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Celebration of true celebrities
ANINDITA SENGUPTA
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Gifford allows us a glimpse into diverse lives and their different choices.
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Gifford was clear that political or ideological stances would not be allowed to interfere with the raw honesty of the women’s stories
Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash
Women’s secrets: Zerbanoo Gifford allows the women to tell their own stories.
“Men themselves have wondered/What they see in me/They try so much/But they can’t touch/My inner mystery.”
Phenomenal Woman, Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou’s exultant poem may have met its more prosaic match in a new book called Secrets of the World’s Inspirational Women (Westland Books, Rs. 295) by human rights campaigner Zerbanoo Gifford. Driven by a desire
to “discover the secrets of women who’d made a real contribution to their societies, whether in the field of business or government, the arts or science, academia or religion”, Gifford met 300 women across 60 countries to capture their thoughts on themes such as motherhood, love, spirituality, work and success, among others.
Eclectic list
The selection criteria were simple: these were women whose stories, she felt, would benefit others. The eclectic list includes conventional role models such as Zakia Hakki, the first woman judge in the Middle East; Joan Davies, the first woman to teach at the military academy, Sandhurst; and Kiran Bedi, the first woman UN civilian police adviser. But it also includes more surprising candidates such as Swamini Kaliji, the founder of Triyoga, a yoga organisation in California; and, closer home, Amisha Patel whose battle for independence from her parents impressed Gifford.
“In an era that worships celebrity, this is a celebration of true celebrities,” Gifford says. “Instead of the fleeting notoriety bestowed by reality TV, I wanted to find women who change more than just their frocks — they change lives. Young girls need real role models — heroines of every kind who are famed for what they’ve achieved, not just for being famous.”
By and large, Gifford presents the women’s ‘secrets’ in their own words, which gives us a glimpse into diverse lives and choices and many ways of achieving. The authorial voice does creep in at times though, perhaps unavoidably, leading to a more prescriptive approach to certain issues. For example, the chapter on motherhood encompasses a variety of views but ends with this sobering admonition from Anu Aga, former Chairperson of the Thermax Group: “I am a great believer that success at work should not take a toll on family life. Then success is a failure.” Gifford’s choice of this comment as summation is in itself a statement of sorts.
While many of the secrets are expected, it is interesting to see the various ways in which these qualities are interpreted or expressed by different women. Courage, resilience, drive, and creativity are emphasised but, interestingly, so are the so-called ‘feminine’ traits of intuition and kindness. “The concept of feminine intuition is often derided – but amongst the women I met the intuitive approach was frequently the most successful,” Gifford points out. “Despite their social and material successes, I was surprised by how many of them were motivated by strong religious beliefs or at the very least, a lively, spiritual curiosity. Many spoke of how their achievements were underpinned by the loving support of a partner or family.”
Contrary to what one may expect from a book about women, this is not a feminist handbook although there is a chapter on feminism. Gifford was clear that political or ideological stances would not be allowed to interfere with the raw honesty of the women’s stories. “The themes arose from what the women told me. Interestingly, the women, whatever their area of achievement, chose to speak about family, careers and how they’ve achieved in their lives. I didn’t censor anything nor did I have any political agenda to push. I was amused when Clare Beckwith advised me that the best way to keep your man happy is to cook, press his shirts and no nagging!”
Gender discrimination
The realities of sexism and the gender construct do inevitably find their way into it, however, because as Gifford says, “Whether it’s a case of subtle undermining or a gross act of injustice, no society anywhere is totally free of discrimination.” She recalls that many of the women had experienced old-fashioned sexism firsthand. Equality campaigner, Lesley Abdela, remembered being made redundant in an advertising agency after refusing to sleep with her boss: “He didn’t lay me; he laid me off”. Nafis Sadik, Director of the United Nations Population Fund, recalled how she was initially denied equal pay when she applied to the UN and her fight to be appointed and paid at the same level and at the same rate as a similarly qualified male colleague “after six months they reluctantly offered me (the) post. I accepted it and went on to become head of the organisation!”
Gifford’s optimism about women’s power and their capacity to change things is obvious through the book and she echoes this view. “The diversity of the women’s experiences reflects a period of change across the globe — if not a completed and successful revolution for all women then at least an exciting time of transition for very many of us,” she says.
And in this spirit, the book has been backed up by a mentoring project on Asha Foundation’s website. “All somebody looking for a mentor has to do is decide who they think they would be best suited to them and fill in the online form and I then match them up, ” Gifford says excitedly. “By developing a website linking women from so many countries and so many different backgrounds, I’ve been able to create a truly global network of friendship and support. This will continue to grow in this fast-changing world of communications and I intend to expand it to include more inspirational women whenever I come across them.”
Global networks of phenomenal women? Now, that’s quite an idea.
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