while working papers indicate much higher women’s participation under MGNREGA in the past 15 years than the mandated 33 per cent, this figure was at a five-year low in 2020-2021, at 53.07 per cent. These numbers from the Ministry of Rural Development allude to a rather worrying trend of feminisation of poverty.
Economists and activists said that the Centre’s allocation of Rs 73,000 crore to MGNREGA in the Union Budget for 2022 – of which over Rs 18,350 crore was pending from the previous year – was far from the amount required for the smooth implementation of the scheme. This inadequacy is a systemic blow to the very backbone of MGNREGA at the grassroots.
Accusing the Central government of “systematically underfunding” MGNREGA, development economist Jayati Ghosh emphasised that this had been “leading to further exclusion of women and an even greater rise in poverty and hunger”.
“It’s also a macroeconomic disaster, further eroding mass consumption demand,” added Ghosh, an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts in the US. “To meet the promise of 100 days of work for the households already registered, the allocation needs to be at least four times higher than the current Rs 73,000 crore.”
She further pointed out that women, in particular, tend to be excluded from job opportunities when they are scarce.
“There was a higher proportion of women under MGNREGA earlier because it offered lower wages than market rates. So fewer men were interested in these jobs back then. But now, amid widespread economic distress and lack of other livelihood opportunities, men are seeking out even MGNREGA jobs,” she explained.
The current rate of wages in West Bengal, for 2021-22, stands at Rs 213 per day.
Over two dozen women from the villages of Hasnabad block in North 24 Parganas said about the dearth of employment opportunities in the region. Besides inadequate funding, lack of transparency in the allocation of jobs, too, plays a significant factor in the deepening rural crisis that has marginalised women even further.
Ranjan Kumar Mondal, an MGNREGA booth supervisor, said that once a scheme is launched, supervisors like him fill up and submit the application forms to the panchayat office, and that workers are often chosen from among those who were enlisted earlier. In some cases, people are informally notified about available work in the area, and their names are passed on to the panchayat.
However, the norms laid down dictate that workers be able to directly approach the panchayat offices. Instead, supervisors fill out the forms themselves and submit the lists to the panchayat once the work is allocated. This lack of transparency leaves a significant proportion of people unemployed.
Moreover, members of the Paschimbanga Khetmajoor Samity (PBKMS) – an independent trade union in West Bengal that promotes the rights of agricultural workers to decent wages, work and food – highlighted the arbitrary manner in which local administrations often allocate jobs, which ultimately fails to meet the demand for work.
“When we demand accountability from them, there are only excuses,” said Suchitra Halder, a senior activist of the PBKMS. “The lack of political will and rivalries among parties are the primary reasons why work does not take off in these areas.”
Anuradha Talwar, a state committee member of the PBKMS, added: “The biggest problem in the coming year is going to be the fallout from the current government’s huge reduction in the MGNREGA budget. It will affect the availability of work, and in West Bengal, women are going to be the worst hit. Men are going back to migration.”
Given how particularly challenging the past three years have been due to the pandemic and cyclones Amphan and Yaas, Talwar warned of soaring rural distress and added, “MGNREGA will no longer be an option for people to rely on”.
Migration in search of employment
In Murarisaha village, at least seven women spoke about the enormous loans – ranging between Rs 30,000 and Rs 1.4 lakh – their families had taken to survive during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Several male members of their households had been forced to migrate to other states in search of employment. Each of these women had a similar question: how would they make ends meet if all their family members remained at home? Although they had job cards, there was no work in the area for them, leaving them struggling to find a way to pay off their mounting debts.
“Why would people leave their villages if work was made available there?” questioned Dipali Tanti, a mother of three whose husband earns around Rs 9,000 per month from working at an aquaculture company in Mumbai. “Our husbands have had to migrate, and we are left alone with our children. There is no point in demanding work as we know there is none.”
Another local resident, Konica Sardar, echoed Tanti’s concerns, wondering how they would pay back the two loans (Rs 1 lakh and Rs 40,000) her family had sought to survive.
“My husband left to work in an embroidery factory in Tamil Nadu. In a few days, my brother-in-law will leave, too,” said the 19-year-old, as she picked up her 2-year-old daughter to feed her.
MGNREGA remains supply-driven
Ravi Srivastava, director of the Centre for Employment Studies, Institute for Human Development, said that though MGNREGA was supposed to be a demand-driven scheme, it remains supply-driven.
“The budget allocated to MGNREGA gives a strong signal to the labour plans and their implementation at the ground level,” he explained. “A slow budget translates to wage delays. This budget is not sensitive to the massive unemployment that persists. The idea that the budget would be raised with a rise in demand is not practical.”
“If you are at the grassroots, you will find that the rozgar sevak will make it known to people that they can work when a scheme opens up and funds are available. People do not come looking for MGNREGA jobs because they know there are none, until the rozgar sevak signals that there are, and this happens only when there’s an easing of fund flow,” Srivastava added.
The panchayat appoints these rozgar sevaks, and supervisors at worksites are called mates. These rozgar sevaks and mates are responsible for distributing job slips.
The 24-year-old is the first-ever Qatari sportswoman to land a deal with the brand…reports Asian Lite News
Adidas officially announced its partnership with Qatari runner Mariam Farid. The 24-year-old is the first-ever Qatari sportswoman to land a deal with the brand and is the latest addition to the growing list of regional female athletes and ambassadors to have signed with adidas.
This announcement comes as adidas launches the next chapter of its Impossible is Nothing journey with the announcement of its biggest ever commitment to women. Driven by the spirit of rebellious optimism and the belief that sport has the power to change lives, this season, adidas aims to continue being an ally to all women who are breaking down barriers and driving gender equity, on and off the field of play.
Supporting those creating new possibilities in sport and beyond has been a vital commitment for adidas, with the brand taking several steps to ensure regional and local sports communities are well represented and supported.
Credit: Mariam Farid Instagram
Commenting on the announcement, Senior Director Brand adidas MENA, Vicki Fitzsimons said “We’re delighted to partner with someone who lives and breathes our brand mantra. Mariam represents everything Impossible is Nothing stands for and she is an inspiration to young females across the country. We see her positive influence and are confident this partnership inspires the next generation of Qatari female athletes to keep making the impossible possible and we’re excited to embark on this journey together.”
Mariam stated “It’s a feeling of immense pride and excitement to be joining the adidas family. I see the brand’s efforts in driving change and making the impossible possible for all athletes and I’m excited to be a part of it. Special thanks to them for the continuous efforts in embracing inclusivity and unity when it comes to sport, and I hope to inspire young girls to pursue their path in sports and beyond.”
At just 16 years-old, Mariam Farid was the youngest member of the Qatar Olympic Committee’s bidding team for the 2019 IAAF World Track and Field Championships and played a significant role in the country winning the bid to host the Championships. Seven years later, she went on to compete for the first time in the World Championship 2019 as one of the first under 23 competitors. She also competed in the 400-meter hurdle as one of the first women representing Qatar.
To adidas, Impossible Is Nothing is a way of seeing the world for what it can be, not as it is. It is an attitude shared by its community and its partners. With its continuous efforts across the sporting landscape, adidas aims to continue its pledge to cultivate local talent in Qatar across the sports realm.
He promised another 100 acres for the expansion of FLO women industrial park, subject to the park’sfocus on novel products. He alsooffered anadditional 10 per cent subsidy for women entrepreneurs…reports Asian Lite News
India’s first 100 per cent women-owned FLO Industrial Park in Hyderabad began operations on Tuesday, the international women’s day.
Promoted by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) in partnership with the Telangana government, the park announced commencement of operations by 25 women-owned and operated units representing 16 diverse green category industries.
The 50A acre FLO Industrial Park has been established with an investment of Rs 250 crores is the flagship project and first of its kind at a national level with participation open to chapter members, and the national members of FLO. The park has already garnered tremendous interest from women entrepreneurs to run and operate their business, FLO said.
The industrial park conceptualised in 2013 exclusively for women was formally inaugurated by Telangana’s Industry Minister K T Rama Rao in the presence of FLO national President, Ujjwala Singhania, FLO Hyderabad Chairperson, Uma Chigurupati, FLO National Governing Body Member, Jyotsna Angara and others.
From the electronic sector to packaging, medical devices, wellness, engineering, and food processing, the park is at its core to demonstrate the power of women in the industry. FLO and its members infused significant investment to build this park, wherein the government provided the roads, electricity, water, sewerage, and sub-station. The park has also created amenities to offer a home environment for women by keeping in mind the necessities of working women entrepreneurs, including designing creches and playschools.
Rama Rao urged the entrepreneurs to think big, start to think about emerging technologies and focus on aerospace, defence, food processing, and forge global partnerships.
He promised another 100 acres for the expansion of FLO women industrial park, subject to the park focus on novel products. He also offered additional 10 per cent subsidy for women entrepreneurs.
Principal Secretary, IT, Jayesh Ranjan, applauded the unique aspect of the FLO Park as it has a very diversified set of industry from manufacturing to services all in green areas. Creating opportunities across spectrum is another area the government will be keen to embark upon.
Singhania said the objective of the park is to propagate and encourage sustainable development and growth. She termed it as a significant milestone which will pave the way to create more integrated business townships linked to the Industrial parks and establish such projects at various chapters.
“The dream-to-reality of this project is the result of the support from the government of Telangana. We are happy to announce today the commencement of 25 green projects totally owned by women, with many more in the pipeline, we expect this industrial park to generate 1600+ jobs in the next 2years of operation,” said Chigurupati.
Angara expressed the opinion that India can increase its targeted GDP from 16 per cent to a much higher number by enabling women to participate in the growth of the economy. “This is an opportune time, today being International Women’s Day, to convene action and not just a Dialogue on how to promote women’s economic empowerment. It is said that the one way to make sure women participate in the economic growth of the country is by creating a healthy eco-system for women entrepreneurs. Such Industrial Parks shall give a tremendous boost to the ecosystem.”
Established in 1983, FLO is a division of FICCI with its headquarters in Delhi and chapters in Mumbai, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Ahmadabad, Bengaluru, Indore, Ludhiana, Pune, Guwahati, Kolkata, and Lucknow representing over 5,700 diverse members.
For any progressive society, it’s imperative that women get ample space to express themselves…reports Asian Lite News
Actress Jacqueline Fernandez, who will be soon seen in the upcoming action-comedy ‘Bachchhan Paandey’, has urged people in the social sphere to collaborate and work towards improving the level of education for women.
Sharing her thoughts on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, the actress said, “The most important thing that people can actually do is to collaborate in improving the world of education for women.”
Urging people to step forward and work in the right direction, the actress further said, “It would be great if people in that field come forward and be volunteers, help empower the children and women through education and what more they can do to improve their life which would make a huge difference.
Jacqueline also met the young girls of Municipal School and spoke with them on the subject of women empowerment and independence in an engaging way. She also shared a glimpse of her interaction with the young girls at the school.
For any progressive society, it’s imperative that women get ample space to express themselves.
“We, as a nation, will prosper only when women are given the right to speak up for themselves and their beliefs, and when nations and organisations work to ensure that every woman is given the same opportunities to grow and progress,” she added.
On the work front, Jacqueline will also be seen in ‘Ram Setu’, ‘Kick 2’, ‘Cirkus’ and ‘Attack Part 1’.
Initiated back in 2017, #IShapeMyWorld tells the stories of unstoppable women, whose stories inspire and engage millions of women across India. Having featured close to 50 women to date, this season spotlights four fearless women…reports Asian Lite News
Beyond talking about inspiring stories and aims at enabling and empowering women through live sessions highlighting the protagonists’ journey, periodic masterclasses as well as flagship internship programs, this year’s Levi’s #IShapeMyWorld campaign, is rooted in the concept that behind every successful woman is another woman who has inspired, supported and cheered her on.
“‘I Shape My World’ is a platform through which many fearless and unstoppable women from varied backgrounds have inspired millions of other women with their incredible stories. This season, we not only continue with more inspiring stories but go a step further to try, and enable and empower women through various initiatives all-round the year, with an endeavour to make a more tangible impact,” says Saikot Das, Marketing Director — South Asia, Middle East and Africa at Levi Strauss & Co.
Initiated back in 2017, #IShapeMyWorld tells the stories of unstoppable women, whose stories inspire and engage millions of women across India. Having featured close to 50 women to date, this season spotlights four fearless women:
* Hima Das, the youngest of the five children of a rice-growing farmer, was inspired by P.T. Usha, who asked her to keep doing what she does best. Without much formal training, she was the first Indian woman to win gold at IAAF WorldU20 Championships and now shaping things as a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Assam.
* Mandira Bedi, an actress, one of the first female commentators and hosts for the ICC World Cup, a daughter with an equally strong mother and a mother herself, who is creating a strong lineage for her children, emerged from a tough year with resilience and strength.
* Kriti Bharti, an Indian rehabilitation psychologist and children’s rights activist, is a tireless crusader against child marriage. Keeping the strength and warmth of Rani Laxmibai in her heart, she has dedicated her life to freeing girls from the clutches of child marriage in India.
* Tanya Appachu makes women’s rights and laws accessible to the people through social media. As a lawyer making reels that might be frowned upon, she cares passionately about empowering and enabling women, regardless of the channel.
ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said he was ‘proud’ of the initiative…reports Asian Lite News
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday launched the ‘100 per cent Cricket Year of Women’s Cricket’ campaign to coincide with International Women’s Day in order to further promote gender equality and empower women and girls through cricket.
The global governing body for the sport said in a statement on Tuesday that, “The 100 per cent Cricket Year of Women’s Cricket campaign has been introduced to help drive transformative change and be part of accelerating the growth of the game.”
Using the #IDeclare hashtag, the ICC is urging cricket fans worldwide to show what they can do to “further promote gender equality and further empower women and girls through cricket”.
ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said he was ‘proud’ of the initiative.
“Cricket has an incredible power and reaches to raise awareness and effect change and we’re proud to partner with UNICEF as part of 100 per cent Cricket Year of Women’s Cricket to #IDeclare our commitment to empowering women and girls through cricket,” said Allardice.
“We are committed to gender equity and using the platform of our sport to promote equal opportunities for girls and boys is a great way of doing this. We will also focus all of our Cricket 4 Good efforts on this too, ensuring we’re giving as many women and girls the chance to grow through our game.”
Cricket stars currently competing at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand got behind the new campaign, with India captain Mithali Raj one of the first to show her support.
#IDeclare — “I declare that I will scout and train as many young girls as possible to take up this wonderful sport,” Mithali said.
Pakistan Captain Bismah Maroof and Bangladesh seamer Jahanara Alam followed suit shortly after.
#IDeclare — “I declare I will encourage my daughter to play cricket,” Maroof said.
#IDeclare — “I declare I will work hard and play good cricket to set an example not only for Bangladeshi girls but also all over the world,” Alam added.
The achievers were from backgrounds as diverse as academics, medicine, sports and arts….reports Asian Lite News
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, several Kashmiri women achievers from myriad fields shared their perspectives on women empowerment at their native place in a conference on Tuesday.
The conference was organised by an NGO called ‘Voice for Peace and Justice’ at Sheikh Ul Alam conference hall at Lake Manasbal, in collaboration with the Central University of Kashmir and United Kingdom-India education and research Initiative, JK News Time reported.
The achievers were from backgrounds as diverse as academics, medicine, sports and arts.
Dr Farkandha Rehman, a veterinary surgeon, in her speech said, “Girls from Kashmir are rising with every passing day and it is proven now the girls of Kashmir are talented,” as quoted by the report.
Saniya Zehra, a scholar who is blind by birth and who achieved heights in academics said, “Being a girl is not a crime, our society should understand the fact that woman can do miracles if supported by her family.”
“We girls of Kashmir have represented our motherland at International levels, time has proved that Kashmiri women… have the capacity to rise and shine (and make) our nation (proud) at the global level,” said Esra- Bint-Qaisar, an international medalist of Karate.
Several other speakers put their views across sharing their experiences and proposing the way ahead to promote women empowerment in Kashmir. Jabeena Akhter, International Player, Arifa Bilal, gold medalist, Prof. Nighat Basu, Shaheen Mahajan, Miss Saba Bhat, Social Activist, Ms Maria Shah, young Journalist and dozens of women intellectuals spoke on the occasion, the report further said.
The dignitaries who graced the occasion were Prof Farooq Ahmad Shah, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Kashmir; Prof Fayaz Ahmad Nika, Finance Officer/Director District industries and commerce; Prof Parveen Pandith; Maroofa Shah, AGM, State Bank of India; Dr Aarifa Bushra HOD Urdu, Kashmir University and Rajni Saraf, President JK Bank.
The Voice for Peace and Justice is a human rights organisation that has been involved in several programmes aimed at the welfare and development of Kashmiris. (ANI)
