BY Sunday evening, he was being spoken about in the same context as Christy Ring, hurlings ultimate immortal. A man he now shares the distinction with of lifting the Liam MacCarthy on three occasions as an All-Ireland-winning captain.

ater, on RT, John Kiely displayed no visible awkwardness as he praised the sheer honesty of the guy sitting beside him.

Back in The Sunday Game studio, Shane Dowling amusingly described his former team-mates helpful tendency in the boom/bust world of elite sport of always gravitating towards equilibrium.

You wouldnt know, Dowling explained, if you were at a party or a funeral with him.

And yet, it was only after hed hoisted Liam MacCarthy for the first time in 2018 that Declan Hannon felt real atonement. And it was a month after that before he felt comfortable enough to speak publicly about the toxic fallout from the 2013 All-Ireland semi-final and the caustic reaction he (then 20) endured and the demons it empowered in his head.

There were messages off random people and letters, he explained in October 18. Anonymous venting penned, presumably, to make the young hurler feel worse. I thought from listening to it that I was after costing Limerick an All-Ireland, and it was my fault, like. It was hard.

Its all a far cry now because in the middle of all this Limerick glory resides Hannon. And at the core of him is a personal story that makes his success all the more admirable with the applied context.

So here it is. In 13, Limerick infused with the shamanic energies of John Allen won Munster for the first time in 17 years. Hannon was 20, but he was no unknown.

In 2009, he scored 1-16 for Adare against Newtownshandrum in a Munster club semi-final played 10 days before his 17th birthday. Hed been on the Limerick squad since 11. In 13, Allens empowerment of that group revealed their potential.

At the Gaelic Grounds, after they beat Cork by nine points in the Munster final, the delirium seemed to be rooted as much in what was to come as what had just happened.

And why not? The hurling world had turned more quickly that summer than in the previous 20 years.

After seven years of Kilkenny and Tipp grudgingly passing Liam MacCarthy back and forth across their border, the All-Ireland semi-final line-up that year was: Limerick, Clare, Cork, Dublin. The revolutionaries descended on Croke Park.

And yet, five weeks after the Cork victory, Limerick arrived at GAA HQ and made the horrific discovery that they had forgotten to bring their game with them. Almost every semblance of it. Their touch, their striking, their ability to win aerial duels and individual battles.

The goal they conceded to Darach Honan was nothing shy of calamitous. And then, cruellest of all, there was Hannon. A forward and Limericks free-taker that year.

In the opening 31 minutes, before Shane Dowling came on to relieve him of the burden, Hannon scored two of six placed balls. He misfired four frees and a 65, each within range. By the 50th minute, he had been subbed off.

I do frees with guys every night before training. Declan Hannons striking was superb, Allen explained afterwards. The best all year, 10 out of 10, every time. Now Shanes striking was very good as well. But over the course of the nights, Declan was ahead of Shane, most nights.

Now, obviously, he missed a number of frees and wasnt in great form today. We were just hoping that hed turn the corner.

Limericks expectation had been bloated, both by the length of their famine and the margin of their Munster final win.

And so Hannon became a rod for the anger of an outraged fan base. I just let it affect me way too much, he explained in an interview that, coincidentally, took place on World Mental Health Day: October 10, 2018.

I didnt talk to anybody about it, didnt want to see anyone, didnt even want to go down to the club training because I thought they were talking about it, he recalled.

I remember we had club championship two weeks after it, and I didnt want to go out onto the field at all. I was embarrassed going out here after what happened two weeks previous, letting people down and stuff like that. I didnt want to go anywhere. That is no way to live.

He also admitted feeling guilt at the likely feedback his parents had encountered, albeit they kept it from him. But even five years and an All-Ireland later, Hannon couldnt comprehend that mindset. Of someone who would sit down to write a letter of condemnation anonymously and then send it to a 20-year-old athlete, as though their anger demanded and deserved validation. He or she was obviously a bit angry and wanted Limerick to win, he pointed out, but I wanted Limerick to win as well. I didnt go out there to upset people.

Clearly, he parked it. Hannon has praised the influence of Caroline Currid, the sports psychologist now working with Limerick. Initially, she helped Hannon put the experience behind him but, more importantly, equipped him with the ability to defuse criticism.

But not before Hannon toiled through a couple of seasons wondering whether his legacy would forever be his worst experience in a Limerick jersey.

I suppose that was the killing thing: thatyou didnt want to play 10 years for Limerick, and that be the memory that everyone has of you.

But his legacy, that as one of hurlings great captains, was already secure before people started mentioning him in the same breath as Ring last Sunday.

Read the rest here:

Limerick captain Declan Hannon has banished the demons of '13 and stinging personal criticism to be spoken about like Ring - Independent.ie

With Emirati women taking the lead in the region through socio-economic initiatives, we spoke to two inspiring women who are part of The Reach Campaign.

While playing an important role in shaping the strategy for the Crown Princes Court, these women have made a mark globally and Emirates Woman sat down with them to learn more about their contributions to society.

I am proud of the fact that I am from a country that puts womens empowerment and equity at the forefront of its development priorities. I am privileged to have the opportunity to play an integral role in driving the UAEs agenda, development and prosperity forward.

The Reach Campaign is a campaign that aims to raise funds to address two neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), namely, river blindness and lymphatic filariasis. Over 200 million people worldwide are in need of treatment for river blindness whilst over 850 million people are at risk of lymphatic filariasis, with many in Asia, Africa, the Western Pacific and parts of the Caribbean and South America. Through The Reach Campaign, we engage with partners who can help us through financial commitments, but also play a critical role in raising awareness about the importance of addressing these diseases through global partnerships and action. One of the main impacts of NTDs is on the families of those that become ill, the burden is felt more acutely on women as they tend to take on the caretaker role. Eradicating NTDs would result in an increase of women able to return to education and the workforce so that they can reinvest in their communities and families.

I look forward to a future where my daughter can dream big, aspire to be in whichever field she desires, knowing that the UAE will guarantee her equal pay in whatever she decides to do. The UAE has paved the way for women to contribute significantly to the fields of science, the arts and public policy, among many others, and for my daughter to know that there is a world of possibilities for her to conquer because other brilliant and trailblazing Emirati women who have paved the way is something I am excited for her to live through.

Since it was founded in 1971, the UAE has put the agenda of womens empowerment at the forefront of its national priorities. The UAE now leads on many gender indicators globally, including the number of women specializing in STEM fields, as well as the percentage of women represented in parliament. Growing up, I was inspired by Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the first Emirati woman to hold a Ministerial position. Today, we have many women who hold this title because of the UAEs vision in ensuring women are part of the decision-making and nation-building process. To be able to contribute, albeit in a humble way, to this has been one of the significant milestones of my career.

When it comes to NTDs we try to address them through the global health work at The Reach Campaign and its affiliated projects, we aim to address disease elimination through a gender lens. In many diseases that we are trying to eliminate globally, women and girls bear the brunt of these diseases because they historically carry the majority of childcare responsibility, and when their family members are debilitated by some of these diseases, these women are pulled out of their daily lives to care for them. This leads to an increased chance of compromising their schooling and missing out on economic opportunities. Bringing a gender lens to addressing NTDs is crucial as it can both accelerate positive healthcare outcomes, and also address the hidden gendered educational, leadership and economic costs of these diseases, unlocking new community assets and resources.

Seeking female mentors that I admire and look up to has always provided me with great insight and opportunities that I may have not known about. Ive been privileged to learn from and work alongside many intelligent and pioneering Emirati leaders who continue to remain humble in their pursuit of excellence and positive change. As much as I can, I also try to offer my time to share my experiences with other women on similar career journeys, because the success of one woman is a success for all.

I am proud of the fact that I come from a country that not only champions and empowers women, but also believes that women can play a leading role in building the nation. As a whole, the UAE is setting an example to the world that women have active roles at all levels of society.

The role women have been playing in the UAE over the last 50 years has been a vision of our late founding father, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Our role as women continues to progress thanks to the support of our Mother of the Nation, Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak. With the support of our forward-thinking leadership, we will continue to ensure that Emirati women fulfill the UAEs values and traditions by being leaders and changemakers.

There are numerous opportunities I am grateful for. The UAE continues to lead impressive efforts in empowering women and this has resulted in the country being ranked first regionally in the 2020 UN Gender Inequality Index. Throughout the years, we have witnessed incredible advancements across several sectors of society, allowing us to make a greater impact in our country.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) threaten more than 1.7 billion people living in the poorest and most marginalized communities worldwide. As part of my work for The Reach Campaign, a fundraising campaign aimed at raising money in order to eradicate NTDs, namely river blindness and lymphatic filariasis, I source new partners and manage stakeholder relationships. I am positive that with the support of our partners we will be able to ensure a brighter future for the millions of people affected by NTDs.

Speaking from my personal experience, as women, we should be grateful for the mothers in our lives. I have received unconditional love and support from my mother which will always motivate me to pursue my dreams and work harder towards achieving my goals.

As women, we should live by values that empower and support other women as we collectively have an impact. I am truly grateful for all the support I have been receiving from women throughout my life.

For more information visit reachtheend.org

Feature image: Unsplash @sajshafique

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The inspiring women to champion this Emirati Women's Day Emirates Woman - Emirates Woman

August23, 20214 min read

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

It is highly essential for a country's growth that its citizens have access to responsible credit, says Madhusudan Ekambaram. However, credit in the time of need eludes the majority of Indians not because of the dearth of capital but due to lack of access to it.

The main reason for the credit gap is the traditional lending models inability to effectively assess them, and this is accentuated by the tedious processes consuming a lot of time and documentation. To promote financial inclusion, a lending firm should possess the ability and agility to utilize alternate data points, enabled by technology, says Ekambaram.

Through KreditBee, Ekambaram along with his two co-founders Karthikeyan Krishnaswamy and Wan Hong is doing exactly that.

Launched in 2016, Kreditbee is a digital lending platform that provides instant personal loans to salaried individuals and the self-employed. The company follows a tech-based credit evaluation approach to process loan approvals. From checking the eligibility fit to application to disbursement and repayment of the loan, the entire loan process is online.

It helps our customers acquire our credit solutions from their smartphones directly into their bank account without any requirement of paperwork or physical branch visits, says co-founder and CEO Ekambaram, who is also co-founder of FACE (Fintech Association for Consumer Empowerment), a not-for-profit representative body of consumer lending fintech companies.

Enabling Financial Inclusion Through Tech

KreditBee extensively utilizes artificial intelligence, machine learning and profound data sources to underwrite customers. This approach enables the company to serve first time loan seekers as well as gig workers who do not have a regular income.Leveraging alternate lending data points apart from salary and bureau score, we are able to disburse to young professionals who are new to credit, and to those who are non-salaried like the gig workers. including part-timers, freelancers and self-employed.

Not just loan disbursals, the companys collections practices too are heavily tech-enabled. It uses robotics, automation, and many other techniques in addition to calling agents that vastly improves the reach of the customers and provides numerous options to use for collections.

On being asked how the companys tech solutions can change the future, Ekambaram says technological integrations such as KreditBees have the potential to contribute towards building a healthy credit culture in the country. This will in turn promote a high degree of financial inclusion, a process which has already begun and is only expected to pace up going further.

Explaining further, Ekambaram pointed out that the impact of their service offerings have been multifold. With a completely online customer journey, the company has been able to eliminate extensive paperwork or branch visits involved in a loan process. We help people to get loans from their smartphones directly into their bank account at any given point, he said. Further, the companys alternate lending model has enabled them to extend credit solutions to young professionals who are new to credit, and to those who are non-salaried. These customers are greatly underserved when it comes to credit.

Kreditbee claims to have disbursed loans to over 5 million customers as of today. The company plans to diversify its product offerings to include digitally-enabled secured loans, home loans and credit-linebacked cardswith services like Buy-Now-Pay-Later and insurance.

Staying Ahead in a Changing Marketplace

As part of the fintech revolution, several digital loan platforms have mushroomed lately. Additionally, tech keeps evolving by the day. So, ask Ekambaram how KreditBee plans to stay relevant in this constantly changing marketplace and he has one simple answer - by constantly adapting.

Technology has taken the role of an enabler so that organizations can operate in the changing circumstances. Hence, we need to ensure that the organizations technology upgrades are in line with our basic goal of solving our customers credit gap, he said. It is now more than ever essential to emphasize on product customization and personalization.

Further, theres been a massive data outburst with digitization and while leveraging the same, its important that organisations strengthen its security, said Ekambaram. Key fundamentals to consider while devising data security architecture are regular backups of their data, encryption of personally identifiable information and other sensitive data points to stop data loss incidents, implementation of multi-factor authentication and use of VPN service.

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Building a Healthy Credit Culture Through Tech - Entrepreneur

At the center of many of our current cultural debates today is a single figure: me, the global me through which people argue the unifying theme of public policy, spending, and law should be a commitment to getting everyone whatever they desire.

Nowhere is that more apparent than on the issue of abortion, where activists have chanted my body, my choice for decades. Until now, when the term is collapsing by being applied across the board.

Irrefutable challenges from the world of science to corporate abortions favorite slogan have permanently undermined that knee-jerk argument for ending innocent life. It turns out that appeals for what my body wants can be ignored when those in power want something else.Me is not as all-powerful as generations of abortion supporters have led us to believe.

The first flaw in using obsession with self as justification for all abortion is the assertion that my body is the only body. As numerous legal briefs in the Dobbs v. Jackson case before the U.S. Supreme Court detail, there are at least two bodies at stake in every abortion. The insistence of abortion activists that the will of the biggest and strongest body should prevail is the kind of argument you would expect from bullies.

They seize their empowerment by force, leaving the smaller and the weaker to suffer. One body is destroyed at the hands of another body without any appeal, the ultimate proof of inequality. One body has no choice.

A second flaw in the argument has been recently revealed by the sometimes-draconian steps taken in reaction to COVID-19. It turns out that Uncle Sam can force bodies to take steps they oppose.

In New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, California, Minnesota, and New Jersey, Democrat governors chose to put COVID-19 sufferers in nursing homes, causing the tragic and avoidable deaths of many residents. Schools were closed, and teachers unions chose to fight to keep it that way, leaving children and parents without options.

Businesses were shuttered, and masks were mandated. Workers struggled to pay bills as jobs disappeared. Nobody could choose to get back to business on his own. In fact, some bodies were arrested for trying.

More than a year later, vaccines are mandated for our fighting men and women, and (in some places) for other groups of people like students, health-care workers, state employees, and even some private employees. And the debate over whether masks are needed goes back and forth with the speed of a tennis match at Wimbledon.

All kinds of bodies have been forced to make drastic changes based on choices made by those at the top. Cheering on those efforts are groups like Planned Parenthood, which quickly made its way toward the head of the line when COVID-19 relief became available.

The one thing corporate abortion does well is get paid. As Family Research Council reported, in the 25 years from 1994 to 2019, the nations largest abortion vendor pulled in $9.1 billion in total taxpayer funding.

But the engagement of groups like Planned Parenthood raises an obvious question: Why is it my body when the choice is about abortion, but Uncle Sams body when the choice is about COVID-19 precautions and vaccines?

And if it is my body, my choice, why isnt it also, my body, my money? Someones desire for a thing isnt a justification for dipping into the pockets of everyone in the nation. But for abortion, its my choice, your cash.

The American people have made it clear in polling that they do not want to pay for abortions here in the United States nor around the world. Yet the Biden administration and House Democrats are trying to open the door forfederal abortion funding by removing the longstanding Hyde Amendment.

Justifying the deaths of an estimated more than 62 million infants with a phrase that sounds like a toddlers complaint was always a shallow play. But given how quickly all the bodies in the United States and around the world have been forced into compliance with countless COVID-19 policies, its clear that those in power never believed personal choice was a real argument.

The raw abuse of authority shows that the actual agenda is often my choice, your compliance, whether the issue is abortion, COVID-19, or anything else. To truly fix that, we need politicians who understand that their choice as leaders is to assist the people the bodies who put them in office with respect for all, the born and preborn among them.

KristanHawkinsis president of Students for Life of America.

Link:

'My Body, My Choice' Was Always A Lie, And Now Everyone Knows It - The Federalist

The feminism of academia is a far cry from the feminism of the real world, as writer Rafia Zakaria points out in her new book Against White Feminism: Notes on Disruption. In one chapter, titled Sexual Liberation Is Womens Empowerment, Zakaria writes, The question of how and when sexual liberation had become not simply the centerpiece but the entire sum of liberation for a graduate seminar on feminist theory never came up, nor did any discussion of sexual identity or radial politics. She describes what feels like a universal experience for an entire generation of people who studied a white-washed feminist theory, capturing lightning in a bottle and wielding it in every sentence. Against White Feminism is a book animated by the slow simmering rage of feminists of color who have been meticulously erased from the hallowed halls of academia.

Zakarias book belongs on every persons bookshelf. But it also belongs on a syllabus and to be seared into the minds of students learning about the historic implications and monumental failings of westernized white-washed feminism. The book isnt just an educational tomeZakaria deftly weaves in personal stories to make Against White Feminism extremely readable and at times heart-wrenching.

We spoke to Zakaria spoke about her new work and broke down why this book is so vital and why she hopes white feminists will give it a chance. The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

JEZEBEL: How would you describe this book to people who havent read it yet?

RAFIA ZAKARIA: I would describe this book as presenting a new frame to view the world and particularly at gender and race relations so that they can see how the inequalities caused in particular by gender and race have seeped into every aspect of our society. I wanted people to be able to give this book to my white friends and to my BIPOC friends, for different purposes. For white women, in particular, I wanted them to understand how besieged BIPOC women feel from all sides in terms of all these different cultural forces, political forces, etc., pushing up against them. And I wanted BIPOC women who have had their own experiences but dont necessarily put them together or collate them in this way to be able to see that their experience of white supremacy is often repeated in the same pattern and often by the same perpetrators in [places like] Afghanistan and Iraq, in Pakistan and many other neocolonial endeavors.

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Lets get into some of the themes you touch on in the book. In chapter five, titled Sexual Liberation Is Womens Empowerment, you talk about your first experience in a feminist theory class and as I was reading I almost had a sort of epiphany that was like, Wow, this is exactly the kind of class I was sitting in when I was in school where women of color just dont get included in the syllabus or in the discussion.

As you can see in the book, I had a lot of sort of front lines, or say experiences. I was a single mother. I had to stay in a shelter. I had to really kind of put together an existence. But then when I went to graduate school, my naive assumption was that this is a place where Ill get to understand what has happened to me and how it connects with the larger world. I wanted to have conversations about gender equality, gender discrimination, and neocolonialism.

There was a war going on in Afghanistan [at the time I was taking this class] that was allegedly meant to liberate Afghan women and I expected that sort of thing to be talked about in this particular seminar. So it was a moment of kind of deep disappointment when I experienced the narrowness of that conversation and the inability to really connect the feminist struggle to women who have fought frontline battles against sexism, against abuse, andI expected at least a little bit of those things. I expected that there wouldnt be this kind of rote acceptance atmosphere where we just talk about kink and everything was about Sex and the City. Not that those things should not be discussed in feminist theory courses, but its just that they shouldnt be the only things that are discussed. I felt that this idea of sexual liberation being the sum total of empowerment was never questioned.

This was something you brought up in that chapter that really resonated with me as a person who converted to Islam in college. You mentioned that you were expected to perform a certain degree of sexual liberation as a Muslim woman in a way that was more palatable to Western ideals. Do you think those expectations still exist for Muslim women in America?

One hundred percent. All the time. Because I dont wear hijab its assumed that I score higher on the sexual liberation spectrum but if I do wear it, obviously I score lower. My feminist leanings were questionable to other people because of whether or not Im choosing to wear the hijab and these were definitely the sort of significant and deep influences that went into writing this book. I was fed up with having to perform all the time and fed up with the very intrusive questions that were directed at me and Id just have to be like, yeah we Muslims date all the time.

I dont personally have a position on whether Muslims should or should not date. I think that those are individual concerns. But the point being is that in order to belong [in certain feminist spaces] youre supposed to perform sexual liberation. And if you dont, then you are sort of almost instantly excluded from the conversation. Its either that or the reverse where the hijab is fetishized in a way so that, you know, youre not considered really Muslim if youre not wearing it.

There are all these ways in which whiteness understands and sort of constrains Muslim women in engagement with the world. And it got to the point where I was not considered credible as someone who could critique the idea that sexual liberation is the sum total of empowerment because I was Muslim. I was inherently suspect on that issue and it drove me crazy.

You also at some point get into the idea of sexy feminism and the rise of Cosmopolitan and the ubiquitous Cosmo Girl. How large of a role did the magazine play in changing the trajectory of American feminism?

It has and continues to play such an incredibly large role. And a powerful role too. In the book I talk about, for instance, this moment where it almost seemed like there was a bifurcation of the serious feminist, [which included lesbians] and then you had women like Helen Gurley Brown, who set about putting Cosmo together. She was a scrappy woman who definitely was a self-made woman but she looked at [feminism] as, you know, the liberated girl who was sext and flirty. And of course, the sexy, flirty, liberated girl was much more capitalism friendly than the political lesbian who believed that every interaction with men was inflected by the inherent inequality of gender politics. Eventually, the brand of feminism that won out, in the end, was that of Brown. Does that make sense?

It does and you know the more I think about it as were talking its really incredible how that messaging is so in our faces every day but its also incredibly subtle in what its trying to sell.

You know, the subtlety is the basis on which it wins. Because its subtle, the sort of brute power behind it, which is the power of capitalism [is disguised]. Theyre selling this idea that if you get a job, earn your own money, and have sex with whoever you want thats how you truly become liberated. Part of the package of liberation is economic empowerment and sexual liberation but what youve left out of that recipe is a political struggle and the fact that feminist choices are political choices. Any attempt to safeguard any advances that women make is meaningless unless there is a political structure that allows the maintenance of those advances.

How do you imagine this book will be received by white feminists?

In the book, Im very, very careful to underscore that white feminism is not just a white woman who is a feminist. White feminism is a woman who is white and who is feminist but who is uninterested in exploring her own complicity or the role whiteness has played in centering her as the ultimate feminist and woman. Its that refusal to investigate ones own role in racial oppression.

And I realize that thats a very uncomfortable thing to ask of people. But at the same time, I dont think that even white feminists are necessarily motivated by malicious intent. For instance, however misguided the Clean Stoves Program might be, I dont think that any white feminist who supported it necessarily wanted to go waste all this money. So I feel like because there are good intentions involved, a lot of good can be done if we have this conversation between white feminists and BIPOC feminists and address the elephant in the room which is race.

This is something nobody has really talked about because the fear is that the mere mention of race is going to dissolve the feminist movement altogether. But the real truth is that the refusal to talk about race is what is dissolving the feminist movement. So I do think that women who recognize that and women who are authentic in their desire to be allies, will, I hope find the book engaging and concrete in showing them both how this happens and also what they can do to ensure that it doesnt happen anymore.

Read more from the original source:

Writer Rafia Zakaria Takes on Sexual Liberation, Capitalism, and White Feminism - Jezebel

Against White Feminism: Notes on Disruption, Rafia Zakaria W. W. Norton & Company hide caption

Against White Feminism: Notes on Disruption, Rafia Zakaria

Author Rafia Zakaria states her agenda for Against White Feminism in a book trailer released by Al Jazeera's AJPlus brand: "putting the fangs back in feminism is a very urgent project."

She then reminds us that mainstream Western feminism is, and always has been, for white women and girls and that this how it's been embedded in popular and news media, our consumerist economy, wars, political discourses, and more.

The first few lines of her book clarify exactly who she's calling out as a white feminist: ". . . someone who refuses to consider the role that whiteness and the racial privilege attached to it have played and continue to play in universalizing white feminist concerns, agendas, and beliefs as being those of all feminism and all feminists." This is about a set of entrenched assumptions and behaviors rather than racial identity. Although, of course, this kind of feminism is advanced mostly by white women.

As Zakaria, the civil rights attorney, sets up her case in Against White Feminism: Notes On Disruption, we see that she is not on some earnest mission to educate the misinformed or enlighten the uninformed. This, as Tressie McMillan Cottom would say, ain't her row to hoe. Instead, Zakaria presents, calmly and methodically, plenty of well-researched evidence for why white feminism is messed up and why it must be dismantled. Like the feminists of color she cites Audre Lorde, Kimberl Crenshaw, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Lila Abu-Lughod, and more Zakaria's thesis is that we are dealing with systemic racism built over centuries into our cultures, institutions, socio-political movements, and everyday interactions and behaviors. And, like Cathy Park Hong in Minor Feelings, Zakaria is not making any allowances for the myth of white innocence.

Through historical and contemporary examples from across the world, the book's eight essays examine how imperialism, settler-colonialism, capitalism, neo-colonialism, and late capitalism have allowed for a white-centric feminism to evolve such that it speaks for all women everywhere. Regardless of their relative disadvantages, cultural differences, and lived experiences, women of color especially in non-western countries are only included in this feminist movement when they conform to its particular values. Zakaria illustrates how these values are in service of white supremacy and capitalism, leaving no room for any Black, Brown, or Asian feminisms.

There's the extensive damage done by white women who traveled to colonized countries to civilize and save native women from their terrible conditions and, particularly, from native men. And the centering of whiteness by women who traveled to war-ravaged countries to bring attention to the difficulties of the local women. Instead, those local women were often othered, objectified, or exoticized and coerced to follow the Western feminism model, Zakaria writes. When Western neoliberalism and capitalism became the engines driving large-scale foreign aid and development projects, women's "empowerment" (a term originally introduced by Indian feminists in a more holistic context) became a "fuzzword that could be pinned to numerous motives," Zakaria says. All of this is not news to those who've been keeping score. But Zakaria goes further to quantify how many such white savior initiatives failed precisely because of their harmful, oppressive approaches.

This fuzzy kind of empowerment is also part of the securofeminism that emerged during the war on terror. Discussing the hypocrisies and ironies that not only caused initiatives and programs in those countries to run aground, Zakaria reveals the appalling cruelties they inflicted on local women in the name of freedom.

Similarly, Zakaria says, sex-positive feminism has become a stand-in for total liberation and empowerment and led to the commodification of sexual identities. She relates a particularly moving incident from her law school days. As a Brown Muslim immigrant, a divorced, single mother, and a survivor of domestic abuse, she felt forced to perform her sexuality or be reduced to the usual stereotypes associated with her cultural identity. The ending of this chapter speaks to so many women like her (and me):

"I had broken every gender norm I had been raised with, had chosen education and independence and all the struggles that came with it with little support. The seminar's preoccupation with sexual pleasure instead of sexual politics seemed so disconnected from the feminism I was trying so hard to model for my daughter. If only I could have known I was not alone, had been able to hear the voices of Muslim and other feminists of color like myself waging frontline struggles against terror, against religious obscurantism, and against patriarchal domination, but yet excluded from white feminist discourse."

Although such personal anecdotes are included throughout, Zakaria's aim is not to explore her own pain but to retrace the history of how white feminism has caused unending trauma through the centuries to many like her. What she wants is nothing less than transformational change that blows past tokenistic affirmative actions. The last chapter outlines four ways that white feminists need to change their mindset for this transformation to occur. These are not new suggestions but, given the state of things, they bear repeating.

More critically, let us all internalize these three ideas that Zakaria threads throughout the book. First, she reminds us of Kimberl Crenshaw's "war for narrative", which asks feminists of color to reshape the story and course of the movement, make the role of whiteness visible, and recalibrate our experiences and politics into feminism. We must develop and honor our own genealogies by including the resilient women in our lives and histories who have not been considered feminist per the traditional Western model. Second, she cites Nancy Fraser's philosophy of gender justice, which involves redistribution in the economic sphere beyond class hierarchies, recognition in the socio-cultural sphere beyond tokenism, and representation in the political sphere beyond identity politics. Third, she invokes Audre Lorde's call for solidarity, where community does not mean compromise or competition but a space that accommodates and values different kinds of knowledge and expertise, particularly that which comes from lived experience.

White feminism isn't confined to the Western world; it has been exported and embedded all over the world. If the ongoing effects and implications of that haven't made you want to bare your fangs yet, this steely, incisive critique deserves your attention.

Jenny Bhatt is a writer, literary translator, book critic, and host of the Desi Books podcast. https://jennybhattwriter.com.

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'Against White Feminism' Is An Urgent Call To Action For Solidarity And Justice - NPR

International Womens Day may have already passed, but I see no reason not to celebrate women every other day of the year as well. This week Im examining environmental issues from a less-common perspective gender. Looking at climate change through a gendered lens reveals inequities that may seem unrelated to the untrained eye. However, we would be remiss to consider the outcomes of climate change without acknowledging that some groups are more immediately vulnerable than others.

If Im totally honest, I hadnt heard of the term ecofeminism until recently, when I read an article for class. In laymans terms, it refers to the intersectionality of the feminist and green movements, but, in reality, is much more multifaceted. Ecofeminists see the parallels between the exploitation of the environment and of women and work to bring attention to the ways that women are oppressed by the increasing effects of climate change.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, environmental conditions impact the lives of women and men in different ways due to historically-established inequalities. Traditional gender roles create differences in the ways men and women act in relation to the environment and environmental change.

Gender gaps are a significant barrier to womens freedom to make decisions and pursue opportunities, as well as to effective sustainable development and resource control and allocation. In many cases, they are at the mercy of a rapidly changing climate. Matcha Porn-In, a Thai human-rights organization, describes the gender-gap issue poignantly: If you are invisible in everyday life, your needs will not be thought of, let alone addressed, in a crisis situation.

While gender norms are slowly being redefined, this work isnt necessarily progressing at the same rate around the world. In many developing countries, women have less opportunities for furthering their education and careers, instead assuming the traditional role of a family caretaker and mother. The UN Sustainable Developments fifth goal seeks to eliminate forms of violence and discrimination against women, achieving gender equality and equal rights to economic resources and property ownership. While this goal is well-meaning and brings attention to a key aspect of development, it is also unspecific and lacking effective actions.

Environmental crises themselves can compound pre-existing issues in society. Climate change impacts, such as crop failure, can cause far-reaching food insecurity, putting added stress on women to source enough food to feed their households. Fossil fuel shortages in areas that lack developed infrastructure may burden women, for whom collecting fuel and water to cook for their households is a daily task. As resources become more scarce, women who act as caretakers spend more of their time expending energy searching for what they need to support their families, effectively ensuring that there is no time for them to further their education, pursue their own goals or better their own lives.

Natural disasters and resource conflict can uproot households and leave women more vulnerable to gender-based violence. Consequently, sustainability management programs created to address climate change issues must do a better job of taking local gender dynamics into account, creating safe spaces and rebuilding infrastructure with the dual goal of creating more sustainable habits as well as increased gender equality.

One way of addressing the societal inequities that women face is the establishment of microfinance institutions. Traditional banks require collateral, assets and high credit scores to take out loans, which keeps much of the worlds poorest populations locked within a perpetual cycle of poverty. In recent years, an increasing number of microfinance institutions have been created for marginalized unbanked communities to promote self-sufficiency and income generation. Many microfinance organizations were created specifically for low-income women, providing low-interest microloans and financial literacy information to start their own businesses and provide personal empowerment and autonomy.

Additionally, women are historically underrepresented in seats of political power, making up less than 25% of national parliamentarians worldwide. As a result, in the governance and sustainable management spheres, womens needs and priorities are often overlooked. Establishing patterns of progressive and inclusive decision making is essential for environmental conservation and also for the promotion of womens rights as a whole.

Jacinda Ardern, the recently reelected prime minister of New Zealand, has an ambitious agenda that includes both environmental and womens rights issues, including net zero emissions by 2050, providing free menstrual products in all schools, approving paid leave for miscarriages and establishing a climate commission. One of the worlds youngest prime ministers, Finlands Sanna Marin, is working towards economic, social and environmental sustainability:closing the pay gap between men and women, legislating stricter nationwide rape laws and attempting nationwide carbon neutrality by 2035.

Additionally, more countries around the world, including Finland, are beginning to provide free college education to university students. While this is the start of closing a financial and gender inequality gap in higher education, we need to consider how to adequately address gender biases and inclusivity in educational environments across the globe. Global female illiteracy rates are much higher than men, but every additional year of attending school provides lasting benefits. Going to school can help women earn higher wages and have better professional opportunities, as well as having fewer children and being less vulnerable to domestic violence.

As we begin the arduous process of redesigning our societies for a more sustainable future, more gender-based issues can also be addressed via urban planning. Developers continue to expand and build in the hopes of creating a greener, more sustainable urban utopia.

Designing sustainable and feminist cities are not mutually exclusive. Improving public transportation reduces the use of privately-owned cars, also benefiting women who may be pregnant or mothers who have to drop children off at daycare before heading off to work.

Walkable streets encourage foot traffic and are more accessible for strollers and wheelchairs. Using renewable energy to create extended lighting systems will save energy as well as potentially reduce violent crimes against women at night.

While these are merely a few examples of the intersection of environmentalism and feminism, I say all this with a caveat. Climate change affects groups around the world differently, but it most severely impacts marginalized communities, including women, Black and Indigenous people and people of color, low-income, those in rural, remote, or informal housing, those with disabilities and trans and gender-nonconforming individuals.

To dip briefly back into the theoretical realm, ecofeminism seeks to establish alliances across multiple sectors of struggle. To achieve real gender equality, we must reassess traditional gender roles and question our belief systems. We cannot effectively fight all aspects of climate change without addressing ensuing socio-economic issues and intersectional identities. Solutions need to recognize the individual ways that people around the globe are experiencing the changing climate, resource scarcity, increasing population density and pollution.

Incorporating intersectional feminism into environmental governance, decisions, activism and change is just one of many ways that we can approach societal injustices head-on and design solutions for unique climate problems faced by women.

At its root, climate change is both caused by and affects class struggles, poverty, racial discrimination and other forms of inequity. We must recognize this interconnectedness; fighting for climate justice cannot come without fighting against oppression and injustices on a larger scale. With greater conscientiousness, global leaders, institutions, NGOs and activists can simultaneously promote environmental protection and gender equality.

Montana Denton is a junior writing about environmental issues, sustainability and society. Her column, Triple Bottom Line, runs every other Thursday.

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Triple Bottom Line: Feminism is still relevant and the environmental movement needs it - Daily Trojan Online

Wow! Well, as the old wives used to say, "wonders never cease," The Day paper wants to hear from conservatives "Are you conservative? Don't trust the news? Share your views with The Day."

Really? Seriously? At least some of us can trot out the occasional letter, God forbid you anger liberals in the online comments section just by being factual you are banned.Mentioning someone's thought process as idiocy?That is a no-no.

Some folks (OK, liberals) just do not like their thoughts being labeled as idiocy. We conservatives have been called worse in the comments section, especially if you are a supporter of former President Trump "whoa Nelly!"

This invitation by The Day is interesting to say the least as we fair-election folk, still reeling from defeat in a specious2021 election win by President Joe Biden who granted only limited media access. Wewitnessed a biased press corpsdisplay the worst behavior toward a sitting president in our history, even as that press corps wasgranted unlimited access.

That said, we still believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. The role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals and emphasize empowerment of the individual to solve problems.

Malcolm Jules

Ledyard

Editor's note: You can respond to our poll seeking conservative input by visiting theday.com.

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Press was unfair to Trump conservatives. Now Day wants their views? - theday.com

In their website, it was with this quote from Australian novelist Tim Winton that the scholars of HopeLab@DLSU introduced their work:

There is an assumption that hope is a feeling, but I see it as a discipline... If there is anything in this world that you love, hope is required... To change the conditions that youre faced with... so that hope is plausible, that is your responsibility... even if you are not feeling emotionally hopeful...

The passage encompasses the unique task that the researchers set up for themselves: to inquire into hope as a measurable construct that can be elicited for the purpose of promoting overall psychological well-being, including academic functioning, achievement, etc.

Hope and Well-being

HopeLab researchers position hope as a character strength and a resiliency factor. They have aligned their hope-focused research goals with the UNDPs Sustainable Development Goal of health and well-being for all. This provides greater impetus to focus on preventive and positive psychological approaches to address questions on mental health.

Looking into the consequences of hope on well-being and other positive outcomes has led to collaborations with social scientists from various local and international organizations. Recently, it was with Pampanga-based non- government organization Liferisks, which needed help on developing a free online mental health assessment website that will be used to screen Filipinos who might be at risk for psychological disorders. Liferisks tapped University Fellow and HopeLab Director Dr. Allan B.I. Bernardo who is doing pioneering work on locus-of-hope or hope-related thoughts. Out of an existing set of tests that measures hope as a trait-like concept, Bernardo developed for Liferisks a short state version of the scale or temporal version in English and Filipino. This is supposed to make it easy for Liferisks to administer the test online, while aiming to still have good psychometric properties.

Lasting 10-15 minutes, the test contains a set of questions that will assess sleep quality, well-being, social support, social media use, and anxieties and hopes while being quarantined at home.

There is also a designated questionnaire for frontliners and other medical workers that seeks to keep in mind possible post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in light of their work in the field.

In a similar project, Bernardo is collaborating with The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangdong, China, which is also studying the role of locus-of-hope in the well-being of medical health workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Locus-of-Hope

Bernardos locus-of-hope model extends the Hope Theory of Charles R. Snyder (1994), and takes into account more culturally diverse constructions of agency in hopeful thinking.

The model assumes that hope involves positive thoughts related to ones ability, determination, and strategies in achieving important life goals. It also assumes that agency in goal pursuit involves both internal or personal agency, as well as external or shared agency with ones family, peers, and spiritual or supernatural forces.

As such, the locus-of-hope model defines four dimensions of hope: internal, external- family, external-peer, and external-spiritual loci-of-hope. These are all typically measured using the 40-item scale.

Research on locus-of-hope has revealed positive outcomes of internal and external locus-of-hope dimensions in students, young adolescents, women victims of intimate partner violence, migrant workers, low-skilled workers among other populations in various Asian and North American samples.

Culturally appropriate assessments and interventions

The locus-of-hope model and other research projects by HopeLab scientists have led to culturally appropriate psychological assessments and interventions that have proven especially useful to Filipinos.

These include the translation of depression, anxiety, and stress scales into Filipino, Cebuano, Ilocano, Kapampangan, and Ilonggo (funded by NAST/DOST) and developing hope-building efforts based on locus-of-hope theory that aim to provide low intensity psychological interventions for the mental well-being of local senior high school and university students and teachers.

Future phases of such projects may include mobile phone apps and Internet-based versions to widen their reach.

Far-reaching implications

As part of their objective to contextualize positive psychological concepts and interventions in the Philippine and Asian setting, HopeLab has produced numerous publications about the well-being of Filipino students, OFWs, and low-skilled Filipino workers. It also has research projects involving participants from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, and China.

The extensive output of HopeLab members now range from studies on the well-being of migrant workers to effects of financial stress on students to surveys of character strengths of Filipinos to locus-of-hope among victims of domestic violence.

The implications are far-reaching and not only for the academic pursuit of understanding the cultural dimensions of psychological strengths, or an individuals psychological well-being. Research has unleashed the power of hope as a catalyst, a tool to change lives, by showing a scientific means toward achieving self-improvement, resilience, and personal empowerment.

For more information about HopeLab@DLSU, please visit https://allanbibernardo.wixsite.com/hope-lab-at-dlsu

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Is there reason to hope? - Times Higher Education (THE)

Apr 1, 2021

Alyssa RoenigkESPN

BEFORE HER TEAM'S rotation on balance beam at their final home meet of the regular season, University of Arkansas head coach Jordyn Wieber gathers her gymnasts for a huddle. She asks them to take a collective deep breath, calm their energy and focus on the start and finish of each skill. She reminds them they are ready and resilient. As she speaks, a black face mask obscures all but her dark, expressive eyes.

While most of the 1,241 fans in Barnhill Arena for February's Women's Empowerment Meet in Fayetteville are likely unaware of what she is going through outside of the gym, Wieber's own calm resiliency is on display.

Just 24 hours earlier, former USA Gymnastics coach John Geddert, Wieber's longtime personal coach and the head coach of the 2012 Olympic team on which she was a star, was charged with two dozen crimes. Long seen as one of the chief enablers of USAG team doctor Larry Nassar, who worked at Geddert's gym, Geddert was charged with lying to a police officer about Nassar's decades of sexual abuse. He was also charged with sexual assault, human trafficking and forced labor, and racketeering. As police sought his arrest, Geddert died by suicide at an interstate highway rest stop in Michigan on Feb. 25.

"I immediately thought of Jordyn when I heard the news," says Kathy Johnson Clarke, a former Olympian who calls gymnastics meets for the SEC Network. "I know what it feels like to have a coach, someone you cared about and was so much a part of your success, turn out to be somebody who did so much damage."

Wieber betrays no signs of emotional turmoil at the meet, coaching with the same focus and energy she displays every week. Although she has been open about her experience in elite gymnastics under Geddert, Wieber declined to speak publicly about his death.

"Knowing she had to coach the next day, that's when her training as an elite gymnast kicks in," Johnson Clarke says. "She has that ability to compartmentalize and do amazing things under extraordinarily stressful situations."

Now in her second season at Arkansas, Wieber, 25, carries her past with her in every moment of her young coaching career. She continues to advocate for sexual abuse survivors and speak out about the lack of accountability by organizations such as USAG for the abuse she and hundreds of gymnasts suffered from Nassar under their watch. Drawing on her experience in elite gymnastics -- and the trauma she endured -- Wieber is working to create a compassionate, caring style of coaching still rare in a sport plagued by emotional abuse and overtraining.

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"This style of coaching is a longer process," Wieber says. "The easiest thing for coaches to do is to make their athletes robots and say, 'Do this,' and then make them do it. To find a way to encourage and motivate change versus dictating change is harder, but I truly believe you'll end up with better outcomes and your athletes will become stronger, more resilient human beings."

That night in Fayetteville, and for the second week in a row, Wieber leads her team to a season-high score on floor and an impressive 197.000 overall. The next week, on the road against No. 12 Auburn, the No. 6 Razorbacks score an all-time program high of 197.425 in their win over the Tigers.

But it's not the score Wieber wants to talk about three weeks later from her office on campus. "What stands out to me about that meet is their fight," she says. "It wasn't a perfect meet by any means. But when we competed against Kentucky earlier this year, and they got to the last event on beam and looked up at the scoreboard and saw the potential for a 197, they played tight. They didn't do that at Auburn. That's progress."

WHEN WIEBER FLEW to Fayetteville from Los Angeles to interview for the job in spring 2019, she knew her name alone would not land her the position. Nor would her credentials as a world and Olympic champion. She was 23, barely older than the women she would lead, and her coaching resume reflected only her years as a volunteer assistant at UCLA under longtime head coach Valorie Kondos Field.

In the meeting, Wieber explained she had chosen to remain as an unpaid volunteer with the Bruins rather than seek assistant-coaching positions elsewhere. She wanted to learn from Kondos Field, one of the most successful coaches in the NCAA, known for her positive, empowering style. She also explained her long-term vision to turn the Razorbacks into a national championship contender while establishing a program defined by hard work, communication, openness and joy.

"The culture we all grew up in is you do what you're told when you're told and you don't argue," Wieber says. "The culture we're trying to develop is open and vulnerable and communicative. The way we get our athletes to do that is by modeling communication and vulnerability. It also takes our team leaders being willing to speak up and say things that are uncomfortable. When one person does that, they give permission to others to do the same."

Wieber knows a cultural shift will take time. Her style requires coaches to get to know their athletes on a personal level, set goals and empower them to have agency over their careers. It also requires trust and buy-in from athletes who might be unaccustomed to or even uncomfortable with a coach who enables them to make decisions and doesn't scream or yell when something goes wrong.

In tough moments, when Wieber sees one of her gymnasts struggling, she thinks back to her own days in the gym. "I try to draw on that younger, athlete version of Jordyn and what she needed from a coach that maybe she didn't get," Wieber says.

After accepting the job at Arkansas and becoming one of the youngest head coaches in NCAA history, Wieber hired two-time Olympian Chris Brooks, an assistant at Oklahoma at the time, as one of her top assistants. The two had been in a long-distance relationship for two years, and they'd hoped to coach together one day. (They disclosed their relationship to the university and Brooks reports to a senior administrator rather than to Wieber.)

"When this opportunity came up, I asked him, 'If I get this job, do you want to come with me and do this together?'" Wieber says. She also brought in Catelyn Orel, a 2019 Nebraska graduate, to choreograph floor and coach beam.

"We're all very young, but I really do think we have the best coaching staff in the country," Wieber says. She and her staff can call on their gymnastics experiences more viscerally. They remember what it was like to be young gymnasts seeking compassion and college students struggling to manage classes and athletics.

Wieber set modest goals for their first season: Make super regionals, improve fan interaction on social media and grow crowd size by 25%. During the 2019-2020 regular season, the Gymbacks not only improved home attendance, they set a program record of 5,415 fans per meet, nearly doubling their 2019 numbers. With the SECs approaching, Wieber felt her team was tracking toward accomplishing their postseason goal as well.

Then, on March 12, 2020, she faced her first major challenge as a head coach: navigating the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The timeline of that day was crazy," Wieber says. "We started the day trying to figure out if our senior night meet was going to happen the next day. By the end of the day, the national championship was canceled and our season was done."

On frequent Zoom calls, the coaches and athletes spoke openly about the unique challenges of coming together as a team while being forced to remain apart. "This year is going to prepare them for life. That's what I learned from my career and shared with them," Wieber says. "Some of the injuries and setbacks and abuse that I had to go through made me a stronger person and this pandemic is going to make our gymnasts stronger human beings."

Her gymnasts are buying in, believing they are as good as Wieber tells them they are, and the results are reflecting that belief. "I'm very performance-driven and like to be the best I can be," says senior Sophia Carter, who recently earned All-SEC honors. "Whenever I'm not having my best day, she always encourages me to remember, 'You don't have to be perfect. Just relax and do what you know how to do,' and that helps me."

At the SEC championships in Huntsville, Alabama, in March, the Razorbacks suffered uncharacteristic mistakes on bars and beam, scored a season-low 195.600 and finished last of seven teams. After every meet, Wieber gathers her squad and asks each gymnast and coach what the team did well, what they didn't, and what they can improve or do differently. In Huntsville, Wieber says her athletes admitted to having moments of self-doubt. She reminded them to focus on the small details and trust their preparation.

"I explain it as we're climbing a mountain and every meet, we take one more step," Wieber says. "Sometimes we slide back a little bit. I tell them, 'We don't have to be at the peak of the mountain this weekend. We just have to take one more step."

Heading into regionals on Friday (2 p.m. ET; ESPN3), the Razorbacks -- who were ranked 20th in 2019 -- are now 10th in the nation and third on floor exercise, a remarkable improvement in just two seasons. "I call Jordyn the floor whisperer," says Johnson Clarke. "She's fully transformed that floor team. The amplitude of their skills, their tumbling, their shapes in the air and of course their landings. Even those who were already exceptional are even more so. Her athletes trust her."

THROUGHOUT THE WOMEN'S Empowerment Meet in February, Wieber glances into the stands to see Kondos Field -- who retired from UCLA in 2019 -- typing notes on her phone. Flanked by her husband, former UCLA football coach and athletic director Bobby Field, and Mark Cook -- Wieber's predecessor at Arkansas and Kondos Field's former assistant at UCLA -- Kondos Field has been a supportive staple at every home meet this season. "It's so great to have them here," Wieber says. "Miss Val used to be a phone call away, and now we can just pop over to her house."

After Kondos Field retired in 2019, she and Bobby began discussing relocating out of Los Angeles. Field played strong safety at Arkansas, so the return to Fayetteville, 50 years later, is a full-circle move for the couple. "Now that we're all retired, we're having a ball," Kondos Field says. "It's not just me mentoring her, but this family unit helping her figure this out together."

Although she purposefully stays away from the practice gym, Kondos Field offers frequent advice and an ear. "One thing I love about her mentorship is she never gives me the answers or tells me what I should do," Wieber says. "She always asks, 'What do you think?' And then she pushes me in the direction of what's true and authentic to me."

Kondos Field also brings the fan's perspective to meets. "One of the things Miss Val did really well at UCLA was produce the show," Wieber says. "Having her in the stands gives me a great perspective of what our show is like and how we can make it better."

After attending her first meet, Kondos Field suggested placing spotlights on the coaches when their names are announced. She encouraged Wieber to address and thank the fans on the microphone after each competition. She also impressed upon her former volunteer assistant the importance of making sure she and her assistant coaches don't show up dressed alike. "All of those details matter," Kondos Field says.

Wieber has taken her advice on nearly every point. What stands out most to Kondos Field, though, is Wieber's quiet confidence in herself and her team.

When she recently asked Wieber what she planned to wear to the NCAA championships, which will require the 10th-ranked Razorbacks to knock out either No. 7 Alabama or No. 1 Oklahoma at regionals, Kondos Field says Wieber didn't flinch. "She didn't say, 'Well, let's see if we make NCAAs first.' She just said, 'Well, what do you think about white pants and a red top?'"

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Jordyn Wieber survived abuse, and is now out to change gymnastics culture - ESPN

Photo: In the Indian state of Karnataka, the social enterprise Project Defy work to create nooks, i.e. learning environments where learners can learn new skills and design their own education programs.

In its 72 years of independence, India has shown its unprecedented prowess in building a modern, democratic nation. It has lifted millions out of poverty, is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and has increased its global influence by becoming a member of the G20 and the BRICS. More recently, it has played a central role in providing the world with COVID-19 vaccines as it has one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturing capacities in the world.

However, whats so unfortunate and saddening for a country making such strides on a global scale is that its gender gap is big, and it continues to grow wider.

The 2020 Global Gender Gap report says that India is the only country in the world where the economic gender gap is larger than the political gender gap. Only 25 percent of women participate in the labor market, one of the lowest participation rates across the globe. And, female estimated earned income is a meager one-fifth of male income, which also contributes to them among the lowest wage earners in the world.

Social change in womens status is crucial for India to continue its progress; empowering them economically can play a significant role in realizing womens rights and narrowing the gender gap. An example of an ecosystem that is playing an increasingly important role in economically empowering women is the social enterprise space.

Social enterprise is a really powerful force for womens empowerment and its still under-utilized, says Mark Richardson of Social Impact Consulting, who led the research of a British Council report on the role of social enterprise in supporting womens empowerment in India.

The report found that social enterprise is playing a growing role in womens empowerment by developing womens skills, providing employment and giving women a voice in their community. According to the report, of women who started a social enterprise 80 percent felt an increased sense of worth, 82 percent reported increased confidence and 49 percent said it made them feel they could make their own choices.

According to Amani Institute India, nearly 25 percent of all social enterprises in India are led by women, compared to less than 10 percent of commercial small and medium enterprises that have a woman at the helm. Women in India are often subject to discrimination from their families, communities, and investors when compared to their male peers. This issue is even more severe for women social entrepreneurs because social entrepreneurship can be stigmatized as being unprofitable, said Shehzia Lilani, the Country Director of Amani Institute India.

Assessing the needs of Indian women social entrepreneurs, the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai helped to launch the Womens Global Development Prosperity initiative (WGDP). The program establishes a platform that can give women social entrepreneurs access to information, capital, mentorship and other such opportunities they lack in social and commercial enterprises.

And so was born the Women in Indian Social Entrepreneurship Network (WISEN), a platform to support female social entrepreneurs from all over India. Designed and facilitated by Amani Institute India, in collaboration with ANDE India (Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs), and with funding support from the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, WISEN is the first of its kind formal network.

I am a first-generation graduate from a marginalized community. I had very few opportunities for my personal and professional development. I joined this national level network to explore my potential and learn from a team of women who crossed several milestones in their life. From Amanis capacity building sessions, I realized the importance of my wellbeing, and the energy I had, said M. Padmavathi, a managing trustee of the nonprofit COROAT and member of WISEN.

As the primary capacity building partner for WISEN, we designed a 6-month, online program that offered 40 women entrepreneurs a platform to access trainings, mentoring and coaching sessions, collaborative projects and community building initiatives, said Lilani.

ANDE brought in subject matter experts who delivered masterclasses for the women entrepreneurs. Formal peer support groups have been known to be great pillars of support in an entrepreneurs journey, and research showed us that women entrepreneurs did not enjoy access to the same kinds of networks as their male counterparts. This made the creation of WISEN a necessary step to strengthen the ecosystem for women entrepreneurs, elaborated Sucharita Kamath, India Chapter Manager at ANDE.

Furthermore, the pandemic added another threat to the survival of social enterprises, increasing the necessity of support networks to overcome challenges.

With the disruptions caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the business and organizational realities of all 40 women entrepreneurs changed. Keeping this in mind, we redesigned the WISEN program with the objective of making it relevant and immediately applicable for the selected women entrepreneurs. We wanted to create a self-sustaining network for women entrepreneurs who were leading their organizations through a pandemic, Lilani added.

Megha Bhagat, a co-founder of the social enterprise Project Defy and another member of WISEN, said, Networking with a purpose in an ecosystem built for men is far less cumbersome with women networking platforms like WISEN. Entrepreneurship has a gendered experience and finding groups that have women entrepreneurs holding each other up is quite a task. WISEN is an attempt to change that, to allow the gendered experience to find a brilliant circle of trailblazers,

We received over 215 applications from which we selected 40 entrepreneurs for the program that represented diversity in region, sector, organizational maturity and experience within the cohort. 41 percent of the entrepreneurs ran non-profit organizations, 51 percent ran for-profit organizations and the remaining had hybrid business models. Some organizations were as young as two years and some had over 10 years of existence. This led to fantastic opportunities for cross-pollination and experience sharing within the cohort. We will continue to actively recruit new members on a quarterly basis, concludes Lilani.

WISEN is currently looking for new partners to help carry the network forward and provide additional resources to its members.

Image credit: Project Defy

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Empowering Women and Social Enterprise in India so Both Can Thrive During the Pandemic - Triple Pundit

The rebrand was driven by two factors: changing nature of vulnerability, with more people needing support more often on account of the effects of climate change and other natural and social issues; and a generational shift in the nature of giving, which impacting the organisation with young people more motivated to contribute.

The stripped back, modern and minimal design system and guidelines, including a suite of strong, distinctive brand assets, support the central brand positioning, We are what we do. While worthy, Red Cross global tagline, The power of humanity could be overwhelming for supporters. Principals in-house brand voice agency XXVI evolved the tagline to, Act for humanity, which gives people a sense of personal empowerment. This led to the development of a brand voice and narrative to complement the new strategy, identity and tagline.

The refreshed brand builds on and makes sense of Red Cross fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. It transforms these principles into practice and rallies people to act for humanity, says strategy director at Principals, Moensie Rossier.

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Australian Red Cross reveals refreshed brand positioning - 2021 - Articles - Transform magazine

In a society that has become consumed with a me-first attitude and a desire to get ahead at all costs, it is refreshing to find individuals who are devoted to creating a better world where business leaders and entrepreneurs believe in inclusiveness and selflessness. They practice transformational leadership and entrepreneurship which are ideas that promote emotional empowerment and social value for the world.

Transformational entrepreneur George Mason Lantay is one such leader who is committed to making a global impact. Lantay, who is the founder of Heroes of Purpose, a masterclass for coaches, healers, and personal development experts to help them grow their business, believes in transformational entrepreneurship as a tool for a better world. He has served as CEO in 4 successful transformational company launches, was featured in Mindvalley for his work in bridging transformation with business and has coached bestselling authors and award-winning coaches in his 10 years of professional experience in the transformational industry.

Too often, entrepreneurs practice a separation mindset. They do not combine the transformational work they do for clients with the everyday components of their business. This often makes leaves them out of touch and stuck. Lantay shares his suggestions on how entrepreneurs who want to be a part of a changing world can achieve transformation in their business. These points are further expounded on in his Heroes of Purpose masterclass.

Show Up as The Person Your Clients Want to Work With

Lantay expresses that leaders who show up fully are one of the only things that matter. He encourages participants in his program to embody the full potential of who they are meant to be while structuring their work in a way that changes the lives of their clients and leaves the entrepreneur with personal time to develop. Great business leaders must hone their ability to step into the person they are.

Connect Deeply with Your Ideal Clients

Intertwined with showing up is forming a deep connection with clients. Deep connections with clients foster customer loyalty and most importantly trust. When clients trust you, they will continue to work with you. Lantay, who also actively lives by this rule when dealing with his own clients, consistently encourages them to become crystal clear on who their ideal or soulmate clients are. Participants should discover the deepest challenges and desires of these clients and learn to enroll them in a program from a place of life-changing leadership. According to Lantay, people who come to me dont want to grow their business just with a coach. They want to do so in a community of like-minded leaders who lift each other up. This then translates into the way that people deal with their customers.

Choose Emotional Empowerment

Georges work combines grounded strategy with emotional empowerment to enable his clients to achieve results ranging from booking out their practice to 10xing their income and feeling like a completely upgraded versions of themselves. This after only a couple of months working with him. Once youve made a connection with your clients and understand how you can serve them, this will help you to attract clients consistently on autopilot. By doing so, you can achieve effortless flow in all aspects of business and focus on the parts of your venture that you love. Lantay believes that transformational leaders can create the life they want for themselves without sacrificing the emotional aspects of their humanity.

Thats why emotional empowerment is such an integral part of the Heroes of Purpose. We can use whatever strategies and frameworks we want, however, what truly makes people succeed is how powerfully they are able to express themselves and how deeply they are able to listen, shared George.

George wants to empower all who are willing to take the leap to become transformational leaders in their business and, by extension, make the world a better place for each and every one of us.

Published April 2nd, 2021

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Innovative Transformational Entrepreneur Shares his Vision for a Better World - Influencive

Robert Wun has three words to describe his ethereal designs: Escapism, futurism and feminism. Born and raised in Hong Kong, the designer studied womenswear at the prestigious London College of Fashion before launching his eponymous label in 2014. The 29-year-old has since established an otherworldly aesthetic thats caught the attention of Solange, Lady Gaga, Cardi B and Cline Dion, to name but a few.

With female empowerment at the core of his ethos, Wun is renowned for inventive, cutting-edge designs that celebrate the female form. For autumn/winter 2021, he unveiled an ode to the most important women in his life and, as always, everything is precision-cut genius. The collection is called Armour and its a tribute to my grandmother, who passed away last year. I wanted to create an army to go to heaven with her, he says. Every look is named after a woman in my life whos inspired me, from my sister and my mum to all of my good friends.

Ahead of the collection launch via his website, Vogue caught up with the designer over Zoom from his east London studio to discuss how the industry has so much further to go when it comes to genuine inclusivity, who hes loved seeing wear his clothes and how his latest collection is his most heart-wrenchingly personal one yet.

CEICILIA

Courtesy of Robert Wun

When I was 11, I met a cool girl a few years older than me at my familys church who started a course in fashion design and she changed my perception of everything. Then I started getting into thrift shopping and customising my own clothes.

I always felt that I needed to get out of there to finally be my true self. Now, I see that my culture gave me a strong work ethic, which is definitely something I carry with me to this day.

EVE

Courtesy of Robert Wun

I remember my first lesson, I was told to my face that my portfolio was very childish, which knocked me down. But I started looking around and understanding what it meant to be good, and I just picked it all up myself. I wouldnt be who I am right now or still living here if I didnt love this city. Even though London is multicultural, as a foreigner, if you want to be on top of the game, you always have to work harder.

After I graduated in 2012, I started doing freelance jobs, but I was already making my first collection in my bedroom. Through a photographer friend I met an investor who believed in the vision and gave me the money to start my business. But a couple of years later, my sister saved enough to buy them out, so now the company is owned by me and her.

LOKYIU

Courtesy of Robert Wun

Its a celebration of feminism and femininity, which doesnt mean its only for women, either. Interestingly, [the woman] hasnt changed that much its still that crazy bitch living in another dimension whos powerful, controversial and owns every room.

I lost my grandmother in October last year and it changed my life. I slept in the same room as her from the moment I was born until I left Hong Kong that is how close we were. Everything I love about women and feminism is because of her. I photographed it all because I wanted to close the chapter beautifully on my own.

MITSU

Courtesy of Robert Wun

It was about playing with material that looked like metal to create the illusion of wearing armour, but its actually made out of fabric. The swallow bird detail is because its my grandmothers favourite bird from Hainan Island, China, where shes from. Through the armour, theres a softness of a pleat that cuts into a swallowtail shape, so theres always that mixture between strength and something as delicate and light as a birds tail.

When Celestes song, Little Runaway, came out last year, it was around the time I lost my grandmother, so that was what I played most during that period. It encouraged me to do something about the grief and make this collection happen.

NAOMI

Courtesy of Robert Wun

I loved seeing Awkwafina and Solange in my work. The Cline Dion moment was also something special, my mum and dad were so excited about it. I would love to dress Yseult I love everything she stands for.

The biggest shake-up the industry needs is to be held accountable for using diversity and inclusivity as a token. Why not put diverse people in key positions and give them real power? That way, you can truly celebrate them and not just tick a box.

ZHONG LIN

Courtesy of Robert Wun

Youve got to work really hard and learn the business side of things as soon as possible its stressful, but once you find the balance it helps you design better. Call your family, always. Please dont ignore their calls. And most importantly, remember that you dont need anyone to validate you and what you do.

More from British Vogue:

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Robert Wuns Futuristic AW21 Collection Is An Ode To His Grandmother - British Vogue

CARY, N.C.-

Auto Remarketingis recognizingthe 2021 Women in Remarketing honorees in theMarch issue of the magazine, and will be posting Q&As with each of these outstanding leaders on the website.

Next up is Pamela Patton, who isarea vice president at ACV Auctions.

Auto Remarketing:What do you enjoy most about working in the remarketing industry? But, also, what aspect(s) of the business would you change and how?

Pamela Patton:The remarketing world is a fascinating environment. Its fast-paced yet intricately detailed; personality is king (queen) and personal relationships are crucial; it only thrives when individual contributions and strategic teamwork harmonize.

Working in remarketing has allowed me to take advantage of my strengths: relationship-building, leadership, quick decision-making and problem-solving. Byways of relationship-building, I was able to build a strong relationship with the Greater Pittsburgh Auto Dealers Association (GPADA) and was nominated to be on the GPAD Foundation board of trustees in 2020. I am currently the first ACV employee to be asked to be on any of the associations boards.

AR:What are some improvements that need to be made in the industry from a diversity and inclusion perspective? What are some examples youve seen of D&I programs that have worked?

Patton:ACVs diversity engagement and inclusion department was established to recognize, strengthen and maximize the power of diversity. DE&I focuses on attracting, engaging and developing the careers of women, veterans and people of color in every department within our organization, in every area of the country. Were figuratively building a longer table to include voices and ideas not typically showcased in the once-antiquated auto industry. (And hopefully, post-COVID, ACV will literally build a longer table so we can get these great minds together in person!)

We host community outreach events, local fundraisers and diversity training for ACV teammates with that goal in mind. I would love to see more panels and programs like this to bring diversified talent into our markets.

Empowering and strengthening women and minorities will be the key to continued momentum. Onward and upward!

AR: Describe a time when you were either a mentor or a mentee, and how that has shaped your career.

Patton:As the first woman in a VP role at ACV, I really understand how crucial it is to LISTEN. Every employee and client has a world outside of work families, friends, hobbies, goals and fears. We are more than just work and a person feeling valued is imperative to build a strong team and solid partnerships. As a mentor to many women within the automotive industry, my goal is to remind them that listening to and getting to know your employees, colleagues and clients will fortify each relationship.

Leading with listening has shaped how I conduct myself personally and professionally and that mentality has forged many friendships and business developments. Ive been in automotive sales for 20-plus years, but Ive been alive a little longer I learned early on that listening is both empowering and empowerment. I try to live that and lead that everyday.

AR: Describe a time in your career where you were challenged and how you overcame that challenge.

Patton: What Im about to say is not an industry secret: this world is STRESSFUL! Regardless of title, role or capacity, the high stakes and high reward come with hard conversations. Whether issues are inherited or uncovered, those conversations will NOT make you everyones favorite (at that moment.)

The difference between being a manager and a leader is believing in yourself and your decisions. Those decisions wont make everyone happy nor will they make sense to everyone initially, but making hard judgement calls and addressing issues head-on is the key to overcoming challenges. Rip the Band-Aid off to become a great manager; dress the wound to become a great leader.

AR: What is the top trend/storyline in the remarketing industry that youre watching this year?

Patton:I cant wait to see how every area of remarketing, whether it be wholesale, retail, DMS, advertising or financing, transforms in the digital (COVID) age. There are so many brilliant minds and ideas that now have the chance to capitalize on our socially distanced protocols.

This industry has been evolving slowly, however the last year has proven that the fastest to adapt to digital will rise to the top. Im looking forward to watching ACV Auctions continue to lead with technology in 2021.

AR: What is something you would tell your younger self if you could go back to when you started your career in remarketing?

Patton: Great question! I would definitely have told myself to continue to push through and continue to put in the hard work. It all pays off. ACV Auctions has done an exceptional job at proving that women DO have a place in the automotive industry. We have women managing territories, regions and on our executive board. I have found success in a male- dominated industry by having a strong work ethic, knowing the importance of what our partners need to be successful and entrenching relationships within our dealer partners.

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Women in Remarketing: Pamela Patton of ACV Auctions - Auto Remarketing

Taika Waititi, Chris Hemsworth, Elsa Pataky, Isla Fisher and Russell Crowe watch the Rabbitohs take on the Roosters on the weekend.Credit:Getty Images

In the same month, NSW National Party MP Andrew Gee was treated to lunch and a day pass inside a council suite to the Bathurst 500 event.

And in the race of parliamentary sporting gifts, Victorian Labor MP Julian Hill gets the wooden spoon. He was gifted an unstringed tennis racquet - a Yonex Ezone 98 blue racquet from the NK Foundation. Like all crap presents, he promptly gave it away to the Hallam Tennis Club. At least they could find a use for it.

A recurring issue regarding the industry-super backed New Dailys links with the ABC has reared its head again.

On Monday, 730 hosted a special focusing on retirement and superannuation presented by the ABCs finance presenter Alan Kohler, who also moonlights as a contributor to The New Daily, which is wholly owned by Industry Super Holdings. Previews for Kohlers four-part special on the subject gave a clear indication of the angle he was taking. In one clip, former prime minister Paul Keating declared superannuation is about personal empowerment while several experts expressed concerns about Aussies not having enough in retirement savings. Surely Industry Super Holdings wouldnt have scripted it any better themselves.

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So would the program carry a disclaimer announcing Kohlers side hustle on Monday?

Well, kind of. An ABC spokeswoman said the program would carry a back announce saying Kohler also writes columns for The New Daily which is financially backed by industry super funds. It would also note his role as editor in chief for online financial website InvestSMART.

But the ABC is comfortable with his role at TND, they added. Its not unusual for ABC presenters who are not full-time staff members to undertake work for other media organisations, they said. Non-ABC work is always referred to the relevant manager for approval and any possible conflict of interest is taken into account to ensure the ABCs policies and expectations are adhered to.

Our dear friends at the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility faced a polite Senate inquisition last week with aplomb. Until one particular question killed the mood.

As CBD wrote last week, the federal governments Cairns-based development financier, which provides loans to projects in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia, has just lost its chairman as well as attracted the attention of the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

Senators were told that chairman Khory McCormick resigned on February 25 effective immediately but did not provide a reason for his departure to Northern Australia minister Keith Pitt. He leaves months before all board positions including the chair are due for renewal on June 30.

Smoothie CEO Chris Wade did a good job defending his restructures and rising redundancy bill, but when Queensland Labor Senator Murray Watt asked if there were any reports within the organisation about bullying or harassment, Wade cautiously read out an answer from a script.

It wish I could assist the Senator but I am mindful of the protections provided to disclosers under the Public Interest Disclosure Act including confidentiality in relation to the identity of the discloser and the subject matters of the disclosures. I would not wish to undermine these protections in this forum.

He took the questions on notice so he could seek legal advice. But given Wade was reading from a prepared statement, it seemed he had received quite a bit of advice already.

Wade said the Commonwealth Ombudsman had completed an investigation into NAIF after receiving a public interest disclosure. But questions about the nature of the investigation and NAIFs response sent him scurrying back to his prepared statement, which he repeated two further times.

CBD has no information, and does not wish to suggest, that the Ombudsmans report is in any way linked to the chairmans departure. But we are keen to see Wades written response to the senators questions.

An earlier version of this story said Andrew Gee was a Liberal Senator. He is the Nationals member for Calare.

Samantha is a CBD columnist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. She recently covered Victorian and NSW politics and business for News Corp, and previously worked for the Australian Financial Review.

Stephen Brook is a CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He is a former features editor and media editor at The Australian, where he wrote the Media Diary column and spent six years in London working for The Guardian.

Original post:

Laming still in The Club at Virgin, Qantas - Sydney Morning Herald

We are looking at multiple approaches that will allow us to lead the market in a transformation driven by end-to-end IoT solution, cryptocurrencies, and central banks, and our partnership with Ethernom is an important first step in the process.

TUSTIN, Calif. (PRWEB) April 02, 2021

Nesten, an IoT communications company specializing in IoT tokens (NIT) and blockchain IoT networks, announces a strategic partnership with Ethernom, Inc., a leading provider of the worlds most secure biometric smart cards. This strategic collaboration marks Nestens latest advancement in developing a trusted and expansive community-based communications network with a fully-functioning financial ecosystem. By integrating the capability for individuals to store and manage crypto tokensincluding Nestens NIT tokensecurely and conveniently, Nesten and Ethernom are further cementing the critical role of user empowerment in digital, decentralized architectures.

Cryptocurrency and crypto tokens as the future of finance

The future of digital currency as a viable option for financial transactions is already here, thanks to its growing adoption by central banks, national governments, and major global corporations. The primary functionality of cryptocurrency is to provide a secure digital mechanism to store financial assets and allow transactions without traditional paper money. The added benefits also include near-anonymity and minuscule fees as well as user convenience.

Like cryptocurrency, crypto tokens can store valuable assets that can be used as payment for goods and services. Furthermore, crypto tokens can offer smart contract functionality and intelligence beyond financial storage. For instance, tokens can be tailored and optimized to address specific needs in a variety of industries while providing governance mechanisms for financial integrity.

Addressing the challenges of cryptocurrency

Several challenges however currently face the broader adoption and acceptance of cryptocurrency and crypto tokens, including their liquidity and usability; transaction delays and fees; security and transparency issues in standard blockchain networks; and their cumbersome conversion process to fiat currency or other types of cryptocurrencies, which requires setting up a web-based exchange or a digital wallet on a smartphone.

The need for a timely, manageable, and secure way to convert between currencies has grown more apparent and more urgent as Nesten continues to introduce advanced IoT and blockchain technologies to strategic use cases in the real-world economy. NIT, Nestens IoT token, was developed to address specialized needs for the emerging IoT sensor economy, empowering individuals to monetize their unique capacities to produce marketable sensor content. NIT tokens offer data providers and their customers a reliable, secure method of exchanging value and paying for data.

In combining Nestens decentralized network and NIT tokensboth of which boast security unprecedented within the blockchain spherewith Ethernoms biometric recognition smart card technology in a user-friendly format, Nesten and Ethernom are now poised to meet all of these challenges and more as they pave the way for mainstream transitions to cryptocurrency.

As cryptocurrencies and IoT sensors increase in their utilities, we want to be ready for the inevitable onramp of transformation, says Dr. Andrew Baek, Nesten CEO and CTO. We are looking at multiple approaches that will allow us to lead the market in a transformation driven by end-to-end IoT solution, cryptocurrencies, and central banks, and our partnership with Ethernom is an important first step in the process.

Better blockchain for a more secure and functional ecosystem

With a radical approach to data management and security, a self-sustaining ecosystem, and industry-leading technology, Nestens rapidly expanding network and IoT token (NIT) are the ideal combination for normalizing and streamlining the integration of cryptocurrency. Multiple layers of blockchain are linked together to facilitate the independent, reliable, and secure functioning of every network element, as well as ensure the perpetual and invulnerable storage of encrypted data. This enables myriad economic activities necessitated by the transition to a more community-based environment.

Nestens NIT, or New IoT Token, serves as the foundation for the networks financial architecture. Unlike other cryptocurrencies, Nestens permissioned blockchain is scalable, operates semi-independently of public blockchains, and processes transactions nearly instantaneously at only a fraction of standard transaction fees.

Smart cards for managing cryptocurrency

Smart cards are an increasingly popular method for managing the cryptographic keys tied to cryptocurrency because they allow the private keys of the parity system to be stored in a physically separate location from the public keys. (Both the public and private keys are necessary for maintaining, securing, and transferring cryptocurrency or digital assets.)

Smart cards are blockchain-based devices featuring an embedded integrated circuit or microcontroller that supports a broad range of processes including authentication, data storage, and personal identification. The card is activated when it connects with a smart card reader via radio frequency interface (RFI), near-field communication (NFC), or direct physical contact, such as during an ATM or point-of-sale transaction. Data is then exchanged between the smart card and the card reader.

Ethernoms smart cardone of the most unique and advanced crypto smart cards currently availableis built in a credit card format, making it portable and personal. Integrated functionalities include security features like fingerprint and e-ink display for user interaction as well as cryptographic encryption for enhanced security. Enabled to support low-power protocols like Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and NFC, Ethernoms card can last several months on a single battery charge under a typical use scenario, minimizing user maintenance.

Most importantly, the Ethernom cards provide a cryptographic Application Programming Interface (API) to extend support for multiple cryptocurrencies, including Nesten's NIT. This streamlines the conversion, storage, and management processes for cryptocurrency and crypto token holders into a single, simple operation.

Integrating smart cards with blockchain technology

The partnership between Nesten and Ethernom will now allow cryptocurrency owners the flexibility and convenience of using digital currency like fiat currency. Instead of relying on their smartphones for paymenta precarious situation where all sensitive data is consolidated on a single device, the security of which can be compromised by hackers or other forms of data theftindividuals can use their Ethernom smart card like a debit card at a cryptocurrency ATM-type machine or kiosk where they can instantly convert their digital holdings to various crypto tokens or even withdraw cash.

While Nesten persists in its commitment to growing a decentralized IoT communications network, its core mission remains to empower people with both a trusted platform and the toolslike the Ethernom smart cardto optimize it.

Nesten is building a unique and innovative ecosystem with an advanced blockchain solution, says Hock Law, CEO and president of Ethernom, Inc. As its user base continues to expand, Nesten is constantly searching for ways to help its users benefit from participation, and the team at Ethernom is delighted to work with such talent and commitment toward achieving that goal.

The collaboration between Nesten and Ethernom is a necessary step toward transforming next-generation blockchain networks into viable financial systems positioned to meet monetary challenges of the future. Not only will the partnership improve the utility, unification, and convenience of the Nesten network, but it will also expand the use cases possible for real-world applications of cryptocurrency.

You can read more about Nestens network expansion, current use cases, and additional partnerships:

Semtech collaborationhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005271/en/Semtech-and-Nesten-Deploy-LoRa%C2%AE-based-Wireless-Infrastructure-Nationwide

Partnership with PNI Sensor for shared parkinghttps://www.prweb.com/releases/nesten_announces_strategic_collaboration_with_pni_sensor_to_bring_blockchain_economics_to_iot_connected_shared_parking/prweb17444896.htm

Coverage in Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Areahttps://www.prweb.com/releases/nesten_inc_announces_lorawan_network_in_dallas_fort_worth_metroplex/prweb17088860.htm

White paper contribution on LoRaWAN and WiFi roaming https://lora-alliance.org/in-the-news/lora-alliancer-and-wireless-broadband-alliance-demonstrate-increase-market-opportunity

Nesten vision on IoThttps://www.entrepreneur.com/article/341451

About Nesten

Nesten, Inc. is a privately-held company based in Tustin, CA. The company specializes in IoT-optimized blockchains and communications networks that redefine the wireless landscape into one that places participants at the center of data generation, transmission, and trading. Since early 2019, the company has deployed hundreds of its advanced computing wireless nodes, establishing significant coverage footprints in New York; New Jersey; California; the Dallas and Houston metro areas; suburban Washington, DC; and Seoul, South Korea. To learn more, please visit http://www.nesten.io.

About Ethernom

Ethernom, Inc. is a privately-held company based in Carlsbad, CA. Ethernom was formed in 2018 by system on a chip (SoC) experts who saw an opportunity to build an SoC-based platform that could be used for personal identity, security and biometric authentication applications as well as other applications requiring secure personal data storage and privacy in a Card/Wearable device format. Ethernoms design employs state-of-the-art low power silicon to produce a practical Biometric Smart Card with exceptionally long battery life and provide unprecedented security and ease of use for a variety of applications. Ethernoms smart biometric cards can be deployed as part of the Ethernom end-to-end ecosystem or integrated as a secure edge product to existing network infrastructure. More info on Ethernom and its smart cards can be found at https://ethernom.com/

For more information on Nestens blockchain IoT technologies and the partnership between Nesten and Ethernom, contact:

Danielle Suhdanielle@nesten.iohttp://nesten.io/

Read more:

Nesten Announces Strategic Partnership with Ethernom to Introduce Advanced Biometric Smart Cards to support Nesten's IoT Token (NIT) and Network...

NEW YORK, April 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The world of Online life coaching is starting to pick up momentum in the current age of this pandemic. Mindset is arguably the foundation of all achievement, and during this crazy year of 2021, it showed that people from across the globe should have some solid foundations in order to achieve success and peace of mind.

According to Building Your Authority, there is a simple and effective way for those looking to capitalise on this pandemic to stay informed with whats working. Keeping up with the select few female life coaches, Each with their own unique methods and coaching styles will give your wellness and mindset the advantage it needs during times like this.

However, as it is often challenging to find an online life coach arena that we can resonate with, identifying true experts from the crowd can be a difficult task. To make things easier to navigate, we have compiled the following list:

1.Lisa Leit (@happywholehuman)

Lisa Leit, Ph.D., MCC is the Founder of the Happy Whole Human (HWH) Institute of Holistic Wellness, an expert in the field of developmental psychology, and a Master Certified Coach. Recognized as one of the 2021 Top Visionaries in Healthcare by the IFAH, she has worked with individuals, couples, families, and leadership teams of organizations to overcome obstacles and live happy, whole lives for 16 years. The validated HWH Self-Assessment program is based on Lisas doctoral research on interpersonal psychology and at the University of Texas at Austin and works with 2000+ clients and students. In customized group initiatives, including high impact coaching and management consulting, her unique HAPPY WHOLE HUMAN (HWH) holistic wellness assessment program identifies and addresses hidden risk factors to health and fosters meaningful, measurable, and lasting results for individuals and teams. Lisa offers a DIY Happy Whole Human online program, and individual, family, and team coaching.

2. Helen Godfrey (@helengodfrey)

Helen Godfrey, MA, NCC, BCC is the founder of The Authentic Path and has been in the career services industry since 2000. She offers virtual career and life coaching via phone or secure video. She loves to help clients figure out who they are, what they want, and how to explain it to others. Her career coaching services include: resume critiques, LinkedIn profile reviews, job search strategies, interviewing skills (one of her favourite things), cover letters, and figuring out a career path. You can find a list of her coaching methods here:

Her life coaching services cover topics such as setting achievable goals and working through specific challenges such as time management, procrastination, and organizational skills. To find out more on how Helen can transform your life you can take a look at her E-documents here, Or You can find her and watch 2 workshops that were presented for IEEE with universal messages regarding writing a resume and interviewing skills.

3.Patrycja (@blisswithtrish)

With a deep passion and drive for helping others, Patrycja's journey took her in all different directions, until she found her purpose. Having been in an abusive, toxic relationship, which led to all kinds of issues including anxiety and low self-esteem, it took Patrycja years of personal development to take back control of her life, and reclaim the life she knew she deserved. "The moment I freed myself I focused very heavily on personal development and self-improvement. That's when my spiritual journey began along with finding myself during my solo trips," Patrycja explained. Her company BlisswithTrish, is all about increasing your confidence and creating more ease, flow, and abundance in your business. Using advanced coaching methods combining Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Clinical Hypnotherapy, Emotional Freedom Techniques and T.I.M.E. Techniques, Patrycja is able to create deep, lasting transformations - helping you unleash your inner badass. Patrycja's passion, drive and ability to connect with others has been paramount in the success of both her and her clients, helping them create massive shifts in both their lives and business.

4. Chelsea Blackburn (@chelseaaabri)

Chelsea Blackburn is a life and love coach for people with endometriosis. As the founder and CEO of Endo Babe Empowerment, she helps people with endometriosis learn to live well and find purpose beyond their pain by guiding them in areas of health, relationships, mindset, and spirituality. With her unique perspective, she helps people with endometriosis look at their pain through a new lens and empowers them to become leaders in all areas of their life. Chelsea is also the host of the Endo Babe Podcast where she shares empowering conversations with leading experts including endometriosis excision specialist Dr. Andrew Cook among others. Through her 1:1 coaching program, she works with clients heavily on their mentality around endometriosis, self-love, and chronic pain to help them cope with their endometriosis in new ways, deepen their understanding and connection to themselves and others, cultivate meaningful relationships, and lean into pleasure despite their pain.

5. Julie Rivera (@coachingwithjulz)

Julie Rivera is the founder of Coaching with Julz and the co-host of a podcast called Our Chic Chat. As a Life Coach, Julie helps others step into the vision they see for their own life getting rid of self-limiting beliefs. Focusing on mindset transformation clients can expect to be able to identify and remove the obstacles standing in their way of achieving personal or professional goals. It wasnt until Julie received coaching herself that she was able to spring into action and change her own life. Learning that Life happens FOR me and not TO me was a game-changer. This passion has helped cultivate her mission to continue to spread the message through her own coaching practice.

Compiled by Lloyd Reader (@lj_readar) Of Building Your Authority

Media DetailsContact: Michael FraserCompany: Building Your AuthorityPhone: 250-997-1822Email: mike@buildingyourauthority.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/770aab60-46a3-4fe4-ac5f-f4cb130796cf

Originally posted here:

Top 5 Female Life Coaches In The USA That Can Transform Your Life In 2021 - GlobeNewswire

The Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court allowed a transgender individual to contest a village panchayat election from a seat reserved for women stating that she has the right to self-perceived gender identity. A single-judge Bench of Justice Ravindra Ghuge on January 2 pronounced the order. Anjali Guru Sanjana Jaans nomination had been rejected because she was not accepted as a woman. The court said that the authorities must not have been aware of the law the much-criticised Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 permits a transgender individual to have a right to self-perceived gender identity. "In the present case, the petitioner has opted for the female gender as her self-perceived gender identity and also makes a statement that henceforth in her lifetime, she would not switch over to (the) male gender driven by opportunism and would continue to opt for the female gender, in future, save and except if there is a reservation provided for transgenders in public life," the judge said.

While Jaan got to contest the election, the number of transgender candidates who have contested in any Indian election so far is negligible. According to the 2011 Census, there are 4,87,803 trans-individuals in India (a number that is most likely to have increased considerably since) but their representation in politics has been close to non-existent. Very few trans-individuals have braved all odds and contested elections but fewer have succeeded. Shabnam Bano aka Shabnam Mausi won an assembly seat in the Madhya Pradesh State Legislative Assembly in 1998 and was in office till 2003. A film was also made based on her life. After Shabnam, Kamala Jaan from Raigarh in Chattisgarh became the Mayor in 2000 and Madhu Kinnar won the same post in 2015. But there has been no representation from the community in the Parliament to date.

While Indians recognise transgenders as a part of their society, they have not been completely mainstreamed yet. The Aam Aadmi (not the party) still does not appear to be open to the idea of a trans person as their representative the reasons range from societal taboo to lack of trust in their abilities to fulfil their duties while in a position of power. The stereotypes imposed on the community by civil society continue to deny them access to opportunities. Even if a few individuals make it through and attain education, become competent for a job, their story is not highlighted. Indian society likes to look at the community through a lens of pity and treat them as destitutes. There have been some major judicial and legislative changes in the past decade or two the NALSA (National Legal Services Authority vs Union of India) judgment was pronounced on April 15, 2014, then came the Trans Act 2019 which was criticised for its lack of sensitivity and was later revised. But whether these legislative and judicial changes have made any social impact is what needs to be understood.

When we talk about their political representation, these are the questions that must be addressed the obstacles ahead of aspirants, the lack of political intent to help them contest, the elitist ostracism they face even within the LGBTQ community and what it would take for us, as a society, to be more accepting.

Those who fought the fight

While the social taboo and ostracism has kept most transgenders from actively participating in politics, there have been a few risk takers. M Radha contested the Lok Sabha Elections from the Chennai South constituency in 2019. She lost. But she considers her short political journey an achievement. Everyone who comes to politics has expectations. I didn't have any in particular. I wanted to make a mark by contesting. We see a lot of transgenders who have trouble getting any basic incentive. If they were to use a politician's name they would get support. I realised that influence is important to help transgenders, she said. Transgenders have the bravery of men and the compassion of women. I wanted to do something for all the people, especially transgenders and ensure people get what they're owed from government schemes, added Radha.

Apsara Reddy, a transgender activist and a journalist, had joined politics in 2016 as a Spokesperson of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) but she never had any great leaning towards it initially. However, the opportunity made her realise the potential it held. I never really had an aspiration to join politics although I was inspired by Madam Jayalalithaa growing up every time I had any kind of self-doubt, disappointment or frustration, I drew inspiration from the way she dealt with her professional and personal life. Much later, I got the opportunity to receive an award from Amit Shah and Tamilisai Soundararajan for Women's Day in 2016 and on noticing that Madam Jayalalithaa invited me to join her party (AIADMK) as a national spokesperson. The offer came on a platter and it was too good to refuse as it came from my inspiration and icon. Even though I had no aspiration to join politics, when the offer came I said to myself, why not politics. It's a great platform to do good work for the people and a larger platform to make policy. I was a journalist earlier and it's nice to write in the public interest but to really bring systemic changes you need to be in politics, she said. Reddy has been part of the Congress and the BJP over the years. She joined the AIADMK again in November 2020. While Reddy was appointed a spokesperson by Jayalalithaa herself and has campaigned vociferously in the run up to the 2021 Assembly Polls, she has not contested an election yet.

No support from parties

Radha had no idea of what one has to do in order to contest elections. She was almost hooted out of the nomination centre when she first visited. But she did not lose hope. No one helped me. A judge suggested that I stand for the elections because she felt I was brave and strong and had a social bent of mind. When I went to file my papers, the officer said that there were only two options 'male' and 'female' but no transgender. I asked them why I can vote but cannot contest an election. I said I won't leave unless they let me contest. Then they called their office in Delhi and the ECI resolved the issue and allowed me to stand. They even took only half the deposit needed, she added.

But Radhas incident was a one-off case. The most pertinent problem the transgender community faces is that no party wants to field them as a candidate. Reddy, a member of the AIADMK at present had aspirations to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections as well but the Congress never agreed to her request for a ticket. There was a time when I requested a Lok Sabha seat from the Congress party. But Congress most certainly is not there yet in terms of recognising transwomen as viable electoral candidates. I felt although I had worked sincerely and with commitment as the National General Secretary of the women's wing, they were not very open to the idea because I feel that people also have to actually have a vision and project the trans person in the right direction and support them, said Reddy. But she is hopeful, Going forward, I think many political parties would do so and I think they will see merit in doing that as it will add depth to their agenda of inclusion and equality.

While that is an irrefutable logic, the political camps do not seem to understand that. Why do the parties not want to field candidates from the third gender? The answer is simple, said Shree Ghatak Muhuri from West Bengal, the first transwoman to get her marriage certified. Because we dont feature in their target vote bank. Why would they care about us? The only times a trans-individual is given a ticket is to taunt the opposition that you will be contesting a hijra, said Ghatak. What I have understood over these years is that people do not care much about the issues. They look at the people they are voting for and search for someone they relate to or know thus actors, public figures are fielded as candidates. Why will they field a trans person as a candidate? she asked.

The next logical question would be: why not contest as an independent candidate like Radha? Fighting an election without a partys support is not impossible but it brings down your chances of winning significantly. Not only that, without a partys support, as an independent candidate you need financial affluence to fight an election from nomination fees to campaigning, it's an expensive affair. Radha could manage it because she had some semblance of support from not just her community but from the locals in every small way possible. I am part of a transgenders' association where there are 500 members. They all contributed and helped me with my expenses. I did not have any money of my own. Some shopkeepers and small business also supported me by printing pamphlets, giving cups of coffee and so on, said Radha. But what if you do not have a support system like her?

An urgent need for representation

Transgenders have been ostracised in our society since what would seem like the dawn of civilisation they have been seen as different from the mainstream. They have been given a place in our mythology and epics but have not been made part of the mundane. They lack proper education in most cases, there are not enough government schemes to include them in daily life, people look at them differently and thus getting a job becomes a hassle. "And thus they have no financial stability have any of the political parties thought about representation? CPIM during its 2019 election campaign put LGBTQ rights at the forefront and candidates met trans-individuals to understand their issues," said Apratim Ray, Office Secretary of the state SFI unit in West Bengal. Born a man, Apratim wants to move the court soon to legally identify as a trans person.

While the issues of the trans community need to be highlighted better, why should a candidate from the first or the second gender have to talk about the issues pertaining to the transgender community? And therein lies the major issue of representation. It is not just about having a medium to voice their demands and opinions. It's about transgender individuals getting a chance to speak about their issues and not via a cisgender individual who probably will empathise but not understand the problem and thus the policies they will form won't be effective.

Right (to) representation

One might argue that every state has a Transgender Development Board to take care of the community's needs and help them prosper in society as we develop as a country. But even the members say they are not very hopeful that the board would do anything fruitful. There has been no work done to date and we dont have any hope from the board as well. I am very sceptical about how much work I would actually be able to get done even as a member, said Ghatak, who serves as a member of the West Bengal Transgender Development Board.

In fact, Ranjita Sinha, who has been a member of the board before, said that the structure of the board itself shows the discrepancy in representation. The board is chaired by officials from the Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare it is currently headed by Dr Shashi Panja. How can a woman truly understand and empathise with the issues the transgender community is facing? What if you appoint a man to head a women development board or a commission? In the same way, a person from the first or second gender cannot truly represent the third genders needs and demands, she said.

Political presence from the community is an absolute must for any concrete policy changes. Political acceptance is extremely important for trans individuals because I feel a lot of policies and schemes are formed with keeping us in mind but then our voice is not heard truly at the parliament or at any level. I think having a tokenistic approach towards the community or a synthetic, almost charitable view of the community does not help. I think we need to be at the forefront of policy-making, said Reddy. Even the censor board does not have a member from the trans community and there are so many films being made on us and we are portrayed in such a bad light in TV, cinema and advertising. I feel the political parties should ensure that communities like ours have a roadmap in politics. Unless given the opportunity how is it even possible? People talk about winning candidates. But that can happen only if you have the right support system around you. I think political parties should consider fielding us as candidates for the posts of MLAs and MPs we understand discrimination, poverty and adversity and I feel adding our voice will give a unique dimension to democracy, she added.

It is a vicious cycle you need political representation from the community to give others a chance, but no one is ready to give the first person a chance. It might not be that easy to explain why this is happening. This is a designed problem, said Bappaditya Mukherjee, the Founder and Director of Prantakatha, an organisation that works with marginalised sections of the society. There is no concrete statistic on the population of trans individuals in the country. This is a designed problem. The people involved in policymaking know that if the correct number is released then it will open a Pandoras Box. Statistics are always the driving force of any struggle. The patriarchal and cisgender heterosexual societal structure will never let the issues come to the surface. We have to fight and bring this to the public," he said. "The Nationalist Congress Party has come up with an LGBTQ wing. This is definitely a start. If you want to really empower the community you need to form a wing like the political parties have women and youth wings or unions for workers. The people need to have agency before they move towards empowerment you cannot just shield them and offer to represent their demands, he added.

Discrimination and its sway

Radha and Jaan both had to face discrimination from the very start of their election journey. But one faces discrimination even when there is no election involved. I feel we live in a society where discrimination is rampant but at the same time, we should not let it dissuade us from our path. Yes, there were people who have said harsh cruel and baseless things, people who second-guessed my intentions, people who wanted to write me off. But I think that was a source of inspiration for me. I never took this as discrimination I turned it on its head and made sure I fought my way to the top with merit, said Reddy.

But she was a successful journalist with years of work to speak for her. She had a place in society which she had earned with her merit. Education played an extremely important role in my life. Its acts as a foundation for what you want to do later on in life. When I wanted to transition the first thing that I thought was that I did not care if people love me or hated me, people had to respect me. And for that my career was extremely important. Being a journalist certainly helped me be more independent. I started earning from a very young age and got the opportunity to meet so many different kinds of people which impacted my perspective. I think in today's world, every transgender individual should look at getting themselves educated. It is definitely a step in the right direction, she added.

Sensitisation should be the key, right?

Social transformation for every nation is different. The path it takes and the time it takes for a social change to happen is different for every country. India is more socially accepting than countries like the USA when it comes to transgenders we have a spiritual and mythological history of the community. But things have not gone past that. The otherwise progressive LGBTQ community too ostracises the transgenders, said Gourab Ghosh, a researcher who has completed his Masters in Gender Studies from the Jawaharlal Nehru University. "The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) vs Union of India judgment was a progressive judgement but the Transgender Act took a few steps back. it had initially asked individuals to prove before a board that they are transgenders. This is a kind of harassment," said Ghosh. "We also need to look at our neighbouring country Pakistan where trans-individuals are contesting local body polls. I feel even the LGBTQ community in India has an elitism problem the issues of the transgenders are not highlighted as much among the community even though they are an integral part of the larger community. The T in LGBTQ stands for transgenders," he added.

We only like to identify them with their problems, their tragedies instead of stories of empowerment, said Ranjita Sinha. "This creates a perception that they are not fit for political office. There needs to be more awareness. Just announcing that we have formed a board for transgenders or we have brought out a scheme for them won't help. There need to be sensitisation drives at local levels. There needs to be political intent for that. And here's where representation comes in. A woman cannot quite understand what would be the right way to increase exposure for transgenders. They view it from a cisgender lens and that does not help," she added. "The mindset needs to change. If a woman now goes for a door-to-door campaign, people listen to her. But that place has been earned by the women themselves. We need representation to enable these changes. I have met Shabnam Mausi and her story will be etched in history. So why not have more people like her. Why not have thousands of Shabnam Mausis? The times have changed. When she fought and won the election the political scenario was different," she added.

The long and winding road ahead

Inclusion is a lengthy process and it needs time to take effect. The people of the community have to step up and fight for change and it won't be an easy change or quick one. The year 2021 will see some major elections Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are already in election mode and Reddy was ready to contest when we spoke to her, just before candidates were being chosen. "I am very hopeful that all political parties will make space for transgender candidates in the 2021 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and given the opportunity by my party, most definitely I would like to contest, work with a strategy, a sense of responsibility and also keeping in mind the organisational goals of my party," she added. Reddy had petitioned the party to let her contest from the Kolathur constituency, from where DMK chief MK Stalin is contesting. It did not come to be this time.

Social changes do take time. There was a time when wives performing Sati was accepted as normal we have come a long way from that to women having representation and being able to raise their voice. No one can deny that we are far from equality and there is a long road ahead. But women have won back basic rights that were denied to them a century ago and all of this has happened through movements that sensitised society. The cisgender heterosexual patriarchal society will also take time to get accustomed to the fact that the third gender has the same rights as them. But it will happen, said a hopeful Sinha, "But we have to do it ourselves. We cannot have others fighting our fight," she added.

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Lost in Translation: Why do Indian elections not have enough transgender candidates? - EdexLive

Hyderabad: After pursuing for nearly two weeks, I received a call on March 30 stating that Nowhera Shaik, with much hesitation, agreed to a one-on-one interview. This was for the second time she faced the media after her release from Byculla Jail in Mumbai this January.

For those new to this name, Shaik is the founder and CEO of 20-year-old Hyderabad-based Heera Group of companies with a turnover of Rs 10,000 crore. Owning five malls, the company trades in gold, textile, and food products. It has a staff strength of 25,000 and meter-running clientele.

However, the business operations came to a halt after she was booked for multi-crore Ponzi scheme fraud.

Pertinent to note that she was first arrested in 2018 when she forayed into politics and launched 'All India Mahila Empowerment Party'. She was arrested 20 times and spent close to 3 years in different jails across Telangana and Maharashtra.

Hailing from the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, she is accused of collecting money from thousands of Muslims especially women based in India and abroad in the name of "Halal Investment".

According to Enforcement Directorate sleuths, Shaik collected deposits to the tune of Rs 5600 Crore from around 1,72,000 investors (IBG Members) across the country by making alleged false promises of paying high rate of returns i.e. 3% per month (36% to 40% per year).

Coming back to the interview call, I was asked to come to the head office of the Heera group located at Banjara Hills Road No 10. It was the third day since the company resumed operations. While I sat at the reception, many clientele walked in for inquiries.

After waiting for an hour, I was asked to proceed to her residence a few kilometers away. The house, which is under round-the-clock guard, is nothing less than a palace. The opulent furniture, exquisite interiors and 24x 7 round-the-clock maids reflected the empire that Shaik had built and speaks of her journey from a palace to prison and back.

After waiting for another one hour, the maid asked me to proceed to the 2nd floor in an inbuilt lift, where I finally began the interview:

Q. Hailing from a conservative Muslim family and having the least financial support, how did you set up Heera group with a turnover of Rs 10,000 Crore and came on the radar of investigation agencies?

My father was a small-time businessman. He was well versed in trade. So the seed was sown by him. Back in 1988, I started Heera Group of companies with an aim to empower backward Muslim women by providing them employment and make them self-reliant. The first venture was in Andhra Pradesh. Later I expanded my business to Maharashtra and Karnataka. In 20 years, we expanded our operations to metro cities. Many women across India trusted and invested with us. Investment ranged from hundreds to lakhs of rupees. We launched Heera mart that sells gold, garments, food products. Thousands of clienteles benefitted from our schemes which attracted more investment. Like any other profit-making business, the Heera group came on the radar of our enemies.

In 2012, a complaint was filed stating the company has no license. This resulted in an investigation. The agency probing, many at times carried out searches without a warrant and confiscating electronic devices and files. It was because of 'political pressure'. I was repeatedly called for questioning. Hundreds of notices were issued between 2012 and 2017. Later, central crime investigating agencies were involved. One of the many bizarre complaints I found against me was that bundles of currency are lying in my house. It was in 2017, I filed Rs 100 crore defamation suit against individuals for false complaints. When my petition was heard by High Court, an FIR was filed against me.

(Fact-check: ED's investigation found that Nowhera Shaik and Heera Group of companies did not possess any valid permission either under Banking Regulation Act, or from RBI or from any other government agency such as SEBI for collecting deposits).

Q: ED's probe found Heera Group of companies cheated 1.72 lakh investors and diverted nearly Rs 5,600 Cr for personal gain. Your contention?

Heera Group was a full-fledged running company having lakhs of clientele. However, only a group of 25-30 clienteles from different states connected to a particular political party filed complaints at the Central Crime Station resulting in an FIR. Without giving notice to the company, I was arrested in Delhi in 2018. It is pertinent to note that the arrest came a few days after I announced to launch a political party. There is no truth in the claims that the company cheated 1.72 lakh clients. During the hearing, the prosecution could only produce 20 receipts and cited Rs 500 crore scam. However, the receipts were only for Rs 3 lakh. If 1.72 lakh people have been cheated, I urge them to come forward and claim their money. Even in the list of complainant, less than 30 people have been named. So where does this figure come from.

Q. Why do you say that you're a victim of political vendetta?

I was arrested on October 14, 2018, from Delhi and brought to Chanchalguda Women Prison jail. After spending 9 days in prison, I was granted bail by Nampally session court.

As soon as my bail was granted, the authorities with signing power went on unscheduled leave, delaying my release, it took 5 days to complete the jail formalities. Immediately another FIR was lodged against me in Maharashtra. The moment I stepped out, Mumbai police arrested me in a different case. Multiple FIRs were registered against me in different states.

On January 1, 2020, Mumbai police again took me into custody. I was moved from one jail to another, by flight. Heera mart malls and godowns were forced to shut down. From family to staff, people were threatened that they too will be arrested, a celebrity who attended a family function was also in the list. This was done despite the fact that the Heera group paid Rs 100 crore as income tax before the arrest. If this is not political vendetta, what is it?

My legal team anticipating more arrest and approached the Supreme Court for bail. Later the High court issued an order in favor of Heera Group. It was on January 23, 2021, that I was granted interim bail.

Q. You claim to have been ill-treated in the Jail?

I am witness to calls (received by officials) to ensure I was tortured. Strangers made multiple inquiries about me. I was transferred from one cell to another to ensure my health deteriorates. Being an under-trial prisoner, I was put in a cell accommodating mentally ill and hard-core criminals. But I took it in my stride. The jail authorities did not provide proper amenities. I cited the jail annual and fought for my rights.

Later, I made friends with other jail mates. There are so many people stuck in prison due to a lack of legal support. I will fight for them and may file a petition in the court. The friendship bond grew so strong that many have written letters.

Q. Investigation into money laundering case has revealed that Heera group created 250 accounts in India and eight accounts in UAE and Saudi Arabia to divert money for wrongful gains. Your comments?

I urge the investigating agency to provide the details of all the bank accounts and quantum of money diverted. Heera group has lakhs of transactions. If the funds have been diverted for wrongful gains, I urge the officials to put it on paper before the court. According to my calculation, only 29 members have filed FIR. Where are the rest investors who claimed to be cheated? Out of the 250 accounts, the officials have shown only 71. Where are the rest?

I do not own any property in Dubai. It is a known fact that all properties are given on lease for a period of 15-20 years. We have taken commercial space on rent for company operations.

Q. What is your strategy to pay back?

The Supreme Court while granting conditional bail has directed me to return money to the complainant and resume operations. The company already submitted cheques in the court. Investors who have to get Rs 1 lakh received Rs 2 lakh. We have returned double the money. Complainants can approach the office with the members' ID number and after checking, the money will be returned. The company has enough resources to return investors' money. Hopefully, before Ramzan, all payments will be cleared.

Q. Properties worth Rs 299.99 Crore of Heera group have been attached. Has any property been released following the SC order?

A. Few accounts have been unlocked but no properties have been released. Unless the resources are set free, I cannot resume operations completely. Talking about future plans, there are efforts to reopen all malls before Ramzan, hopefully. The company is waiting for unfreezing of properties and data. I started this company with 200 women and currently. Now, there are lakhs of clienteles.

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From Palace to Prison: Nowhera Shaik of Heera group hopeful of re-paying investors before Ramzan - NewsMeter