Indian Youth Leader Parvati Jangid Wins Republic of Women Presidency (World's First Borderless Digital State, representatives in 120+ Countries, 10K members)

ROW Election Results 2021 Highlights: Indian Youth Leader Parvati Jangid Wins ROW Presidency with the Beauty on Earth Titles, Says Nothing is impossible with "Positive Expectation, hard work, and passion". Parvati affirmed her victory with 882 Electoral Points.

 

 

With the outstanding cooperation and voting from 120+ countries (Held between 10-25 February, 2021) The Republic of Women - Beauty on Earth Awards have become The Highest People's Choice Independent Honour in UN Countries. This makes International Women's Day-2021 more glorious.

Parvati Jangid Suthar INDIA, United Nations Volunteer Roster Number: 2172478, was elected the 1st president of the Republic of Women (The World's First Borderless Digital "State" for Women- by Women to Lend a Voice to Millions of Women). Ms Jangid won with 882 Electoral Points.

 

Indian Youth Leader & Social Activist known as bharat ki laxmi, Parvati Jangid Suthar won The Republic of Women Presidential Election & Beauty on Earth Highest Honour with 882 Electoral Point, the Hollywood singer, US activist Mary Millban second with 758 Electoral Point, third with 743 Electoral Point Indian Social Worker Monika S Purohit of Indore who works for the Deaf girls, Nigerian young girl work for Education to the poor and providing food to the needy people Prayer Nwagboso Ikegwuonu ranked 4th, Motivational speaker & social activist from India RJ Viny Agarwal 5th, Nigerian Social Activist & feminist Linda dooyum kpum 06th, Uganda’s TEDx Motivational speaker & Activist Ashaba Faridah 07th, Indian Supreme Court lawyer and female activist Seema Samriddhi 08th, Young Women Activist from Bagladesh Anika Upoma 09th & Nigerian Activist Dorothy akende confirmed with tenth position.

 

Positive Expectation, hard work and passion added something great that Parvati became the first president of "The Republic of Women", the independent digital state of half the population of the globe to Lend a Voice to Millions of Women..

 

becoming the winner Parvati expressed her happiness and said that it is my good fortune that I have won this global contast & ROW presidency, this Victory is not only mine, it is for every woman and man who lives with the family to respect their human duty, this victory is for every woman who is keeping the creation makeup of society and the world alive, fighting the enemies with self-respect, becoming an inspiration for others.

I will strongly strive to be the voice of women who are deprived of the oppressed facilities, together with the other members of the council who are working for men, women and women empowerment, I will work together to create a positive atmosphere across the world, to the needy there. There will be a lot of effort to provide necessary cooperation with the local governance of the state. I express my deepest heartfelt gratitude to those who support me in india & abroad.

 

 

Let's know more about Parvati,

PARVATI Indian Youth Leader, the rural revival changing the fixed narrative on women empowerment.

Parvati means the daughter of the great Himalaya Mountain, no wonder then her commitment is as steadfast and lofty as the mountains themselves. Born in Western Rajasthan’s Indo-Pak border areas village Gagariya, Chairperson and President of Youth Parliament of India, Supremely talented Vidya Bharati India alumni Parvati Jangid wears several hats. Inspired by the ilk of Swami Vivekananda and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Parvati, has pledged her whole life to social service and the cause of the #VasudhaivaKutumbakam (One World Family).

 

She is also the only civilian awarded by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on Golden Jubilee Celebration. A nationalist at heart, she has immense respect for the soldiers who are the custodians of borders. In the Puranas, Parvati is considered to be the sister of Lord Vishnu - our Parvati happens to be the sister of soldiers. On every Raksha Bandhan, she visits the soldiers to tie Rakhis on their wrists to make them feel special. Parvati, a border guard who traversed the entire land frontier of the country, inspired the residents of the border area that we citizens are the second line of defence, the first being our security forces. She invoked upon the citizens to be alert at every moment to thwart the evil intentions of the divisive forces at work. Parvati advocates better communication and coordination between the soldiers and civilians to bridge the gap between the two.

In a letter to Indian PM Shri Narendra Modi that she wrote in 2015, the youth icon Parvati called upon the Prime Minister to establish Youth Parliament(s) in schools & colleges across the country. The Prime Minister congratulated her for this exemplary initiative and she now serves as the Chairperson of the Youth Parliament of India.

 

Having lost her father at a tender age, Parvati heroically rose to the occasion by taking care of her family, which proved to be the beginning of an exemplary urge and commitment to dedicate every bit of hers for the sake of the nation. She stood rock-solid against her own child marriage, inspiring many girls like her not to succumb to this pernicious social practice. Parvati's father found in her more a son than a daughter and she is rightfully proud of this.

Parvati showed her nationalistic fervour and respect for territorial integrity at an early age. She raised her voice against social malpractices that infest the different sections of society. Her leadership and commitment to serve the humanity & great nation buildings has brought her many accolades, including the International Girl Hero, Order of leadership, Youngest Nationalist Social Activist, Social Personality of the Year, Women’s Pride Award and Bharat Gaurav Award.

 

During the UN Girl Up Leadership Summit held in Capitol Hill in 2015, Parvati made the following clarion call –

“It doesn’t matter if a girl is born poor or rich, in a village or a city. She is every bit entitled to cherish big dreams and it is on us to make sure that her dreams come true.”

The chief guest at the event, Michelle Obama, the then First Lady of the United States, fell in love with this line of thought. Parvati, who was one of the 150 young leaders chosen across the world at the summit, was also announced as Girl Rising Ambassador.

The White House recognized the immaculate work done by Parvati. The youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yusufzai, lauded Parvati's contribution in no uncertain terms and sent her a congratulatory letter. The Union Minister of Water Resources, Government of India, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, considers Parvati as his younger sister and is all praise for her unbridled energy and enthusiasm.

 

Parvati Jangid is a staunch believer of women empowerment for which she has been awarded with National Women Pride Award. She strongly believes that for an equal and just society to emerge, women empowerment is a must and it can only be achieved through educating and enlightening our people. Parvati, known as ‘Jodhpur ki Beti, Bharat Ki Laxmi’ made India proud when she attended and put forth her views on the importance of agriculture and feeling of nationalism at the Israel World Governance Expedition in October 2018, during which she was actively involved in matters of India-Israel relations.

 

In the presence of Indian and Israel Government representatives, she was chosen among the top 30 young leaders in India. Her participation at the Israel World Governance Expedition was hugely appreciated by several diplomats as well as the Foreign Minister of Israel. Following her return from Israel, she received accolades from Vasundhara Raje, the then Chief Minister of Rajasthan. She was also awarded with the prestigious ‘Chanakya Award’, for being chosen as the best delegate in Israel.

 

She is also very famous in European countries Moldova & Maldives, her works are being widely broadcasted there and young and women are inspired by Parvati, Parvati has been awarded many honors by Moldova(Like-Order of Leadership, International Military Medal etc).

 

Resonating with John F Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, she also believes, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” According to her, the concept of ‘Sewa Bhav’ or the inclination towards service, should be the core value of every human. She firmly believes that each one of us has to do one’s bit for the country/global peace because every effort, however miniscule, does count.

Parvati considers the whole world as one family, she is dedicated to world peace, fraternity and the salvation of the poor. She is also associated with the volunteers of many reputed organizations of the world and the United Nations Volunteers Mission.

Let’s join hands with her and take our nation and world to greater heights with one world family motto.

 

Ref Links:

https://www.republicofwomen.org/

https://twitter.com/TheParvati/

Tech Mahindra Announces Successful Completion of SOC 2 Type 2 Attestation

Reinforces commitment to safeguard customers security, privacy, availability and confidentiality across all services globally

Mumbai – March 08, 2021: Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering services and solutions, today announced that it has achieved System and Organization Control (SOC) 2 type 2 attestation for BPS and IT services. The SOC 2 report reinforces Tech Mahindra’s commitment towards safeguarding customers security, privacy, availability and confidentiality across all services globally.

Tech Mahindra continues to demonstrate its focus on customer trust, loyalty and quality in business operations. This attestation demonstrates the organisation’s trustworthiness by enhanced client communication and increased transparency of outsourced internal controls. Further, with its focus on large deals, Tech Mahindra ensured a strong commitment towards internal controls, security, information system and policies of the organization. This becomes a game-changer for Tech Mahindra, further enabling operational credibility and competitive advantage.

L. Ravichandran, President and Chief Operating Officer at Tech Mahindra said, “Information security, privacy and availability is a top priority at Tech Mahindra.  As part of our New Age Delivery effort to incorporate best practices and continual improvement in the quality of our services and operations, we are focused on investing and improving business operations to navigate emerging threat landscape and meet new regulatory requirements. The SOC 2 type 2 report is a testament of this continuing focus on ensuring security, privacy and availability for all our customers and services.”

The SOC 2 Type 2 report is performed by an independent auditing firm was conducted across business verticals covering 135 locations across 38 countries. The successful completion of this voluntary engagement illustrates Tech Mahindra’s ongoing commitment to create and maintain a secure environment across all services for its customers globally.

As part of NXT.NOW framework, which aims to enhance ‘Human Centric Experience’, Tech Mahindra focuses on investing in emerging technologies and solutions that enable digital transformation and meet the evolving needs of the customer.


About Tech Mahindra 

Tech Mahindra offers innovative and customer-centric digital experiences, enabling enterprises, associates and the society to Rise. We are a USD 5.2 billion organization with 121,900+ professionals across 90 countries helping 997 global customers, including Fortune 500 companies. We are focused on leveraging next-generation technologies including 5G, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and more, to enable end-to-end digital transformation for global customers.  Tech Mahindra is one of the fastest growing brands and amongst the top 15 IT service providers globally. Tech Mahindra has consistently emerged as a leader in sustainability and is recognized amongst the ‘2021 Global 100 Most sustainable corporations in the World’ by Corporate Knights. With the NXT.NOW framework, Tech Mahindra aims to enhance ‘Human Centric Experience’ for our ecosystem and drive collaborative disruption with synergies arising from a robust portfolio of companies. We aim at delivering tomorrow’s experiences today, and believe that the ‘Future is Now’. 

We are part of the Mahindra Group, a USD 19.4 billion federation of companies that enables people to rise through innovative mobility solutions, driving rural prosperity, enhancing urban living, nurturing new businesses and fostering communities. It enjoys a leadership position in utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership in India and is the world’s largest tractor company by volume.  It also enjoys a strong presence in renewable energy, agribusiness, logistics and real estate development.  Headquartered in India, Mahindra employs over 2, 56,000 people across 100 countries. 


Connect with us on www.techmahindra.com || Our Social Media Channels         

Flipkart launches Motorola 4K Android TV Stick in India

Powered by Android 9.0 OS, the Android TV Stick comes with 16GB storage, high performing Cortex A53 quad-core processor, and four hotkeys of popular streaming apps

• Motorola 4K Android TV Stick will be available on Flipkart from March 15, 2021, for Rs. 3,999

Bengaluru - March 8, 2021: Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, today announced the launch of Motorola 4K Android TV Stick in India. This is part of Flipkart’s strategic partnership with Motorola and marks an entry into a segment that is rapidly gaining traction among Indian consumers. The streamer will be available on Flipkart from March 15, 2021, for Rs. 3,999.

The Motorola 4K Android TV Stick is equipped with a high-performing Cortex A53 quad-core 2 GHz 64-bit processor and Mali G31 MP2 - 850 MHz graphic engine. It is powered by Android 9.0 OS and thereby offers users the familiarity, ease of use, and functionality of Google’s hugely popular operating system. The stick is compatible with all Android TVs and has a built-in Chromecast that allows users to project their mobile screens onto the TV. It is equipped with 2 GB RAM, which enables smooth browsing. With resolutions of 2160P, 1080P, 720P at 60 frames per second, the streamer provides an “Ultra HD and Full HD” viewing experience. It also supports the HDR10 and HLG video formats and has hotkeys for popular streaming apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Zee5, and YouTube.

Commenting on the launch, Chanakya Gupta, Vice President – Private Brands, Flipkart, said, “This offering, in partnership with Motorola, is the latest in our efforts to bring the best products with strong value propositions to consumers. There has been a notable rise in demand for in-home video entertainment solutions since the pandemic began, and TV streaming sticks have become even more widely popular as a result. It is a great time for brands to enter the segment. Motorola is a globally reputed and trusted brand, and the Motorola TV stick is a great option for consumers wanting to enjoy their favorite video content at home.”

“Motorola products address key consumer needs,” said Prashanth Mani, Country Head and Managing Director, Motorola Mobility. “With India being one of the fastest-growing over-the-top (OTT) markets in the world with relatively low smart TV penetration, we believe that the Motorola 4K Android TV Stick addresses a key consumer need with its best-in-class features such as a Cortex A53 quad-core processor, built-in Chromecast, support for Ultra-HD content and more.

We are delighted to augment our relationship with another meaningful addition to the Motorola product portfolio on Flipkart and are confident that it will enable more consumers to enjoy their preferred content, at their convenience across various popular OTT platforms available in the country.”

 

The Covid-19 pandemic has given a boost to the OTT market in the country. According to a recent report by PWC, India is the world’s fastest-growing OTT market. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 28.6% over the next four years and become the sixth-largest market by 2024.

Key specifications of the Motorola 4K TV Stick:

Parameter	Motorola Streaming Device - 4K
Resolution	2160P / 1080P / 720P @ 60 fps
CPU	Cortex A53 quad-core 2 GHz 64-bit
GPU	Mali G31 MP2 - 850 MHz Graphic engine
RAM	2 GB
ROM	16 GB
OS	Android 9.0
WiFi	2.4 GHz / 5 GHz – Dual Band (Broadcom)
Audio support	Dolby Audio
Multi-screen	Google Chromecast, Google Home
Interactive
Google ecosystem	Yes (All Google updates)
Remote	Voice-controlled through Google Assistant + Android mobile app remote
Video support	HDR10, HLG
Hotkeys	Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Zee5, YouTube

About the Flipkart Group

The Flipkart Group is one of India's leading digital commerce entities and includes group companies Flipkart, Myntra, and Flipkart Wholesale. Started in 2007, Flipkart has enabled millions of consumers, sellers, merchants, and small businesses to be a part of India's e-commerce revolution, with a registered customer base of over 300 million, offering over 150 million products across 80+ categories. Our efforts to democratize e-commerce in India, drive access and affordability, delight customers, create lakhs of jobs in the ecosystem and empower generations of entrepreneurs and MSMEs have inspired us to innovate on many industry firsts. The recent launch of Flipkart Wholesale, our new digital marketplace, is a testament to our commitment to accelerate the growth of kiranas and MSMEs in India. Flipkart is known for pioneering services such as Cash on Delivery, No Cost EMI and easy returns – customer-centric innovations that have made online shopping more accessible and affordable for millions of Indians. Together with Myntra, which holds a prominent position in the online fashion market, and now Flipkart Wholesale, the Flipkart Group will continue to steer the transformation of commerce in India through technology.

For more information, please contact media@flipkart.com

Women take the lead at Blue Dart! Inaugurates its first 100% women-run service centre in Navi Mumbai

Mumbai, 8^th March 2021: Blue Dart, South Asia's premier express air and integrated transportation & Distribution Company, has been a market-leader across industry verticals. It is this market leadership driven by its people, technology as well as its air and ground express network that provides customers with a premium experience. The express logistics provider’s market leadership is all set to extend this women’s day, to the diversity and inclusivity circle with the launch of the first Blue Dart All Women Service Centre. 

 

The logistics industry has been stereotyped over the years to foster a male majority. Blue Dart has been putting in a significant effort to alter this perception of the industry, ever since the organization’s inception in 1983. The organization provides ample opportunity for its Blue Darters to take the lead and make their mark in the industry. With capable women encouraged to take on senior leadership roles in the organization, Blue Dart is a testament to what being a gender inclusive organization in the logistics industry denotes.

 

Located in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, the All Women Service Centre comprises a team of sixteen enthusiastic women who don the role of managers, customer service representatives, security personnel as well as sales and counter staff. This dynamic team will provide customers with the exceptional service quality that is synonymous with Blue Dart.

 

Apart from this, the organization is taking its Diversity and Inclusivity initiative one step further. The ‘Employer of Choice’ plans on initiating more women into the Blue Dart family and will launch another service centre in Andheri, reminiscent of its Kharghar All Women Service Centre. The Andheri Service Centre will operate at a 70% women team capacity and will work shoulder to shoulder setting the pace of gender diversity.

 

Inaugurating the All Women Service Centre, Balfour Manuel, Managing Director, Blue Dart said, “With our ‘People First Philosophy’ at the forefront of our business, ALL our people – gender, age, race, caste no bar – continue to be a priority within the organization. Blue Dart has always been an equal opportunity employer. We have always supported and encouraged our women colleagues to independently run their functions, seeing as their contributions have helped Blue Dart become the Gold Standard of Express Logistics in India. Blue Dart has nurtured strong women who have seized every opportunity that has come their way and fulfilled their roles and responsibilities to the fullest. From women couriers to our Senior Leadership team - Managing Director of Blue Dart Aviation, Tulsi Mirchandaney and our National Customer Service Head – Sonia Nair, women have played an integral role in leading Blue Dart to set and achieve new milestones, year on year. They remain an inspiration for many, myself included.”

He further adds, “Diversity is important, especially with our wide-ranging customer base. We require a diverse workforce that mirrors and understands each customer demographic deeply. This is key to our success in helping us fulfill customer expectations and demand. I am proud to see another inclusivity initiative making its mark in the Blue Dart milestone book.”

 

Under the motto of “Connecting People, Improving Lives”, Blue Dart focuses on three key pillars, GoGreen (Protecting the environment), GoTeach (Championing education) and GoHelp (Disaster management response). While the focus lies on increasing diversity, efforts are also being made to curb the carbon footprint. Blue Dart has therefore introduced electric vehicles for women couriers, to ensure that their services have an increased carbon efficiency.

 

Blue Dart has pioneered several gender diversity initiatives such as highlighting its women couriers through the ‘Thank You, You Inspire Us’ series. The logistics provider has also initiated a ‘Why Do We Love to Work for Blue Dart’ portal on its website career page. This aims to provide prospective female Blue Darters with an understanding of what working at Blue Dart as a woman looks like. The portal contains testimonies from women working with Blue Dart who have found success within the organization’s varying roles. They have also engaged all Blue Darters to help bring more women on board with the Female Employee Referral Program. Further, as part of the women in Aviation, Blue Dart works closely with the Airports Authority of India each year, to familiarize young schoolgirls with various aspects of the aviation industry.

 

Blue Dart is an ‘Employer of Choice’ and prides itself on being a ‘Great Place to Work’. The brand provides equal opportunity to all its teams where no discrimination is made based on gender, caste, religion, age etc. The company sees gender diversity as a guiding principle in its employment policy. This means promoting the diversity and heterogeneity of the individuals in the company in order to attain the highest possible productivity, creativity and efficiency.

Women Empowerment is the only solution to make India prosper & competitive - Dr. Manisha Kayande

 

International Women’s Day - 8^th March 2021

As NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars on Thursday after seven months in space it was Indian-American scientist Dr Swati Mohan who confirmed the mission’s success. “Touchdown confirmed! Perseverance is safely on the surface of Mars, ready to begin seeking the signs of past life,” Dr Mohan announced soon after the rover landed, as cheers erupted in NASA JPL’s mission control room in California. As the whole world watched in awe, I sat there smiling, girls all across India had found themselves a new role-model! The annals of Indian history are replete with examples of heroism, progressive thought and affirmative action. Indian culture and ethos however are sadly also fraught with examples of gender bias, oppression and stereotypical misogyny to the ‘fairer’ sex. This is why today’s story of a woman, a woman of Indian origin, participating in one of the most difficult missions attempted is a refreshing change which will highlight the triumph of progressive thought over generations of oppression.

India’s past and present is dotted with the struggles and challenges women face in a patriarchal society. But today, many women are working against all odds to overcome these challenges. Indian women are taking off their glass slippers and breaking the glass ceilings! Over the past few years, Indian women have demanded their rights both at home and in the workplace. The Indian Society is filled with innumerable names of women that have made a name for themselves with great dedication and exemplary perseverance. Some of them are popular and have wide following while some are totally unnoticed and lost in the long list of women achievers that India has produced.

 

Proving their creativity, determination and skills, women today, have conquered the sectors of retail, education, technology and social work. Some of these women include among others Indra Nooyi, PT Usha, Mithali Raj, the female ISRO scientists, Ayurveda expert Mira Kulkarni, writer Arundhati Roy, the world’s number 1 boxer Mary Kom, and fighter pilot Avani Chaturvedi.

Each of these women has a unique story. Each has had hurdles to jump over, some were bullied as a child, some battled depression, some are from privileged families, and some from remote rural places. Some went to the best institutions in the world and some have learned on their own by observing and doing. But, what binds them and sets them apart from others is their will and strength of conviction to make a difference in the world they live in.

Despite the achievements of these lionesses, at 27% the participation of women in India’s labour force is one of the lowest in the world. India also ranks a dismal 130 out of 189 countries in the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP’s) Gender Inequality Index, 2018. We have to address that quickly.  A large number of women are either not joining the workforce or are dropping off at a faster clip. While social norms and family commitments are important issues, factors such as terms of employment, working conditions, mobility limitations and hiring practices also make things difficult. We need robust policies around recruitment, maternity leave, day care, etc, to support women’s work aspirations.

Four out of five women are not working in India. Getting women to work is not just good for the social fabric of our country or as role models for our children, but it also makes economic sense. Bringing more women into the workplace will help India—and its 650 million women—unleash their full economic potential. The country could add up to $770 billion—more than 18%—to its GDP by 2025, simply by giving equal opportunities to women, according to a report by the McKinsey Global Institute.

According to a 2019 report by Google and Bain & Company women was already the worst hit by India’s unemployment crisis. While the overall Indian unemployment rate was at 7 percent before India’s March lockdown, after it, it was already as high as 18 percent for women. A preliminary study found that Indian women have already lost more jobs than men during the COVID-19 pandemic. A clearer picture of the non-participation of the women in the workforce can be found in the field of politics. In India’s recently concluded 2019 national elections, fewer than 10% of the candidates were women. The lack of women political candidates is a potentially critical barrier to their eventual representation in government and therefore in making of laws that would help women in the country overall. The low political participation of women in India can be explained by several determinants such as knowledge about how political institutions work, their self-possessed leadership skills, their voice in household decisions and maybe even the “ambition-gap”.

 

Due to the lack of local, state and national representation of women in power girls and women don’t have inspirational role-models they can aspire to be. Could we look at generating a ‘virtuous cycle’ whereby women winning a few elections increases the self-confidence of potential women candidates (via a role-model effect) and thereby increases women’s candidacy in the next election? Because the data suggests that even though 9% of candidates were women, 14% of those elected to parliament were women. So conditional upon contesting, women exhibit somewhat stronger chances of winning than men.

 And just to put matters into perspective, what do New Zealand, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Germany, Denmark and Taiwan have in common? Their women leaders of state stepped up and showed the world how to manage the most dangerous situation for our human family. The empathy and care with which these leaders have handled the crisis goes to show that we need more women in charge. This International Women's Day, it is time we stood up and took notice and made a social and behavioral change in catalyzing increasing the role of women in our workforce. If we want our nation to grow and prosper, we definitely need to treat our girls and women better.

 

About the Author:  Dr. Manisha Kayande is a member of Maharashtra Legislative Council of Shivsena. Dr. Manisha Kayande was working as a professor in Maharshi Dayanand College, Paral. She has been awarded a doctorate by the University of Mumbai for his research on the reproductive glands of bats. She worked as a member of Mumbai Municipal Corporation Education Committee for about 11 years and she was a member of the District Planning and Development Committee.

Hafele India and IWFA jointly organized a one-day football tournament to promote women's empowerment on the occasion of International Women's Day.

 

Mumbai - 7 March 2021 - Häfele India’s long-standing endeavour to uplift women in different strata of the society and bring gender equality sees light via the IWD (International Women’s Day) football tournament organized predominantly for the underprivileged.

To encourage women empowerment through sports, Häfele India, together with IWFA (Indian Women’s Football Alliance), sponsored a one-day long football tournament entirely organized by and for women. The tournament held on 6th March at St. Joseph Ground, Mumbai, saw a fierce competition among ten teams comprising of girls aged between 16 and 32 from underprivileged backgrounds brought together by different NGOs. Each team played for a specific cause such as ‘Education sets me free’, ‘Dowry kills dignity’, ‘A blessing called Beti’ and so on and had a renowned face as their team mentor along with support-mentors to uplift their spirits during the day. The team mentors included Kunal Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Nandita Shah, Adhuna Bhabani, Bhairavi Jaikishan, Ankit Tanna, Richa Bahl, Nitasha Gaurav, Chef Sarita Pareira, and Nishrin Parikh. Kunal Kapoor, supporting the ‘Slum Soccer’ team said, “Through this team, we are supporting the 'Silence Fuels Violence' cause and truly hope that this initiative brings awareness on speaking up for any wrongdoing against women in the society.” Rahul Bose, cheering for Akshara Superstars, said, “I am so happy to hear that the Indian Women’s Football Alliance (IWFA) kicked-off their first competition called ‘Girls Love Goals’ - what a fantastic name! The ten girls’ teams pitted against one another each playing for a specific cause is a brilliant way to spread awareness.”

 

As a homage to Women’s Day, the tournament was created entirely for women by women sporting female coaches, referees, lineswomen, nutritionists, as well as therapists. The IWFA Girls Love Goals Cup is a tribute to sportswomen across India, who have used their grit, determination, blood and sweat to get where they have reached today. It is also a shoutout to girls across the country to stand by their goals in the face of gender, race, colour, or any such discrimination. The winning team gets a cash prize, proceeds of which are given to select NGOs that use football as a medium of social change for women across India. “I think we're just at the tip of the iceberg and we really need to create a mountain of hope, a mountain of success and victory for these girls so that the future is bright for our kids for their kids, especially women who are always side-lined with sport that are predominantly male centric. The most important thing is to break stereotypes that only certain kind of women can play sports or that women don't like to play sports or that people don’t like watching women play sports. The mindset needs to change, once that happens, the rest will follow,” concluded Tusshar Kapoor, summing up the spirit of the initiative. 

Häfele believes that all individuals are responsible for their own thoughts and actions, all day every day, irrelevant to the gender. Sanjay Swami, Head of Marketing, Hafele India Pvt. Ltd. says, "You will notice that we as an organization challenge encourage and uplift our women colleagues constantly. Being a patron for promoting women football for the past three years in India, Häfele has extended its support to IWFA Girls Love Goals football tournament to celebrate the International women’s day this year. Our Theme, “Equality has no Gender” also promotes our beliefs."A number of Häfele India’s previous initiatives such as Supermom – a cooking competition for women across the country along with the International Celebrity Chef Sashi Cheliah; or the mentoring of aspiring female footballers from Manipur at the hands of the FCB Munich Legends Klaus Augenthaler (Auge) & Bixente Lizarazu, have been aimed towards creating a larger impact for the women community across the country. Moreover, their next event scheduled in Imphal, Manipur, will be another football tournament primarily for the North East states offering girls out there a platform to display their skills, plan a future in sports, and be able to bring about a larger social change. Häfele’s aim is to work at the grass root level to support this cause and give the best exposure to these budding women footballers so that they are ably trained to be able to represent India at an International level.

Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dvkv55qxzjpn4t3/AAAD-y757SWGmNBzBkNvpMYRa?dl=0

Wedding industry workers urge the Government, " Try to understand our plight, Let there be Weddings "

Mumbai : Once upon a time in Mumbai, big-fat  Indian Weddings were a norm. Mumbaikars love to flaunt their family-love and Wealth through spectacular Wedding celebrations.  Large amount of money  spent on Weddings by wealthy people reaches the pockets of many Wedding Industry Workers employed in Catering, Decoration, Banquets, Fruits and Vegetable Suppliers, Kirana Shops, Dairy Farms, Florists, Beauticians, Event Managers, Jewelers, Bands & Music Party Organisers, Photographers, Invitation Card Manufacturers, Clothing, Sweet Shops, Fast Food Suppliers, Kirana Shops, Dairy Farms, transport, Car service providers, etc.

But alas, the Corona Pandemic raised havoc all over the world. Classes ( Wealthy people ) suffered the losses and Masses ( Daily laborers ) lost their wages. The masses died not due to Pandemic but because of Poverty ( unemployment ), resulted from strictures on Wedding celebrations and supporting industry.

 Recently these workers ( Catering, Decorations, Banquets, Fruits & Flowers suppliers, Kirana stores, Dairy farms, Beauticians, Event Management, Jewelers, Music Bands, D.J., Fast Food, Car rentals etc.) staged 5 minutes skits impressively at Symphony Hall, Andheri ( East ) about their plight, their problems and sought solution from the government .

The Wedding industry is represented by Bombay Catering association, which has already sent their delegations to Municipal Corporation as well as State government. According to the President - Mr. Yogesh Chandarana, Spokesperson - Mr. Lalit Jain, Secretary - Mr. Satish Kamat, Treasurer - Mr. Samir Parekh and Member - Mr. Sunil Vengurlekar of Bombay Catering Association, "Even though we have written to the all concerned authorities about our problems, we have not received any solutions so far."

There is a direct relationship between Money-spending and Economy-flourishing.  The purchases / expenses of Rich classes increase the Revenues of  masses ( Industry workers ). This way the cycle of Economy gathers momentum and GDP rises. No wonder then , that Mumbai has always been , the most expensive as well as prosperous city of the World. Right now, No Wedding Celebrations means No Jobs for Wedding industry workers. 

 Is the Corona selective ?  Does it infect only Wedding Celebrations ? The restrictions of only 50 people at weddings has caused huge losses to wedding industry and poverty to the workers. The Wedding industry has suffered losses to the tunes of Thousand crores. The Government should be sympathetic towards Wedding industry and increase the numbers of wedding presence.

 Mr. Sunil Vengurlekar from Catering Association has requested the government that , in normal circumstances , an individual occupies 8 to 10 sq. feet. This limit should be extended till 20 to 25 sq. feet and the guests quantity should be increased according to the area .