London witnessed a number of International Women's Day celebration in the last week. On 9th March, the UK Women's Network organised a half day seminar at the House of Commons, where eminent Tamil women shared their life journey with a room full of women from different backgrounds. The event was presided over by Virendra Sharma MP and was graced by Ruth Cadbury MP. There were speeches from two chief guests and others including Dr Geetha Venkat, Director of Harley Street Fertility clinic and Anu Hasan, TV actress highlighted the challenges they had faced, intriguing ways including social media to beat the financial blues and develop successful businesses and careers.
In the evening on the same day, Indian Ladies in the UK (ILUK) launched their website in the Parliament, which was attended by famous Bollywood actress Shabana Azmi. The evening was chaired by Virendra Sharma, who spoke about how hos own mother influenced him to become what he is today. The panelists that shared their own stories and included food expert, author and motivational speaker Pinky Lilani CBE, DL, London's Deputy Mayor for Business Rajesh Agrawal, wife of Ambassador Dinesh Patnaik, Deputy High Commissioner of India to UK, Poonam Patnaik and Shabana Azmi. While Pinky shared her journey as a food expert, she emphasised that it is very important to be yourself in order to be successful. Rajesh speaking about women empowerment and raising two daughters said, “I am a proud feminist. I grew up in Indore in a matriarchal family…
“London is a city of opportunity and we have women leading in a number of fields… However women need a huge amount of encouragement right from their young days and stereotyping of their professions needs to change. Mayor Sadiq Khan is doing a lot in the City Hall to ensure equal opportunity for women...”
Poonam Patnaik, who was a journalist before and now a teacher in Vienna, spoke about identity other than that of being a diplomat's wife. Sharing her mother's story, she emphasised on communication as the most powerful tool to help oneself progress.
Shabana Azmi who also elaborated on identity gave a beautiful speech in the Parliament. She said, “Yesterday was International Women’s Day and I would like to begin by saluting women pioneers for their historic struggle that has paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy today as women. Let us remember with respect how women in several countries rose up to call for an International Women’s Strike to demand rights and equality with their slogan ‘if you do not value our lives then produce without us’.
“Today it is recognised the world over that the true measure of a society is not its GDP alone but its Human Development Index in which access to education and healthcare are prerequisites and empowerment of women remains the most important yardstick to measure the health of a society.
Speaking on the aim of ILUK and how migrants are not separate from mainstream, she said, “The ILUK has a formidable 16000 members and its motto is ‘Empowered Women Empowering Women' because women anywhere must stand together in solidarity and sisterhood. ILUK believes that a deep rooted understanding and appreciation of one's culture is vital in helping to understand one's adopted culture, thereby improving and strengthening a better integration of the migrants with the mainstream.
“But we need to recognise that today migrants are not separate from the mainstream - in fact in most countries they are the mainstream and we must stop regarding them as ‘the other’ if we have to reach any understanding of the complexities of Identity and Integration…
Moving on to the issues women still face today and the multilayered and multifaceted concept of one's identity, Azmi added, “We live in a world where misogyny is evident in the violence on women (1 in every three women, making it 1 billion women worldwide). There has not been a bigger civil war on this planet against any class. And in this context, if we do not look at the world from the eyes of the most excluded women, then we haven’t touched the question of identity at all...
“If you ask me who I am, I will say I’m a woman, an Indian, a daughter, wife, actress, Muslim, activist etc - my being Muslim is only one of the aspects of who I am but all over the world it seems as though a concerted effort is being made to compress identity into the narrow confines of the religion I happen to have been born into at the exclusion of all other aspects of my identity…
“I am an Indian Muslim and I feel no affinity to the Saudi Arabian Muslim. I feel much closer to my Indian Hindu, Indian Christian and Indian Sikh friends. What I have with them in common is a shared history, a shared identity and a shared future. As a Muslim in India, because I live in a democracy I have a stake and a claim in aspiring to be the President of India, a world famous cricketer, a global film star, a successful entrepreneur because I have the space and the opportunity to dream and the wherewithal to attain it...
“Do not box me, do not try to restrict me in the desire ‘to integrate’. For narrow political gain do not polarise the atmosphere and force people to create a ‘model community’ - a model community of either women, dalits, tribals or any other label that can be used to make me feel like ‘the other’...
“As an artist I seek to use my art to soothe, to excite, to provoke, to entertain because I believe art has the ability to create a climate of sensitivity in which it is possible for change to occur. Today a call for ‘integration’ must remain a complex one with many layers. It must recognise that identity is not static - it flows and changes. Identity is not a melting pot in which individual identities are subsumed. It must be a colourful mosaic where each piece retains its uniqueness whilst contributing to a larger whole.
“'Separate but Equal’ is what I demand and will fight for with every breath I take.”
Inspiration for all ages at Neasden Mandir’s 8th annual International Women’s Day
Over 1,300 women came together at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London celebrated its eighth annual International Women’s Day on Saturday 11 March. The event, themed ‘Celebrating Women: Inspiring Generations’, was aimed at breaking down the barriers of age and seeking inspiration from fellow women.
Focusing on three key messages from His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj – Think Big: “Be the best”; Service: “In the joy of others lies our own”; and Dedication: “The future is bright” – the fun-filled programme featured a host of sketches, videos, a chat show, a game show, and motivational speeches by inspiring women. A mother-daughter team compèred the evening, which concluded with a climactic musical ensemble.
Bharulata Kamble, who broke a world record and became the first woman to drive solo through the Arctic Circle and 32,000 kilometres from England to India, was one of the inspirational speakers of the evening. She recounted her arduous journey and shared insightful reflections, encouraging the audience to push personal boundaries and think outside the box. She was presented with a cheque of £751 by BAPS Charities for her nominated charity, Kedi: The Untrodden Path, a higher learning and self-reliance project for girls in India.
Other women who regularly attend the Mandir also shared their experiences. Shreeya Patel (18) spoke about her trip to Mongolia where she helped to build an orphanage, while Ila Patel (68) recollected her experiences of selfless service while growing up in East Africa. Kashmira Popatia (55) gave a poignant reflection on how her faith has given her strength to continue serving the community, despite her debilitating long term health condition. All three shared lessons about independence, collaboration, determination and discipline.
Janhavi Dadarkar, a corporate and media lawyer, is the youngest and only Asian member on the Institute of Director’s Board of Examiners. She is also an advisor and facilitator for the Football Association’s leadership programme for women. Ms Dadarkar delivered an inspirational talk threading together all the key themes of the event by drawing on her own personal experiences. She urged the audience to “value your family and as a Hindu women, we must promote a dharmic narrative for the betterment of the world.”
Summing up the event, Swati Desai-Patel, a lead volunteer for the event, added, “From the modest and admirable values of a young girl, to the incredible life journeys that many women have taken, today’s programme portrayed the simple yet often forgotten message that age should not be a factor in acknowledging a person’s character, strength, knowledge or wisdom. And that’s why we wanted to celebrate women across generations for their unique skills, talents and virtues. By highlighting these women of all ages, and understanding what has inspired them to achieve their goals, I really do believe that many will have left feeling motivated and inspired to take a new step towards achieving their own life goals.”
