Category: Women

Twenty-six years ago, Saheli emerged as a new hope for domestic violence survivors. What once began as a small group of men and women, is now a state-recognized and funded non-profit organization that has given a new life to over 1,000 survivors.

“The need for Saheli’s services kept increasing with the growing South Asian population in Massachusetts. In 2017, the (Massachusetts) Department of Public Health recognized the uniqueness and importance of Saheli’s services by giving Saheli a contract,” Priya Murali, Director of Development at Saheli, told INDIA New England News in an email-interview. “Through this contract, Saheli was able to establish a stable presence by renting an office and adding paid staff. It was the initial impetus for many more foundation and government grants, further strengthening Saheli’s services.”

She added that the community’s outpouring of love and support further assisted Saheli in its expansion and growth.

“We are so grateful to all our supporters who continue to give generously for Saheli to provide vital services to the community,” said Murali.

Saheli received its name from the Hindi word “friend,” and since its founding in 1996 by its two board members—Usha Vakil and Gouri Banerjee, the organization has been nothing but a dedicated and passionate ally to South Asian and Arab women. Throughout the 26 years Saheli has been advocating for, serving, and protecting women, the organization has grown into a pillar of the community.

Through extensive support services, Saheli provides solace to those who are in a dark place. With their unwavering commitment to help and empower women, Saheli fosters a community of resilience and compassion.

Saheli has helped over 1,000 women by providing them with transitional housing, scholarships, legal advocacy, in-house mental health counseling, and much more, according to its website.

Today, 16 staff members passionately dedicate their time to the cause under the guidance and supervision of 17 board of directors and 22 advisory board members. However, the non-profits’ growth is not just intrinsic. Now, Saheli’s outreach has expanded to include Arab women, broadening their multilingual advocacy to include Arabic and opening their arms to more women.

Saheli believes there is still more room to grow and is doing so by extending their services for South Asian and Arabs in the LGBTQ+ community. Taking progressive steps to move towards equality and inclusion, Saheli’s forward-thinking commitment does not end there.

“Saheli would also like to bring back the Men’s Initiative, where men are allies in the empowerment of women and children,” Murali continues to say. Putting a stop to domestic violence in the South Asian community is not just a women’s issue and change will only begin when men actively engage.

Saheli has worked with countless organizations including the India Association of Greater Boston (IAGB) which gave rise to Saheli in 1996. As a non-profit organization, Saheli is active in the community and is heavily connected with local government and law enforcement. Legal advocacy is an integral service Saheli provides for survivors. Fiercely defending them is a lawyer who works closely with the organization. Saheli holds training sessions for law enforcement, legal aid, and law students, making it certain that future survivors have the finest resources available to them.

“The community can help by educating their network about domestic violence,” says Murali, calling for support and effort from the community. “We are looking for partners and collaborators in this work, and the community can aid us in making connections and expanding our network.”

How is Saheli adapting with emerging social change and progressive conversations?

“Saheli has always been at the forefront of advocating for positive social change,” says Murali. “Saheli supports legislative actions that will benefit immigrants and more specifically, immigrant survivors of domestic & sexual violence. Saheli is advocating for two such bills: the tuition equity bill and the act related to coercive control.”

How can you help Saheli?

You can volunteer, attend Saheli events, do outreach for the organization, host events to help increase awareness about domestic and sexual violence. You can reach out to Saheli at info@saheliboston.org for more information.

Shobitam, a Seattle-based ethic clothing brand, co-founded by Indian-American sisters Aparna and Ambika, has appointed renowned actress Vidya Balan as their brand ambassador. Vidya Balan is globally recognised to be a passionate supporter of Handloom.

Credited for reviving the saree on the red carpet and making it fashionable for a new generation, Balan has significantly aided social programmes that support the economic independence and quality of life of traditional handloom weavers, the brand said in a statement.

Sharing thoughts on this partnership, the actress said “Shobitam is a leading ethnic fashion brand and I love the beautiful sarees and ethnic wear that they offer to customers. As a brand ambassador, I am pleased to support the vision of Shobitam to work closely with our talented weavers to deliver unique creations with Silk Mark Certified quality to customers globally. Together, we look forward to creating products which truly stand out in quality, variety, value, and service.”

Aparna Thyagarajan, Co-founder at Shobitam said, “We are excited to have Vidya come on board as our brand ambassador, as we look forward to growing our brand connect with our customers globally. Vidya is an influential global icon who perfectly embodies the saree drapes and resonates well with the brand ethos of Shobitam, with her real and approachable persona.”

The strategic relationship will help Shobitam pave the road for client acquisition from the Indian diaspora both in India and around the world, promote quick expansion, and support its status as a world-class ethnic wear brand, the news release noted.

MAFS International Women’s Day was held on Wednesday, March 8th, 2023, in Chicago. International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. When people across the world unite to celebrate the spirit, strength, and success of women, makes the day exceptional. This year’s women’s day theme was DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality,” and it highlights the role of innovative technology in promoting gender equality and meeting the health and developmental needs of women and girls.

The event was emceed by Roshita Pandey, MAFS Grant Director. Dr. Santosh Kumar, Founder, and Executive Director of MAFS welcomed all for coming to celebrate the MAFS International Women’s Day event. Dr. Santosh Kumar mentioned the women from all over the world and from different fields/backgrounds who have achieved so much in their life. Dr. Santosh Kumar, through her speech, passed on a solid message to younger generations that feminism is being strong and confident in our own skin. Both men and women should celebrate their unique strengths and traits and work together in tandem to achieve great heights.

The event started with the lighting of the auspicious lamp by all the dignitaries. The esteemed panel of guests included Dr. Anindita Ghosh, wife of India Consul General of Chicago; Yolanda Curry, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Family and Support Services, City of Chicago; Nikki Garbis Proutsos, Assistant Commissioner, Department of Family and Support Services, City of Chicago. All of them were powerful women achievers in their own filed and they effectively addressed the topic of women empowerment and gender equality in their special ways.

While Dr. Anindita Ghosh, put light on the facts and figures and changing scenarios of women empowerment in India, Yolanda Curry gave facts that over 60% of college degrees rewarded in the United States are earned by women in education, health services, and social security. She emphasized the difference between equality and equity. She believed women should support women – ‘each one, reach one’. Nikki Proutsos recognized MAFS for proving meals to seniors during the pandemic. She profusely thanked Mrs. Santosh Kumar and Roshita for doing all the public benefit programs, hot dinner programs, and social security for more than 30 years. She shared her favorite quote that says ‘A man is a head, and a woman is a neck, and she can turn the head anywhere she wants’.

The event showcased powerful dance performances on the theme of “Nari shakti” or “women empowerment” by MAFS/UMAS seniors ad staff. A humorous Hindi play with a moral/life lesson was also staged by the seniors. It had the audience in splits. The last and the most awaited segment was the giving away of the “Woman of Substance Awards”. The awardees were MAFS/UMAS staff and partners from across departments and roles. They were women who inspire others with their hard work, commitment, and passion for work, both on the professional and personal front. The audience cheered for all the awardees and overall, the event was a big success in celebrating the spirit of womanhood.

The James Beard Foundation announced March 29, 2023, that Madhur Jaffrey, “legendary cookbook author, writer, teacher, and actress” is its choice as the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree. Jaffrey will be recognized at the Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 5 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual whose lifetime body of work has had a positive and long-lasting impact on the way we eat, cook, and/or think about food in America, the JBF press release noted.

Her first cookbook, An Invitation to Indian Cooking, was published in 1973, and was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Hall of Fame in 2006.

Since then, Jaffrey has released more than 30 award-winning cookbooks, “cementing her status as the “Godmother of Indian Cooking,” JBG noted.

A Padma Bhushan recipient from the Indian government in 2022, Jaffrey is credited with bringing mainstream attention to Indian cuisine, both in the U.S. and the U.K.

In 2019, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the U.K. Guild of Food Writers. She becomes a nine-time James Beard Award winner with this latest Lifetime Achievement Award. “It’s a wonderful pinnacle to my career and I’m overjoyed,” Jaffrey is quoted saying in the press release about the JBF award.

The JBF announced a slew of award nominees in categories like Chef Award, Leadership Award winners, and Humanitarian of the Year and Lifetime Achievement honorees, in advance of the James Beard Awards® ceremonies in June. The nominees were announced March 29, during a live ceremony at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville, TN.

“The James Beard Awards celebrate outstanding achievement and exceptional culinary talent, as well as all those doing incredible work on behalf of our communities and wider food system. This year’s nominees, winners, and honorees are inspiring exemplars of that,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of James Beard Foundation. “We congratulate all those recognized today and look forward to celebrating them at another exciting Awards Weekend in Chicago this June.”

The James Beard Awards, considered among the most prestigious in the country, “recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive,” the Foundation said.

MAFS International Women’s Day was held on Wednesday, March 8th, 2023, in Chicago. International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. When people across the world unite to celebrate the spirit, strength, and success of women, makes the day exceptional. This year’s women’s day theme was DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality,” and it highlights the role of innovative technology in promoting gender equality and meeting the health and developmental needs of women and girls. The event was emceed by Roshita Pandey, MAFS Grant Director. Dr. Santosh Kumar, Founder, and Executive Director of MAFS welcomed all for coming to celebrate the MAFS International Women’s Day event. Dr. Santosh Kumar mentioned the women from all over the world and from different fields/backgrounds who have achieved so much in their life.

Dr. Santosh Kumar, through her speech, passed on a solid message to younger generations that feminism is being strong and confident in our own skin. Both men and women should celebrate their unique strengths and traits and work together in tandem to achieve great heights.  The event started with the lighting of the auspicious lamp by all the dignitaries. The esteemed panel of guests included Dr. Anindita Ghosh, wife of India Consul General of Chicago; Yolanda Curry, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Family and Support Services, City of Chicago; Nikki Garbis Proutsos, Assistant Commissioner, Department of Family and Support Services, City of Chicago. All of them were powerful women achievers in their own filed and they effectively addressed the topic of women empowerment and gender equality in their special ways.

While Dr. Anindita Ghosh, put light on the facts and figures and changing scenarios of women empowerment in India, Yolanda Curry gave facts that over 60% of college degrees rewarded in the United States are earned by women in education, health services, and social security. She emphasized the difference between equality and equity. She believed women should support women – ‘each one, reach one’. Nikki Proutsos recognized MAFS for proving meals to seniors during the pandemic. She profusely thanked Mrs. Santosh Kumar and Roshita for doing all the public benefit programs, hot dinner programs, and social security for more than 30 years. She shared her favorite quote that says ‘A man is a head, and a woman is a neck, and she can turn the head anywhere she wants’.

The event showcased powerful dance performances on the theme of “Nari shakti” or “women empowerment” by MAFS/UMAS seniors ad staff. A humorous Hindi play with a moral/life lesson was also staged by the seniors. It had the audience in splits. The last and the most awaited segment was the giving away of the “Woman of Substance Awards”. The awardees were MAFS/UMAS staff and partners from across departments and roles. They were women who inspire others with their hard work, commitment, and passion for work, both on the professional and personal front. The audience cheered for all the awardees and overall, the event was a big success in celebrating the spirit of womanhood.

As per an assessment, India may need an additional 1,000 pilots every year over the next five years. India’s civil aviation regulatory body, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)’s which released statistics on the country’s pilot strength informed that fifteen per cent of the pilots in the country are women, which is three times the global average of five per cent.

As per the data released from various Indian scheduled airlines, a total of 244 pilots have been recruited in 2021. And, data estimates that India may need an additional 1,000 pilots every year over the next five years.

However, currently, there is no special programme in the government to encourage pilot training for women and backward classes including SCs/STs, the regulatory body said. As of now, India has 67 foreign pilots working with different air operators, it said.

According to the release, there are 35 DGCA-approved Flight Training Organisations (FTOs) in the country, operating at 53 bases.

The International Society of Women Airline Pilots’  report on gender equality in the aviation sector in 2021 underlined that at 12.4 per cent India ranked top in gender equality at the flight deck in 2021, followed by Ireland, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Germany, USA, UK, and New Zealand.

To celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness about discrimination and take action to drive gender parity, each year AMEC (American Multiethnic Coalition Inc) & MEATF (Multiethnic Advisory Task Force) honors Women globally by recognizing them for their contributions. This year AMEC & MEATF hosted its 11th Annual Congressional International Women’s Day Celebration at Rayburn House Building, Capitol Hill at Washington D.C. on March 8, 2023 and celebrated the achievements of 20 women of diverse ethnicities.

The event was presided by AMEC/MEATF Founder and President Dr Vijay Prabhakar, Congressman Danny K Davis, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congressman Jonathan Jackson, and Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, Tumia Romero – Chief Of Staff at Office of Congressman Danny K. Davis, Brian Pasternak – Administrator, Office of the Foreign Labor Certifications, U. S. Department of Labor, Washington D.C.

The proceedings began with announcements by hosts, Shree Gurusamy (Secretary General AMEC) and Seeta Bala (Awards Jury Chair). Tumia Romero, the Chief Of Staff at Office of Congressman Danny K. Davis, who is a fierce women’s rights advocate, has also served as a deputy Director of Labor under the previous Gov. Pat Quinn, and she is currently pursuing a doctorate in public policy, in her Welcome Address said, “there were seven continents initially created where all of us come from but the main one is Africa, and then we all spread out everywhere and I am delighted to say that I’m one of those persons whose ancestry is from Africa, like a lot of us! And it’s so great to see so many women here you know of different backgrounds, and we all have different stories to share, and it means something to the fabric of our society and to the people of the United States of America.” She emphasized how we all women are connected with each other and how she along with Congressman Davis has been supporting their causes.

At the event, the call to action was delivered by 8-year-old Samara Karakara from New York, calling for girls’ and women’s leadership in education and technology, making her the youngest Indian American girl to make a call to action at Capitol Hill. A plaque and medallion were presented to Samara.

Founder of AMEC/MEATF, the brain behind the whole thing, an internationally renowned public health expert, the first Asian and person of color acknowledged by President Clinton administration, a creative master strategist Dr Vijay G Prabhakar was invited for his Opening Remarks. Dr Vijay Prabhakar, also fondly known as Dr VGP, in his most unique and inimitable style, delivered a powerful and inspiring message to the audience.

He acknowledged the contributions of living legend Congressman Danny K Davis for initiating the Global Community Congressional Community Oscars and Congressional Women of Excellence Awards in recognition of ethnic communities, minorities and especially women and appreciated his efforts.  Dr. Prabhakar thanked Tumia Romero, for playing a vital role in bringing this ceremony to Capitol Hill and expressed his content in the continuing of the awards ceremony for the second consecutive year at Capitol Hill. Referring to Samara Karkara, Dr. Prabhakar said he was happy to “[pass] the baton to the next generation,” and her Call to Action “set the tone for today.”  He also welcomed and thanked Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congressman Jonathan Jackson, Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, Brian Pasternak – Administrator, Office of the Foreign Labor Certifications, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington D.C. and all the guests.

AMEC Commissioner, Richa Chand was invited to introduce the EDWARD & LILY PRABHAKAR CENTENARY AWARDS 2023, instituted by the Global Eye Magazine, a premier worldwide digital publication that reaches 42 million households including 2 million in Chicagoland, to commemorate the Birth Centenary of the parents of Chairman Dr VGP. The Recipients were: Congressman Danny K. Davis, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Jonathan Jackson and Delia Ramirez, Congresswoman all representing Illinois along with President of Chicago Medical Society Dr. Tariq Butt, Vaithilingam Shanmuganathan, South Asia Advertising Executive, The Global Eye, Los Angeles who hails from Sri Lanka and Founder of Dads with Daughters, New York, Ravi Karkara. So far 16 outstanding persons have received the Edward & Lily Prabhakar Centenary Award. The Global Eye Magazine is honoring 100 individuals/ institutions with the Prestigious EDWARD & LILY PRABHAKAR CENTENARY AWARD throughout the Birth centenary year of DR. VGP’s blessed parents from March 1, 2023 to August 22, 2024

As an Event Co-host and Award recipient, Congressman Danny K Davis was invited for his address. He said, “I thank all of you for coming to visit your house, the House of Representatives, and the Senate..it belongs to you!” Appreciating Samara’s leadership qualities, he referred to her talk as “one of the most fascinating speeches” he had ever heard.

During his award acceptance speech, praising the organizers, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said he was happy to be part of the occasion to celebrate women. Referring to the organizers, he said “They do the Lord’s work in terms of helping others in a time when a lot of people need help…so the helpers are the ones that we look to in Congress for leadership.” About Davis, Krishnamoorthi said “he is about the people,” and “community empowerment,” and “if there is a way, he will mean to get it done.”

The Special Guest was a high-ranking federal official Brian Pasternak, Administrator, Office of the Foreign Labor Certifications, U. S. Department of Labor, Washington D. C. who Presented a copy of GSA’s first publication SABD – a collection of poems authored by Dr Saradapurna Sonty to each awardee at the ceremony.

The final segment of the program, honoring TOP 20 GLOBAL WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE 2023, was conducted by Seeta Bala & Shree Gurusamy. Indrani Davaluri also assisted with Award Presentations. The Recipients were:

1. Jennifer Rajkumar, New York State Assembly Woman, Civil Rights Lawyer, NY.
2. Joanne Hill – Kittle, Deputy Director at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland.
3. Dr. Twin Green, President & CEO, The Link & Option Center, South Holland, IL.
4. Dr. Sarada Purna Sonty, Founder & CEO SAPNA
5. Deila Davis, Deputy Director, National Association of Community Health Centers Inc.
6.  Sherry Husa, President & CEO, MERIDIAN Health Plan of IL.
7. Reena Bhardwaj, White House Correspondent for ANI, Washington DC.
8. Mary Barthelson, Space Systems Engineer
9. Cynthia Dorsey Edwards, President/CEO, Storehouse of Solutions, LLC, Atlanta
10. Usha Boddapu, CEO /Founder Esolvit, Austin, TX.
11. Melanie Fernando, Executive Director, Aetna Better Health of IL, Chicago, IL.
12. Nicole L Nicky Harvey, Founder & Chair Black Public Safety Alliance, Chicago, IL.
13. Urmil Tracy Marshall, Mental Health Advocate, Atlanta.
14. Dr Mercedes Martinez, Psychiatrist, Chicago, IL.
15. Dr.Rani Yousefzai, CEO – Belleza Med Spa, IL.
16. Dr.Anupama Reddy, Past president, American Association Physicians of Indian Origin
17. Zoe Ma, Community Activist, Skokie, IL.
18. Katherine Thorat, Realtor, Coldwell Banker Realty, Woodridge, IL.
19. Dr. Cathy Subber, CEO of Advanced Health of Naperville.
20. Prathiba Jairath, Founder, Vidya Jyoti, USA.

All the outstanding women who received the award were invited to speak at the podium. Past President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), and Pediatric Anesthesiologist from San Antonio, Texas, Anupama Gotimukula who was one of the 20 Global Women of Excellence 2023 awardees, highlighted AAPI’s contributions during the COVID pandemic. Dr. Gotimukula said  AAPI raised over $5 million in fundraising, supplied oxygen concentrators and ventilators, and provided telemedicine assistance during the acute Delta wave crisis in India. She also talked about AAPI’s national blood donation drive last year, and her ongoing Rural India public health initiative, “Indian Preventive Task Force Guidelines” for preventive health, which has directly benefited 60 villages to-date.

“I work for NASA and diversity inclusion and equity is one of our core values, and I look forward to increasing that through the digital future,” said Deputy Director of NASA Goddard Flight Center, Maryland, Joanne Hill.

Mary Barthelson 2023 Candidate for Virginia House of Delegates and Space Systems Engineer, an advocate for low-income families in Fairfax County, promoter of STEM education, and supporter for the resettlement of refugees, said, “I believe that it is important for women to support and uplift each other and to encourage one another to pursue their passions and goals. By doing so we can create a world where every woman has the opportunity to succeed regardless of their background or their circumstances.”

Community Activist, Zoe Ma who helps underserved inner-city youth with violence prevention, through the Gandhi King Center for Non-Violence in Englewood, IL, said she is a Chinese immigrant who arrived in America alone 28 years ago with just $40 in her pocket. “My personal achievement can inspire young women and single mothers, and the path to empowerment is through entrepreneurship,” she said while advocating fair representation of women and minorities in the government and corporate world for equitable society.

Team AMEC/MEATF would like to acknowledge and thank Dr VGP for his tireless efforts and hard working Team: Our Emcees: Awards Chair Seeta Bala , Event Chair : Shree Gurusamy and Event Co Chair: Richa Chand excelled as usual. AMEC leaders: Indrani Davaluri, AMEC Secretary Virginia , Glory Jeypaul, AMEC Virginia Chair, Ravi Theja, AMEC Pennsylvania Chair, The Global Eye South Asia Advertising Sales Executive, ELP Centenary Awardee from Los Angeles Shan Vaithilingam and Asian Media USA Chair Suresh Bodiwala were equally responsible for the flawless seamless execution of an action packed an hour and half celebration of Women on International Women’s Day March 8, 2023 at the historic Rayburn House Building at Washington D.C.

We salute AMEC Atlanta Chairman Mustafa Ajmeri, Edward Lily Prabhakar Centenary Awardee Ravi KARKARA, President, The Global Eye International Institute of Leadership, New York , Naveen Karna, Chief Information Officer, The Global Eye Magazine, Chicago, Anil Pulla, Chief Operating Officer, The Global Eye, Hyderabad, Top 20 Awardee Kathy Thorat, Director General, GSA India @75 Expo USA, Top 20 Awardee Zoe Ma, AMEC Commissioner, Mundelein, MEATF Councilman Dr Sriram Sonty & Top 20 Awardee “the GSA Phenomenal Woman “Dr Sarada Sonty for their tireless work which resulted in the awesome success of this event.

The Telugu Association of Greater Chicago (TAGC), The first Telugu association in North America (TANA) in collaboration with American Telangana Sangham (ATS) hosted a successful event to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 5th, 2023. The event was held at Olive Palace Banquets at Mt Prospect. This event has brought together more than 500 women from different parts of Chicago land to celebrate the theme “Be the heroine of your life”. All women beautifully dressed up with sequin and ruffle saree wear.

Program started with a devotional song by Singer Shruti Thakur and lighting the lamp by President of TAGC 2023, Sri Parameswara Reddy Yarasani, Smt Aruna Sri Yarasani, co-host ATS President Sri Narendra Chamarla, Smt Rajalakshmi Chemarla, Smt Jyothi Madhavaram, Women’s Day Chair Smt Madhavi Rani Konakalla and Co chairs Smt Neelima Boddu, Smt Rachana Koluguri, Smt Vani Rachakonda. All the other TAGC Women Board of Director’s Smt Vinitha Podduturi, Smt Uma Avadhuta, Smt Neelima Cheikicharla, Smt Prasanna Kandukuri, Smt Archana Podduturi, Smt Sirisha Madduri were joined.

Participants at the event also had the opportunity to network and connect with other women in attendance, forming new relationships and creating opportunities for collaboration. The event featured a keynote speech from guest speaker Smt Vidya Nahar, who spoke about the importance of yoga for women. The other speakers were Smt Satya Rangaraju, Smt Subhapriya Lakshmanan also spoke about women empowerment.

One of the highlights of the event was the recognition of several senior women from the Chicago Area Telugu Seniors (CATS) association who have made significant contributions to the Indian communities for many years.

All the women attended were overwhelmed by events like Fashion walk by over 30 participants, Reels competition, guess and grab a Saree, Kahoot games and many more activities. Evening snacks and Dinner arranged by TAGC Food team Sri Sinivas Reddy Kolli, Sri Rohit Akula along with other TAGC Board of Directors Sri Srujan Nainappagari, Sri Shashi Chava, Sri Ramana Kalva and Mr Srinivas Reddy Nagireddy and Lakshmi Narayana Thota who helped the food team. TAGC Team 2023 thanked Cool Mirchi restaurant for the tasty food.

Anchor Sameera Illendula has brought great energy to the event with her fun lines and witty questions.  Keeping up the TAGC tradition of giving away donations, this year also the participants raised money for a non-profit organization named Suguna Foundation with operations in west Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India which supports care and living for needy seniors and Akshaya Foundation – NGO catering educational needs for children. There was an overwhelming response and contribution this year which is among one of the top fundraising amounts. Regal Jewelers sponsored gold and silver coins for raffle tickets.

Every participant received a return gift sponsored by Kalyani Jonnavithula, owner of PM consulting.  The TAGC Team appreciated all the efforts by the Youth volunteers and made sure that all the members received the return gift.

Speaking to the media, TAGC President Parameswara Reddy Yarasani and women’s day chair Madhavi expressed their hope that the event would inspire attendees to continue to work towards culture and empower more women in their communities. They also expressed their gratitude to the sponsors and partners who supported the event and made it possible.

Canadian Malayali writer Vidhu Philip shares her reading experiences of “Sita: Now You Know Me” by Sini Panicker

Sita: Now You Know Me (SNYKM), the debut novel of Sini Panicker, revisits the epic, Ramayana. As the name implies, the central character of the novel is Sita. The well laid out narration takes the readers on a journey through the life of Sita, who turns into a mellowed and matured woman from an innocent seventeen years old girl.

It is quite apparent from the narration and design of the novel, that the author’s aim was to bring out different shades of the personality of Sita which have been overlooked by the traditional text. The ubiquitous all-bearing Sita that we are familiar with is far from the Sita we see in SNYKM. The author has been successful in bringing out a stark contrast between the carefree fun loving daughter of Janaka, and the abandoned powerful wife of Rama in the characterization of Sita.

SNYKM is presented in two layers: the outer layer is the familiar story of Ramayana, and the inner layer digs deep down into Sita’s emotional and psychological self. The narration in the first person enabled the readers to closely follow the inner thoughts and commotions of Sita. Sita was shown as going through a whirlwind of emotions at several occasions. For example, “ I wanted to kill her, right then and there; all I needed was a bow and arrow”, were Sita’s thoughts about Kaikeyi when they had to face her to say goodbye before their exile. It came as a surprise to me that Sita had such thoughts and feelings; all this time I looked at Sita as a dutiful woman who did what was asked of her! SNYKM strikes at all the feminist notes in the characterization of Sita.

The injustice and unfairness faced by Sita has been rightfully presented in the novel. Readers could not help empathize with Sita. The author never attempted to put Sita on a pedestal. Sita reflects the everyday life of common women, which makes this novel appealing to its readers, especially women. Oftentimes, a reader like me would stop to imbibe that Sita’s thoughts and feelings were not different from what I have experienced in life!

In our society, the thoughts and emotions of a woman are not expressed well in general; neither in a novel nor in real life! Until recently, expressing a woman’s feelings and emotions and discussing it in public was a taboo topic. Remarks such as “oh.. Isn’t that what all women do generally?” Or “It is what women are supposed to do” are cliched every day phrases heard around us. Likewise, I realized with a shock that I had been taking Sita for granted all these years before reading SNYKM. I never had a second thought about the inner struggles and turmoil that went through her mind, when  Sita decided to follow her husband in exile or when she was abandoned, until SNYKM pointed them out to me.

Sita’s indignation while being abandoned is rightly justified in SNYKM that the readers would be thoroughly convinced of her reasons for being angry and bitter. Sita knew that there would be a court trial for her, if Ram had to accept her back. However, she did not receive a trial when he quietly and secretly banished her using Lakshman. Although Valmiki’s ashram was only a chariot ride away from Ayodhya, Ram never attempted once in seventeen years to visit Sita or their children. Such simple things that have been overlooked or taken for granted in the reading of traditional Ramayana is brought to light in SNYKM. The pain, the injustice, unfairness Sita had to face are brought out very powerfully.

It is no mistake to call SNYKM a feminist reading of Ramayana. Although, the novel leaves room to explore many more female characters such as Mandodari, Shoorpanaka, Lopamudra, Shruthi etc. in detail, there are glimpses of them as women of power and stature in the novel. A female character that really got my attention was Ram’s elder sister Shanta. She became nothing to her family or to her father, a very powerful king. A contrast is brought out between the upbringing of Sita and Shantha in SNYKM. It was interesting to read how Sita was trained to succeed her father in his old age, how she was taught horse riding and sword fighting, and even to rule  a province. The irony is even though it was not intended, finally Sita was forced to become ‘just a woman’. The author has rightly said in the beginning of the novel “ But fairness evades human life like a master illusionist in the most singularly fragmented moments of one’s existence. Afterwards, a broken life is reflected back from the hundreds of shattered shards, in anguish that is so pure and holy, any judgment or chastisement will be just another ritual to sanctify it”.

INDIA New England News, one of the largest online and video magazines serving the Indian American community in the United States, today released the list of 10 Outstanding Women of 2023, who will be honored at the 20th Annual Woman of the Year Awards gala on April 14, 2023 at Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA.

“Woman of the Year awards gala is always a grand affair, but this year is a very special one as we celebrate the landmark 20th anniversary of the Woman of the Year,” said Upendra Mishra, founder and producer of the Woman of the Year Awards and publisher of INDIA News England News, and its sister publications IndUS Business Journal, Life Sciences Times, and the Boston Real Estate Times. “We’re excited to welcome this year’s winners and all the guests in-person, and honor New England’s brightest stars on April 14.”

In addition to honoring 10 Outstanding Women of this year in various categories, Indian classical dance icon Neena Gulati, founder of the Brookline, MA-based Triveni School of Dance who has taught and performed dances during the last 51 years in the United States, will be bestowed with 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award.

“It is truly an honor for me to direct and host the 20th anniversary of the Woman of the Year awards gala,” said WOY Director and Hostess Dr. Manju Sheth, MD. “Winning the Woman of the Year Award myself in 2011 and then directing this for the 10 years have been a huge privilege for me. It has given me an opportunity to work with a great team and superb artists and also meet very talented awardees . Looking forward to welcome everyone and celebrating 20 years of this fantastic Awards that empower women.”

The event is attended by about 400 business and community leaders, philanthropists, and professionals.

Here is a list of this year’s 10 Outstanding Women:

Sumeit Aggarwal, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Finhive LLC

Sumeit is on a mission to empower women to take control of their financial futures. After a successful career working with global companies, Sumeit bid adieu to her corporate career and founded Finhive in 2017. Her company is a social enterprise dedicated to working with women-owned startups in financial planning, strategy, and management of financial risks. She also teaches personal finance to young adults and women. She is deeply passionate about embedding personal values into finance, and frequently presents on related topics including sustainable investing, financial health, and narrowing the gender wealth gap. To give back to her alma maters, Sumeit mentors students at Babson College and Northeastern University. She is now an active angel investor in women owned companies providing them capital at early stages of their startups.

Prior to starting Finhive, Sumeit was a senior executive at leading software and healthcare companies working on consulting, corporate and sales strategy, and business analysis, including Oracle Corporation and Hologic Inc. She is a board member of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce, and advisory board member of American India Foundation New England Chapter where she co-chaired the 2022 gala that raised over $1 million in funds for underprivileged communities in India. Sumeit earned her MBA from Babson College. She holds a Master’s degree in Information Systems from Northeastern University and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Delhi University.

Meena Bharath

Meena Bharath, Chair, Massachusetts Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission

Meena was named among Boston’s most influential Asian American Pacific Islanders of 2023. She was appointed to the Massachusetts Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission by Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka. Education and impact of sound education in the lives of young people and society is of deep interest to her. She has served on local, regional and state level educational bodies. She is a strong advocate for personalized education plans for all learners, celebrating strengths, building supports, and varied paths to learning.

Meena has served in many volunteer capacities including as Chair, DESE’s Gifted & Talented Education Advisory Council; Chair, Hopkinton Public School Committee; Member, Education Committee, Christa McAuliffe Charter School; Member, The Education Cooperative (TEC). Through all these roles, she has had an opportunity to learn, collaborate with many wonderful people, and influenced hearts, minds and policies for better outcomes. She takes great pride in her contribution in the formation of AAPI Commission’s first Youth Council, which elevates youth voices and promotes civic engagement. Meena currently works in the financial industry as a Program Manager.

Dr. Ami Bhatt, MD, FACC, Chief Innovation Offic, American College of Cardiology

Ami is the chief innovation officer (CIO) at the American College of Cardiology and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, and she has championed heart health awareness within the South Asian community. A graduate from Harvard College and the Yale School of Medicine, Ami completed her medicine and pediatrics residency and cardiovascular fellowships at Harvard, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Children’s Hospital of Boston. She was the inaugural Richard Liberthson Endowed Scholar in Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Director of their ACHD program. She also served as the director of Outpatient and Telecardiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital Corrigan-Minehan Heart Center. She now leads the MGH Elevate Leadership Program aimed at transforming leaders for tomorrow’s healthcare challenges.

She is also the President of the Greater Boston American Heart Association through which she founded and led the “From the Heart: Conversations in South Asian Heart Health,” a global webinar series for culturally relevant patient education. She was the chair for Go Red for Women in 2020 to bring a spotlight to women’s heart health.  Dr. Bhatt has 20 years of experience as a clinician, investigator, and educator with a strong focus on telemedicine and digital health. She founded her first program in cardiovascular virtual care in 2013 and continues to work on creating culturally relevant, personalized virtual cardiovascular care delivery models. She was recently named to Boston Magazine’s Top Doctors list for 2023, HealthTech Magazine’s 30 Healthcare Influencers to follow in 2022 and she also serves on the Forbes Technology Council.

Manorama Choudhury, Poetess, Artist

Manorama Choudhury is a poetess and avid artist. Originally from Berhampur, she has delved into her creative intellectual pursuits through the art of poetry (in Odia/Hindi/English), songwriting, painting, fashion designing, and other visual art mediums.

Manorama had recited poetry on many platforms including Sapne (South Asian Poets of New England), Nabagunjara, Odia literature in North America, Ame Odia Ame Odisha. She often writes non-fiction articles for various E-magazines. She spends a lot of her time on philanthropy work with charities that focus on education and health and wellness programs in rural India.

Parul Doshi, Chief Data Officer, Cellarity

Parul is a well-respected corporate leader. She was named Chief Data Officer for Cellarity after joining just twelve months ago and applies her vast pharma expertise in data, software engineering, and IT.  Cellarity is a therapeutics company that develops medicines by studying and altering the cellular signatures of disease.  Previously, Parul was Head of Digital and Technology at Takeda, a Top 10 Pharma.  She led programs supporting various, highly visible, product launches such as Dengue vaccine, Moderna vaccine distribution in Japan, production of Novavax Covid 19 vaccine in Japan, NINLARO a multiple myeloma drug, and ALUNBRIG for ALK+ Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).  Parul also led IT Integration during the $5B ARIAD’s acquisition.  She led DEI employee resource groups for parents and caregivers at Takeda. Takeda awarded Parul the Takeda Global Award in 2009 and the CIO Award in 2016 and 2017 for her collaborative leadership.

In addition to her corporate leadership, Parul is involved in various community initiatives.  She taught computer literacy at the Waltham Library.  She volunteers for the Indian Family Network (IFNet) summer camps for Indian-American kids.  She continuously coaches and mentors other colleagues to advance their careers. Parul has a BS in Chemistry, Economics, and Applied Statistics, and an MBA in Finance and IT.

Veena Handa, Vice Chair, Vision-Aid

Since retiring, Veena has been volunteering her time and efforts to many causes she is passionate about and that are close to her heart. Her exemplary volunteer work spans across a broad set of social causes including as Vice Chair of Vision-Aid, Member of AIF’s Circle of Hope, Shine Counselor and a Money Manager volunteer for Minuteman Senior Services to advice seniors with their Medicare and Money Management needs.

As a volunteer at Lexington Community Center, she works on multiple projects and has delivered Budget Planning and Retirement Planning talks for Youth and Seniors. Her response to the Covid pandemic was to engage with “Sew We Care” Team which provided over 20,000 masks and scrub caps to Hospitals, Health Centers and Senior Centers and Veena personally made over 1,000 masks and scrub caps as part of this team. However, her efforts at Vision-Aid to educate and empower over 20,000 Visually Impaired with terminal conditions each year, acquire skills needed to lead an independent life are why she is  most worthy of this nomination.

Sunita Kanchinadam, Global Head of Securities Lending, Financing & Collateral Transformation Technology, State Street Bank& Chair: TiECON East 2023

In addition to serving as Global Head of Securities Lending, Financing & Collateral Transformation Technology at Boston-based State Street Bank, Sunita is chair of TiECON 2023, the largest entrepreneurial conference in New England. The theme of this year’s conference is “The Rise of the Intentional Entrepreneur”, focused on the persona of the modern entrepreneur. The objective of the conference is to not only bring rich content and networking opportunities, but also to expand attendees’ networks, tapping into the rich talent emerging from New England academia.

At State Street Bank, Sunita manages the technology organization supporting Global Markets business. She worked in Goldman Sachs prior to it and has had overall 25+ years experience inclusive of financial domain experience in Barclays, Lehman Brothers and in the telecom sectors at Alcatel-Lucent. Sunita holds a Master of Science in Computer Science from Northeastern University as well as a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science.

Jharna Madan, Director, Hindi Manch, Senior Project Manager/ Designer, Officeworks Inc.

Jharna is a well-known community leader who champions and fervently supports a number of social concerns in New England. She works tirelessly to assist the community, going above and beyond with her commitment and hard work. She is praised for coming up with original, inventive ideas that give all of her undertakings style and grace. Jharna is Director and a member of the Steering Committee of the Hindi Manch, one of the largest Hindi organizations in the US. In addition, she is a local freelance reporter of TV Asia and has been co-emcee for the Woman of the Year gala for many years. Professionally, she is Senior Project Manager/ Designer at Officeworks Inc.

During the past ten years, under Jharna’s devoted leadership, Hindi Manch has impacted over 10,000 established non-resident Indian families, hosted over 80 cultural events with over 2,500 performers, worked to educate the next generation, and given over 500 kids a platform. Jharna played a significant role in making the inaugural USA National Hindi Conference, which brought together over 1,500 families from around the US, possible in Boston in 2018. During the pandemic, under her leadership, the first nearly global Hindi festivals were conducted, uniting over 217,000 people from 18 different nations and offering much-needed emotional support. Jharna has worked with and promoted groups such as Ekal Vidyalaya, Care For Janitors, Sew We Care, TV Asia, and India New England in addition to Hindi Manch.

Sahana Purohit, Board of Directors, Discovery Museum, Commissioner, Acton Housing Authority

Sahana is a member of the Board of Directors of Discovery Museum and Commissioner of Action Housing Authority. She believes that local politics is much more important than national politics. And she lives and breathes that in her daily life.  Sahana is an active member of the Acton community, having served in leadership and volunteer positions for many town committees and projects. She most recently served as a member of the Acton Finance Committee. Sahana also served on the Acton 2020 Comprehensive Community Planning Committee and on the Town Manager Search Committee in 2018. She has been a key player in several successful, major outreach projects, securing $17M dollars from the state for the Kelley’s Corner Infrastructure Project and $11M from the town for the North Acton Fire Station project.

Sahana was on the Steering Committee for The League of Women Voters in Acton for 12 years and served as both the League Co-Chair and Education Committee Chair. She has also successfully organized the League’s famous Civics Bee for nine years, a community building activity involving both students and community leaders. In 2020, Sahana was awarded the Commonwealth Heroine Award by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.

Gitanjali Swamy, Public Policy, Serial Entrepreneur-Investor, Innovator, Thinker, Managing Partner, IoTask

Gitanjali Swamy (Gita) is Senior Legislative & Policy Advisor to the office of Senator Mark at the Massachusetts State Senate. She was previously Senior Legislative and Policy Advisor with the office of Senator Hinds, where she also served as Chief Legal Advisor. Dr. Swamy supports Legislative Policy or Regulation and her special areas of interest are economic development and investment policy

Dr. Swamy (Ph. D) is also a Managing Partner at IoTask, an innovation consulting firm and she has founded, built, served as board director in innovation enterprises, led the investment sourcing, structuring, and transaction of seed to over a billion USD deals, in her investment or professional roles at IoTask, The Carlyle Group and Booz Allen & Hamilton. She is a representative to the EQUALS Global Partnership (a Joint Venture of the ITU, GSMA, UNU, UN Women), Board and Steering Committee member of the MIT Consortium Initiative for DI in Land, Water, Air, in collaboration with The World Bank, Research Fellow & Director at the Private Capital Research Institute, Harvard Business School. She has co-founded 5 successfully acquired startups and the helped found of MIT’s OpenCourseware, the Auto-ID Consortium and the MIT Engine investment vehicle. Dr. Swamy has collaborated on ESG projects with MIT Corporation, United Nations agencies, Fabindia Overseas Pvt Ltd, and several Government P3 ESG efforts. She has also served as faculty at Harvard and Columbia University, where she taught classes in finance and policy. She currently serves on the Board of DFCU, a top 20 credit union bank in Massachusetts that has consistently been voted Best Credit Union” by Banker & Tradesman, and the PAN-IIT Global USA Board.

Dr. Swamy received her B. Tech in Electrical Engineering from the IIT Kanpur, where she was awarded several Academic Proficiency Prizes, her Ph.D. in EECS from the University of
California at Berkeley, where she was an NSF Fellow & President of WICSE, and her MBA from Harvard Business School, where she served as CFO of HBS-SA, and her Juris Doctor (JD) from St. Francis Law, and she a member of the California Bar. Dr. Swamy has over 25 publications and patents in the fields of data, algorithms, technology, and policy. She was recently voted in Ten Most Influential Women in Technology.

India Society of Worcester (ISW), which launched the creative platform “Women Empowering Women” two years ago, is kicking off this year with an event on Jan. 21, 2023 in Shrewsbury, MA.

The free two-hour event, which will celebrate two years of the Women Empowering Women initiative, will start at 4:00 PM at the India Society of Worcester, located at 152 Main Street in Shrewsbury. The mission of the organization is to empower woman by transforming “the I can’t to the I can!”

ISW launched this initiative for women from all walks of life to come together by sharing their life experiences. “Our vision is empowering every woman, to make meaningful contributions to society without anybody’s influence,” said Prof. Snehalata Kadam, founder and chair of the Women Empowering Women. “We believe that every woman deserves an initiative to inspire and elevate their community.

She said the keynote speaker for the event is Dr. Manju Sheth, MD, a physician, and president of INE Multimedia, Women Who Win, and creator of Chai with Manju, NECA Awards, director of Woman of the Year and a past president of Indian Medical Association of New England.

“Women have always been quoted as the real architects of society. They have the power to build strong families and also bring the community together,” said Dr. Sheth. “Women also love to get inspired by achievements of other women so I am thrilled that ISW and a great women’s team led by Snehalata Kadam have taken this wonderful initiative to bring women together so we can learn from each other. I am looking forward to meeting everyone and sharing my journey.”

Prof. Kadam said that as a token of gratitude, members of the first panel will be presented with mementos and all the panelists who have been involved so far will be recognized for their roles in orchestrating the success of the program.

“Our mission is to promote women’s sense of self-worth and their potential to influence social change for themselves. As the global landscape for women’s empowerment is changing, we at ISW envision a community where women are empowered at the workplace, home, and the community,” said Prof. Kadam. “Our past and upcoming events will help women reach their potential by providing recourses to build relationships, network and connections. I am inspired by Malala Yousafzai who once said ‘I raise up my voice not that I can shout, but so that those who without a voice can be heard. We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back’.”

Women Empowering Women (WEW) Program Advisor Shiamin Melville said: “One of the panels I attended was on issues faced by entrepreneurs. They openly shared the trials they faced and how it was so important to reach out for additional resources and also be able to pivot when a fresh opportunity came their way.”

ISW President Puneet Kohli congratulated WEW on their second anniversary.

“Congratulations on the second anniversary of the ISW-WEW initiative. This platform provides a guiding path to encourage, enlighten and empower the female diaspora of the community,” said Mr. Kohli.

Indian-Canadian Rajan Sawhney has been appointed as the Minister of immigration and Multiculturalism of Alberta, Canada.

Sawhney was born and brought up in Calgary, while her parents hailed from the village of Wadala, on the outskirts of Jalandhar. She has previously served as the Minister of Community and Social Services in the Executive Council of Alberta, and has been serving as the Minister of Transportation for almost a year. Sawhney has long been an engaged community volunteer who helped raise funds for social causes. Before going into politics, she worked in the oil and gas industry for over 20 years.

Sawhney was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on April 16, 2019, as the MLA for Calgary-North East.

Born and raised in north east Calgary, Sawhney is a mother of 4, an activist, and an engaged community volunteer. Rajan attended the University of Calgary, earning a degree in Economics and Political Science as well as an MBA.

Rajan worked in the oil and gas industry for over twenty years in a variety of different roles in economics and business development. Prior to her election, she served as the Vice President of Business Development for Fracture Modeling Inc.

As an active volunteer, Sawhney is passionate about community engagement initiatives. She has played a key role in leadership with several non-profit organizations and has also spearheaded several programs and events designed to spread awareness and raise funds for worthy causes. For her community engagement work, Rajan was recognized as a Community Builder by the YWCA for Canada 150.

Rajan Sawhney was sworn in as Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism on October 24, 2022.

Jasmeet Kaur Bains [above center], a Democrat and daughter of a Sikh immigrant made history, November 8 when she became the first woman of Indian and South Asian origin to be elected to the California Assembly. She won the District 35 seat in a closely contested election.

Jasmeet Kaur Bains, a family physician from Bakersfield, made history by becoming the first Indian-origin Sikh woman to be elected to the California Assembly.

In a Democrat vs Democrat race for the 35th Assembly District in Kern County, Bains took an early lead over her opponent Leticia Perez.

According to the Kern County Election Results website, Bains led the race on Wednesday with 10,827 votes, or 58.9 per cent — while Perez trailed significantly with 7,555 votes, or 41.1 per cent.

Bains is a medical director at Bakersfield Recovery Services, a non-profit that treats adults suffering from addiction.

In her campaign pitch, she said she would prioritise healthcare, homelessness, water infrastructure and air quality.

Bains watched election returns with nearly 100 family members, friends and supporters at Tony’s Firehouse Grill and Pizza, a restaurant in the northern Kern County city of Delano, where she grew up.

“It’s an exciting night… I’m encouraged by the early returns and couldn’t be more grateful for the support we’ve received across Kern County,” she wrote in a text message to the Bakersfield Californian.

“I love being a doctor,” Bains said, explaining why the decision to enter the Assembly contest was not an easy decision.

“If I want to be the physician that I always dreamed of being, I need to make sure that we have the correct legislation in place,” she told Bakesfield Californian.

The 35th Assembly district stretches from Arvin to Delano and includes much of East Bakersfield.

The daughter of immigrant parents from India, Bains watched her father build a business, starting as an auto mechanic and ultimately owning successful car dealerships. After college, Jasmeet worked with her father before pursuing her career in medicine.

When the pandemic hit, Bains was on the frontlines, establishing field hospital sites to treat Covid patients. She has also spearheaded landmark mental health and addiction treatment programmes.

She was awarded the 2019 Hero of Family Medicine by the California Academy of Family Physicians, and the 2021 Beautiful Bakersfield Award from the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce. (IANS)

The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization, has announced the selection of Sonal Shah to serve as its second chief executive officer. Shah will take over for co-founder and founding CEO Evan Smith beginning in January 2023. At the Tribune, Shah will lead the organization into its next phase of growth, overseeing strategy, fundraising and operations, while editor in chief Sewell Chan will continue to run all news operations. Smith will transition into a new role as senior adviser, effective early next year.

Sonal Shah will be taking over the nonprofit news organization from Evan Smith, who has run The Texas Tribune since he co-founded it in 2009. Shah has extensive experience in social innovation and nonprofits, and is currently an interim executive vice president at United Way. She also founded Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation, as well as The Asian American Foundation. Previously, she worked as the director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation in the Obama administration.

While announcing the appointment, Jim Schachter is the chair of The Texas Tribune’s board of directors and the president and CEO of New Hampshire Public Radio, stated: “It’s been a privilege for the board to find someone who embodies all of the qualities and qualifications we identified The Texas Tribune needing in its next leader. Our north star was to find an executive with a passion for the work we do here at the Trib, and a leader with both a deep understanding of the functional and financial needs of a mission-based organization and a track record of high-impact leadership. We’ve found just such a CEO.

“Sonal brings to the Tribune an extraordinary record in fundraising and strategic leadership. A veteran of Google, Georgetown University, Goldman Sachs and the United Way, she has built a career driving social impact and civic engagement. In Sonal, the Tribune will have a business leader who can build on the successes of the past 13 years and work with the staff, board and all our stakeholders on behalf of readers to establish the organization’s path to thriving over the next decade (and beyond),” he added.

“Over my more than 25-year career, the throughline tying together all of my nonprofit, public and private sector experience has been one word: impact. My passion for civic engagement, innovation and the intersection of policy and technology is what drives everything I do, and I am thrilled to bring my experience and expertise to The Texas Tribune. This news organization is truly second to none. With a world-class journalism staff, unmatched reporting and a critical mission, I know that the sky is the limit in terms of what we can continue to build and achieve here for Texans and beyond. Texas is my home, it is where I grew up and I can’t imagine a more important place to be,” said Sonal Shah, incoming chief executive officer of The Texas Tribune.

Founded in 2009, The Texas Tribune’s mission is to promote civic engagement and discourse on public policy, politics, government and other matters of statewide interest. With nearly 4 million monthly unique visitors and more than 175,000 newsletter subscribers, The Texas Tribune is an established leader in digital-first journalism, devoted to informing Texans through in-depth investigations and rigorous enterprise, breaking news and beat reporting backed by data and statewide events. Since its inception, the Tribune has raised more than $112 million and now boasts more than 10,000 paying members.

One of the foremost global leaders on social impact and innovation, Shah has started and led social impact efforts in academia, government, and the private and philanthropic sectors for over 25 years. Currently, she serves as interim executive vice president, worldwide network advancement, at United Way Worldwide. 

Previously, Shah founded The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) in Houston, and also founded and led Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation. She served as director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation in the Obama administration, as an international economist at the Department of the Treasury, and as national policy director for Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign. In the private sector, Shah led technology initiatives and impact investing globally at Google and Goldman Sachs. Shah grew up in Houston, where she graduated from Alief Hastings High School, and went on to earn a B.A. in economics from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in economics from Duke University.

Neema Roshania Patel, a founding editor of The Washington Post news site for millennial women, The Lily, and most recently an editor with the Next Generation audience development team working to cultivate a younger and more diverse readership, died Oct. 24 at a hospital in Washington. She was 35.

The cause was gastric cancer, said her husband, Akshar Patel.

After working for print, online and broadcast outlets, Ms. Roshania Patel joined The Post in 2016 as a digital editor before helping launch The Lily the next year. As deputy editor, she helped build The Lily into a website focused on original and curated material for and about women and helped grow the brand in newsletters and social media platforms including Instagram and Twitter.

On the podcast “Motherly,” Ms. Roshania Patel called The Lily “a stopping place on the internet where we could bring together the best stories on women and gender.”

Amy King, The Lily’s founding editor in chief, who is now creative director and deputy managing editor at the Los Angeles Times, called Ms. Roshania Patel a “vibrant” colleague who “found our greatest stories and gave visibility to people and ideas who had long been ignored.”

Among the projects Ms. Roshania Patel shepherded, King said, were the “Anxiety Chronicles” mental health series and a book club that featured literature by female authors, often women of color.

King said Ms. Roshania Patel spent months working on a project called “The Jessicas,” which looked at the most popular name for girls born in 1989 and examined their lives and evolving identities as they turned 30. She found 10 diverse subjects, worked with freelancers to tell the stories and oversaw a documentary short that was included in film festivals.

Ms. Roshania Patel spent a year and a half as the top editor of The Lily before moving to Next Generation, a new initiative, in October 2021.

Phoebe Connelly, senior editor of Next Generation, wrote of Ms. Roshania Patel in an email: “What stood out immediately was her desire to collaborate – to take what she had learned running The Lily and infuse it into every department, every article and every project.” She also partnered with the Style section to introduce new advice columnists to The Post.

In April, Ms. Roshania Patel wrote an op-ed for the Poynter media training center about the importance of diverse sourcing – by age, gender and ethnicity, among other categories – to attract and keep a younger demographic of potential subscribers.

“Younger audiences want to see their experiences and the experiences of their peers reflected in the journalism they consume,” she wrote. “They want to see how policy affects the lives of everyday people. And they want to feel personally connected to what they read. Diverse sourcing makes us more trustworthy arbiters of the news.”

“If we don’t include a diverse range of voices we are narrowing those lanes and not reflecting the world we should be covering,” she added.

Neema Prabhu Roshania was born in Maplewood, N.J., on Sept. 28, 1987, to immigrants from India. Her father was an electrical engineer for Metallix, a precious metals recycling company, and her mother also worked for the firm as an accounts manager.

After working for her high school newspaper, she received a bachelor’s degree in economics and journalism from Rutgers University in 2009.

In addition to internships at the business journal NJBIZ and the financial news network CNBC, she spent a few years as a researcher and writer in Washington with Kiplinger’s business newsletters and, from 2013 to 2016, she was a community news editor with WHYY, the public radio station in Philadelphia.

She married in 2014. In addition to her husband, survivors include a son, Abhiraj Patel, both of Kensington, Md.; her parents, Prabhu Roshania and Mira Roshania, of Winterville, N.C.; and a sister. She attended BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple in Beltsville, Md.

Ms. Roshania Patel told Motherly that journalism appealed to her mostly as an excuse to satisfy her curiosity about the world and was a career that gave her permission and confidence to ask questions of strangers and get answers. “I felt like it was something I would never get bored of,” she said.

Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has greeted Giorgia Meloni on becoming the Prime Minister, Italy’s first woman premier, saying women are more empathetic and sensitive to the feelings of others.

“Over the years,” the Dalai Lama wrote to her, “I have had the pleasure of visiting your country many times and have been touched by the affection and friendship shown to me by Italians from all walks of life. I am also grateful to those Italian brothers and sisters who have consistently supported the Tibetan people’s aspirations for freedom and dignity.”

“I would like to say that I am pleased to see that the new Prime Minister of Italy is a woman, because I believe, and there is scientific evidence to demonstrate it that women are more empathetic and sensitive to the feelings of others. Consequently they show greater warm-heartedness and concern for others’ well-being.”

“These are very challenging times for Italy and the whole of humanity. In today’s highly interdependent world, individuals and nations can no longer resolve the problems they face alone. We are reliant on the wider community to survive, therefore we need to show greater kindness and compassion to one another.”

His Holiness ended his letter by wishing Meloni every success in meeting the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in fulfilling the wishes of the people of Italy and the world. (IANS)

SAKHI, one of the oldest women’s organizations in the U.S. serving the Indian-American community, announced October 12, 2022, that it has received a “groundbreaking” $3 million award from The Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Foundation, with which it plans to launch the South Asian Safe Families Initiative.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Sakhi said in a press release, which made the $3 million grant spread over the next 10 years, particularly appropriate, noting, “this milestone investment will deepen multigenerational healing for South Asian families experiencing gender-based violence.”

Calling it “The largest gift of its kind to any South Asian American social service organization,” Sakhi said the South Asian Safe Families Initiative will focus on supporting South Asian families “through a culturally rooted approach.”

The trauma experienced by the children and families of survivors is multigenerational, Sakhi noted.

“This bold initiative will take the conversation of healing from a siloed, individual experience to one that will bring families closer together and the restorative ripple effects of this investment will be felt for generations,” Kavita Mehra, executive director of Sakhi for South Asian Women is quoted saying in an earlier press release.

“The South Asian Safe Families Initiative aims to radically transform models of healing for survivors of trauma—for generations to come,” the organization said.

Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress, announced October 11, 2022, she is quitting the Democratic Party because it is dividing the country along racial lines. “I can no longer remain in today’s Democratic Party – which is now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness,” Gabbard said in a press release and on a YouTube video.

Tulsi Gabbard said, she is leaving the Democratic Party, denouncing it as an “elitist cabal of war mongers,” while calling upon other “common sense independent-minded Democrats” to exit with her, media reports said.

“I can no longer remain in today’s Democratic Party that is now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racialising every issue & stoke anti-white racism, actively work to undermine our God-given freedoms, are hostile to people of faith & spirituality, demonize the police & protect criminals at the expense of law-abiding Americans, believe in open borders, weaponize the national security state to go after political opponents, and above all, dragging us ever closer to nuclear war,” Gabbard said, ABC News reported.

Gabbard represented Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District from 2013 to 2021 as a Democrat, and in 2020 she mounted an unsuccessful bid for the party’s presidential nomination. In in a video posted to Twitter on October12th, she claimed that the party she’s exiting stands for the “powerful elite,” not the people, ABC News reported. “If you can no longer stomach the direction that the so called woke Democratic Party ideologues are taking our country. I invite you to join me,” she said.

Chief among the reasons her 20-year stint as a member of the Democratic Party will be cut short, she said, is her fear that “President (Joe) Biden and Democratic Party elites have pushed us to the precipice of nuclear war, risking starting World War III and destroying the world as we know it”. 

Gabbard who is an Iraq War veteran has served in 3 deployments to the Middle East and Africa. She currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves working as a Civil Affairs Office.

Gabbard was first elected to public office in the Hawaii State House of Representatives when she was 21 years old, enlisted in the Army National Guard following the 9/11 attacks, and volunteered to deploy to Iraq with the 29th Brigade Combat Team where she served in a medical unit, noted a press release from her office.

After returning home in 2006, Gabbard worked in the U.S. Senate as a legislative aide to the late Senator from Hawaii Danny Akaka, who was Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. She then volunteered for a second Middle East deployment as a Platoon Leader.

“I believe in a government that is of the people, by the people, and for the people. Unfortunately, today’s Democratic Party does not. Instead, it stands for a government of, by, and for the powerful elite.” She urged like-minded people to also leave the Democratic Party.

She recently launched a podcast, “The Tulsi Gabbard Show” where she also announced her decision to leave the Democratic Party. Sections of the Indian-American community welcomed her election as the first Hindu to be in the lower house, and she was a frequent invitee to events organized by them.

“It is unfortunate that Democrats are losing a star of the party and a nation,” said Dr. Sampat Shivangi, National President of Indian American Forum. “A US Presidential candidate is leaving her party of several decades, is shocking. Her differences of opinions and strategies with Clintons is an open secret, which ultimately culminated in her departure.  It is not a surprising that she was seen more on Fox News, is no co incident. Many knew her inklings and it was matter of time for her departure from Democratic Party which is no surprise at all.” 

Describing his long association with Gabbard, Dr. Shivangi, a veteran Republican Party leader and physician by profession, said, “I knew her well. She was the only Hindu congresswoman in US Congress a strong supporter of India and close friend of Modiji and India.  It was my honor and proud moment for me to introduce and announce her candidacy as US national Democratic Party Presidential candidate in Los Angels , California. 

Stating his thoughts on Gabard’s future plans, Dr. Shivangi said, “It has been speculated that she may join US Republican Party and opt for top post including as a VP if not a Presidential candidate.  Time will tell.”

Actress Priyanka Chopra, who became the Global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2016 and has been associated with the organization for almost 15 years, spoke about children’s rights at a recently held conference at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

She took to her Instagram to share the pictures and videos from the event where she can be seen advocating for the cause and posing with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and US poet Amanda Gorman.

She captioned the set of pictures and videos with a long note: “Walking through the gates of the United Nations this morning to speak at UNGA for the second time, as a proud representative of @unicef, gave me real pause.”

Shedding the light on the agenda of the UN for the year 2022, she further wrote in her note: “At the top of this year’s agenda are the Sustainable Development Goals. Today was all about action, ambition, and hope. It was about what we must do together to make the SDG’s a reality, and we don’t have a moment to lose. A special thank you to Secretary-General @antonioguterres for having me today.”

She also spoke about the importance of education for children – something which is a birthright of every child, “The second moment I had the privilege of participating was the Transforming Education Summit. It’s hard to believe that nearly 2/3 of children across the low- middle- and high-income countries cannot read and comprehend a simple story. The system has failed them.”

“As the US Secretary of Education @seccardona put it so candidly, education is the great equalizer, but if we continue to do what we have done, we are going to get what we have gotten. We owe every child this basic birthright, an equal chance to learn and reach their full potential (sic),” she added.

She concluded her note with the words of Gorman, with whom she posed along with Malala, “And as the incredible Amanda Gorman said, “I dare you to shape our fate. Above all, I dare you to do good, so that the world might be great.”

Actress Priyanka Chopra, who became the Global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2016 and has been associated with the organization for almost 15 years, spoke about children’s rights at a recently held conference at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

She took to her Instagram to share the pictures and videos from the event where she can be seen advocating for the cause and posing with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and US poet Amanda Gorman.

She captioned the set of pictures and videos with a long note: “Walking through the gates of the United Nations this morning to speak at UNGA for the second time, as a proud representative of @unicef, gave me real pause.”

Shedding the light on the agenda of the UN for the year 2022, she further wrote in her note: “At the top of this year’s agenda are the Sustainable Development Goals. Today was all about action, ambition, and hope. It was about what we must do together to make the SDG’s a reality, and we don’t have a moment to lose. A special thank you to Secretary-General @antonioguterres for having me today.”

She also spoke about the importance of education for children – something which is a birthright of every child, “The second moment I had the privilege of participating was the Transforming Education Summit. It’s hard to believe that nearly 2/3 of children across the low- middle- and high-income countries cannot read and comprehend a simple story. The system has failed them.”

“As the US Secretary of Education @seccardona put it so candidly, education is the great equalizer, but if we continue to do what we have done, we are going to get what we have gotten. We owe every child this basic birthright, an equal chance to learn and reach their full potential (sic),” she added.

She concluded her note with the words of Gorman, with whom she posed along with Malala, “And as the incredible Amanda Gorman said, “I dare you to shape our fate. Above all, I dare you to do good, so that the world might be great.”

Pakistan has been ranked as the second-worst country in terms of gender parity, placed 145 out of 146 states, in the latest Global Gender Gap Report released by the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, Dawn reported.

The report ranks 146 countries, of which the top five are Iceland, Finland, Norway, New Zealand and Sweden, while the five worst ones are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran and Chad.

According to the report, the global gender gap has been closed by 68.1 per cent in 2022. “At the current rate, it will take 132 years to reach full parity. This represents a slight four-year improvement compared to the 2021 estimate (136 years to parity).”

However, the report noted that in the trends leading up to 2020, the gender gap was set to close within 100 years.

Pakistan was among the five countries with a gender gap greater than 5 per cent, with the other countries being Qatar, Azerbaijan, China and India, Dawn reported.

The report stated that Pakistan has closed 56.4 per cent of the gender gap in 2022 — the highest overall level of parity the country has posted since the report launched in 2006.

Pakistan was also ranked as the second-worst country in the region. According to the report, Bangladesh, which is ranked 71 globally, is the top country in the region, followed by Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, India, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Dawn reported.

South Asia has the widest gender gap on the economic participation and opportunity subindex, having closed only 35.7 per cent of it, the report stated. While the overall score improved compared to last year, “considerable country divergences” downgraded South Asia’s ranking among regions.

“Highly populated countries are for the most part driving variation within this subindex. For example, increases in the share of women in professional and technical roles were most notable in Nepal, Bangladesh and India. On the other hand, the shares in Iran, Pakistan and Maldives regressed, with less impact on overall regional performance.”

South Asia has one of the lowest regional gender parity scores for the health and survival subindex, at 94.2 per cent, the report stated.

“In this subindex, only Sri Lanka has closed its gender gap, while Afghanistan, Pakistan and India are among the worst-performing countries globally.

South Asia has the fourth-highest regional performance on the political empowerment subindex, having achieved 26.3 per cent of gender parity. The movement stems in part from the reduction of gender gap scores in countries where women’s share of years in political leadership for the past 50 years is reduced, for example in India, according to the report, Dawn reported. (IANS)