Salaam Bahrain March 2021 International Womens day issue

BD 1.500

JANUARY MARCH 2021 2021 - VOLUME - VOLUME 12,12, ISSUE ISSUE 118

we speak your language

MEET THE

WOMEN ICONS OF 2021 WOMEN FOOD-PRENEURS IN THE DIGITAL KITCHEN n UNMASKING CHHAU DANCERS

we speak your language

Highlights March 2021

FASHION Vestire welcomes Spring 2021 With a beautiful collection of textures and rich colours, Moda Vestire is all set to usher in the high-fashion loveliness of Spring 2021.

48 MILLENNIAL VOICE A woman’s place in the office

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A new gen of professionals are snapping impatiently at the slow pace of change – perhaps they will give women their due before this decade turns.

ENTERTAINMENT Woman power from the pink couch A flood of women-centric web series on our TVs, laptops and smartphones

6 50 CUISINE Women Foodpreneurs & their digital kitchens Meet the chefs of Bahrain who have taken to social media and food truck to serve up the best fare

..PLUS MANY MORE STORIES PARTY PICTURES

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COLUMNS 60 Celeb Chakkar

SalaamBahrain

12 • COVER STORY

March 8th Inspiration Their life-stories inspire, their achievements instill awe and they are fantastic role models for women and men – but what makes our amazing women truly iconic is their ability to give to the community that they are a part of. Once again Salaam Bahrain and Moda Vestire come together to bring you the narrative of these ladies which frames the truly liberating journey of women in Bahrain.

VESTIRE WOMEN ICONS 2021

January

the editorial team P.O. Box 50650, Arad, Kingdom of Bahrain Licensed by the Ministry of Information Publication Licence no : GASB 740

Chairman Mahmood Al Mahmood Chief Editor Ahdeya Ahmed Managing Director P.K. Ravi Editor Meera Ravi Contributors Digital Consultant: Sonorita Chauhan Advertorial support: Nishita Kapoor Maharaja Features Pvt. Ltd. Designer Mind Storm Media Photography Jomon Marketing P.R.M. Marketing Consultancy w.l.l Advertising Sales Contact: +973 3668 4011 advts.sb@gmail.com Published by Al Ayam Publishing Promoted by Ajyal Consultations w.l.l Advertising / Editorial / Circulation Enquiries +973 3668 4011 e-mail: salaam.bahrain@gmail.com advts.sb@gmail.com

Copyright Reserved.

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publisher and Editor. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, the publisher & editor cannot accept legal responsibility for any error, content or omissions.

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Chairman’s Page The 2020-’21 period has forced us all to pause and look around us at how we are managing our lives – our relationships and lifestyle.

Parents who were happy to leave their children’s future in the hands of the school and just turn up for PTA meetings have had to sit in on online class sessions and invest time and understanding into making sense of the new educational templates that have re-shaped the system for the students.

Our children’s generation face some peculiar and completely avoidable problems and the most compromising of these is obesity.

As parents, we have unnecessarily indulged our children with a taste for unhealthy foods and that too in such large portions that it would need a marathon after every junk food excess to keep the scales from tipping to the far end. Considering the massive amounts of research and new understanding of nutrition and obesity that we have access to, should we not change the way we all live, guiding our next generation by example? To eat well but in moderation, to exercise regularly are as important as top scores in schoolwork – more so, in fact, because they are the foundation for good health and indelible habits of a lifetime.

We also need to take a long look at how we will emerge from this lifestyle lockdown with a better understanding of Nature and our planet. Undeniably, plastic and nonbiodegradable waste has increased in these past months, because of face masks, increased use of cleaning paraphernalia and disposables. If only we could put the same effort into research for a more sustainable lifestyle environmentally speaking, we would have emerged as better people and a better planet from this pandemic.

This issue celebrates the wonderful world of women in our midst, their success and contributions to the community. I wish every reader Happy Women’s Day – the women for who they are and the men for being their partners and enabling their happiness.

Capt. Mahmood Al Mahmood

SALAAM BAHRAIN | MARCH | 2021

SPORTS

F1tickets for vaccinated and COVID-19 recovered fans Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”, has announced the launch of ticket sales for The Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix which will take place between 26 and 28 March, 2021. To ensure that the event can proceed in a safe environment, and in line with Government health advice, tickets will only be available to vaccinated or COVID-19 recovered individuals.

Tickets are on sale now at Bahraingp.com with a single discounted price of BD100 for tickets across stands for the three-day event.

Fans this year will experience the excitement of being present at the very first race of the 2021 F1 season, with the thrilling racing this brings, together with entertainment and extensive food and beverage offerings within a COVID-19 safe area.

BIC Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa commented: “We are delighted to be able to launch our ticket sales today, once again giving fans the opportunity to witness the spectacle of F1. In November and December last year, we had the honour to host our healthcare heroes as spectators, and we are pleased this time be open for a broader group of fans, with tickets available to buy for this prestigious first race of the season. I am thankful for all the support we receive from across Government in Bahrain and the coordination that makes Bahrain a successful F1 every year. I especially thank The National Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus and Ministry of Health in Bahrain for their planning and guidance, which will allow us to offer a safe experience for fans.

We would urge eligible fans to reserve their tickets now for the best possible seats to witness the first edition of F1 2021.”

Full eligibility criteria for those wishing to attend the race is available at Bahraingp.com, however fans should be aware that entry will be only be permitted according to the following criteria: n Fully Vaccinated Individuals (2 weeks passed since you have taken Dose 2) n Recovered COVID Cases (2 weeks have passed since date of infection) These badges must be available and displayed on the BeAware Application Comprehensive measures will be put in place at the circuit to ensure spectators can enjoy the excitement of F1 in a safe environment. In addition to the entry policy, these measures include n Social distancing and enhanced sanitation measures in the vending area entertainment, food and beverage areas. n Health screening on entry, with mask wearing compulsory at all times. n All entertainment and fan experiences will be outdoors.

Due to restrictions, there will be no Paddock Club or corporate lounges for the 2021 race weekend.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Women power from the pink couch Those scholarly articles on arthouse cinema versus commercial movies and how they portray women are so yesterday, darlings! This March 8, start your celebration of Ultimate Celluloid Shepower with these web-series that showcase the sass, style and spirit of women. We’ve picked six promising series that you can enjoy and root for from the comfort of your pink couch. Bring on the popcorn and hold on to the remote!

WATCH ON DISCOVERY + India’s First Women Fighter Pilots Women have broken several barriers by becoming fighter pilots themselves. A two-part series on Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh who broke the glass ceiling, defied all odds and became the first three female fighter pilots. Streaming on discovery+, 'Women Fighter Pilots' is a story on the journey of how these brave fighter pilots, who face infinite challenges with tremendous courage, are at this point today.

WATCH ON AMAZON PRIME Four More Shots Please The sassy girl gang: Siddhi (Manvi Gagroo), Umang (Bani J), Damini (Sayani Gupta) and Anjana (Kirti Kulhari) have won over our hearts with their classy fashion sense, true and understanding friendship, crazy bonding and lots of drama. "Four More Shots Please!" is a story of four unapologetically flawed women from different walks of life dealing with romance, work-life conflicts, ambitions, and anxieties in modern-day India. ​

WATCH ON ZEE5 or online streaming on METAREEL.com Churails Directed by the critically acclaimed Asim Abbasi (who made the engaging family drama Cake), Zindagi original Churails on ZEE5, is a first-of-its-kind show that challenges the patriarchal norms of society. Set in Karachi, Churails is a story of four women from different walks of life who come together to open a covert detective agency to expose cheating husbands amongst the city’s elite. With a power-packed cast of Sarwat Gilani, Nimra Bucha, Meher Bano, Yasra Rizvi, the ten-episode web-series brims over with feisty, feminist, fast-paced fun.

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‘Mard ko dard hoga’, they promise. And that’s exactly what they deliver. These self-proclaimed Churails run their operations under the guise of a fashion store named “Halal Designs” that specialise in conservative women’s attire. As their operations expand, they come to be the saviours of abused, mistreated and harassed women, and their search for a missing girl brings them face to face with the exploitative world of talent agencies, escort services, and cosmetic companies.

WATCH ON KBS2 River Where the Moon Rises River Where the Moon Rises is adapted from a novel titled Princess Pyeonggang. Kim So-Hyun stars as Pyeong Gang, a princess and a warrior who dreams of ascending the throne of Goguryeo. She is determined to stop at nothing before she acquires the throne. However, things take a turn when she meets the peace-loving On Dal, who is the exact opposite of the warrior princess. Pyeong-Gang’s quest to power might cost her everything in life.

WATCH ON NETFLIX Hello, Me A delightful fantasy in the Judy Blume genre, it tells the tale of 37-year old Ban Ha Ni who has lost her zeal that she possessed as a young woman. The single and working woman slaving in a temporary position, meets herself - the 17 year-old Ban Ha Ni from the past meets her older self who puts the spark back into her life. Starring Choi Gang Hee as the older Ban Ha Ni and Lee Re as the 17 year-old self, the K-drama started in February and will unspool till April this year. Watch it for a Korean twist of our beloved Sita Aur Gita or the Sridevi superhit Chaalbaaz!

WATCH ON NETFLIX Sisyphus: The Myth A time travel story spans out when a brilliant engineer Han Tae Sul, a co-founder of Quantum and Time, finds an unreliable truth about his brother’s death 10 years ago. He sets off on a dangerous journey following the event. Kang Seo-Hae, who is an elite warrior, comes to his rescue. Seo-Hae has learned the skills of a sharpshooter and was able to make bombs after living amongst gangsters and warlords. Starring the immensely talented Park Shin-hye in the female lead, this is a celebration of sci-fi with a heroine who is more than just eye-candy.

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THE ARTS

The women behind the Chhau masks

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All-women dance troupes are storming the bastion of this ancient martial dance form, once the preserve of men

here’s a proverb within the Santhali language that goes: ‘Once we speak, we sing; after we stroll, we dance.’ It suggests how dancing and singing are intrinsic to the Santhal neighborhood, which makes up most of West Bengal’s Purulia district. One of many poorest districts of Bengal, Purulia has been ravaged by Maoist insurgency, however even within the worst of instances, it has clung steadfastly to its vigorous custom of Chhau dance, which, with its energetic leaps, jumps and somersaults, is an expression of the bir (bravery) rasa.

The nomenclature has many versions, though most people agree that the masks, called chhaya, give the form its name. The other accepted theory is that traditionally the dance was performed by and for soldiers in camps or chhaunis, hence the name and the warrior-like moves and battle themes. The martial actions and mock fights subsequently took the form of

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dance. With tales taken from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas, the dance dramas explore the eternally popular themes of the triumph of good over evil. In these pandemic times, Chhau has even been used to unfold consciousness about COVID-19.

Chhau dance, with its martial origin and strenuous physique actions, was, till recently, a strictly-guarded male area. Purulia Chhau is especially known for its themes on Durga and Mahishasur Mardini, a staple for the people of this region. Despite this emphasis on stories of female power, it remains a male bastion, with all-male troupes. A decade or so ago in Purulia, males decked in dazzling costumes and larger-than-life masks would dance to the intoxicating rhythm of dhol, dhamsa, madol, shehnai, and flute at night-long performances throughout the spring pageant of gajan parab, devoted to Shiva. Now, however, a number of all-women troupes are making inroads.

In all types of Chhau, the story is narrated via physical actions, which makes it strenuous.

Deepali Sahu, 42, a Seraikella-based dancer, says she needed to grasp the martial arts before studying the intricacies of Chhau.

Of their blood

Mousumi Chowdhury, 23, from Purulia’s Maldi village, is credited with beginning the pattern.

Chhau runs in Mousumi’s blood — her father, Jagannath Chowdhury, is a longtime Chhau artist and coach. “As a baby, I believe I would get excited listening to the drumbeats of my father’s performances.” When Mousumi was in Class 9, she joined her father’s coaching course on a whim, taking along her sister and some other girls. Within four months, they were ready for the next stage of training. The timing was perfect – just then, Banglanatak dot com, an NGO working with marginalised communities in collaboration with the state government and worldwide organisations like UNESCO, was conducting Chhau coaching camps in Purulia. The women honed their abilities there. After that, they performed on stage and their performance impressed critics and lay audiences alike.

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In 2010, Mousumi organised the primary all-women Chhau troupe of Purulia, Mitali Chhau Maldi. (Chhau was included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage listing in 2010.) Impressed by her hard work and success, there are now four more all-women teams working in Purulia.

Mousumi who is completing her Masters in Bengali from Purulia’s Sidho-Kanho-Birsha College, teaches Chhau at her college, which has a division devoted to the dance.

Over the past 10 years, Mousumi and her troupe have performed throughout India, and even in Norway. “Chhau is my life, my identity,” she says.

It wasn’t simple, though. Detractors used to taunt her father that he was living off his daughter’s earnings. The women have also modified the performance grammar so that they can remove the masks even though it is a strict no-no in traditional Chhau. Mousumi says they do it to show the audience that the dancers are indeed women. Sudip Bhui, coordinator in charge of the Chhau division of Sidho-KanhoBirsha College, says, “Ladies excel at Chhau because they are naturally flexible and smoother in their movements. Caste and gender prejudices may have excluded them for all these years but now that they have started, there is no stopping them. “

Rebellion in Mayurbhanj

Seraikella in Jharkhand, some 100 km from Baripada, is considered the birthplace of Chhau. Under the patronage of the erstwhile royals of Seraikella, Chhau unfolded in Mayurbhanj and different locations. Bijoy Pratap Singh Deo, prince of Seraikella, was the best exponent of Chhau within the early 20th century. He’s credited with all the key reforms within the art form, together with the introduction of women performers. A girl performer, Kumari Bani Mujumdar, is claimed to have accompanied the troupe led by him which toured Europe in the late 1930s. The royal patronage and safety may be one of many the explanation why ladies have been a part of Mayurbhanj and Seraikella Chhau a lot earlier than they made a mark in Purulia Chhau.

AN UNDER-REPRESENTED ART FORM Though popular in Orissa,West Bengal and Jharkhand, Chhau is yet to be embraced and acknowledged in the rest of the country Performing Chhau is like writing poetry in space. As the goddess rides the lion and slays the demon, mythology, martial art and music blend into a colourful spectacle of unadulterated, rustic yet sophisticated and liberating form of entertainment.The elaborate, stylized and often vigorous movements of this dance form, originating in the eastern states of Orissa,West Bengal and Jharkhand, transport the viewer to the forests, recreating scenes of tribal warfare and tales from the animal kingdom. Identified mostly by the masks and costumes worn by the artistes, Chhau is yet to gain popularity and take its rightful place among the celebrated classical dances of India.

Chhau is mainly categorized into three styles—Mayurbhanj, Saraikella and Purulia. Mayurbhanj Chhau does not use masks, giving the dancers more scope to use their body and explore movement, often in ballet style. “Here the hathyardhara technique uses swords and shields and the appeal lies in the martial art style; the kalibhanga technique embodies the lasya or feminine elements; and kalikata unites tandava (masculine) and lasya elements," explains Santosh Nair, who practises the Mayurbhanj style of Chhau.

In the Purulia and Saraikella styles of Chhau, the grandeur of the costumes and masks is a major attraction, although it limits the dancers from attempting vigorous jumps and using their body fluidly.These styles of Chhau draw heavily from the Mahabharat, Ramayan and the depiction of Shiva and Natraja through their energy, beauty and grace. Coming close to Kathakali from Kerala for its emphasis on attire and masks, the marked difference is that while Kathakali is highly song-based and stresses on abhinaya and mudras (expression through face, hands and body), Chhau music is almost entirely instrumental. In Chhau, the shehnai and drums, like the dhumsa and dhol, do most of the talking.This is also a limitation in taking Chhau to the masses, as it can only be performed to live music, and musicians are difficult to find. Most artistes are initiated into the art form by virtue of birth, continuing the family tradition.Taking up the dance or its music professionally is not lucrative enough.

Unlike the Mayurbhanj and Saraikella styles that have gained popularity in recent times, Purulia Chhau is still confined to the rural areas. Most artistes rehearse in the akharas, an open practice area, after finishing their day jobs and perform during festivals. For them it is a way of life, keeping them rooted and close to nature.With no frills attached and no mechanical interference, this breed of artistes is simply content in practice.

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THE ARTS

Still the prejudices remained in pockets. In the early 1980s, Ileana Citaristi, an Italian-born Odissi and Chhau dancer, was refused entry on stage to perform the Shiva tandava act at a programme in Baripada, the house of Mayurbhanj Chhau. It was considered the exclusive preserve of male dancers even though some women Chhau dancers had managed to breach the barriers and perform in the 1960s and ‘70s. However, the social pressures and stigma scared off most would-be female artists.

In 1994, when Subhashree Mukherjee, then 15, carried out the Mahishashura Mardini Durga piece at a conventional Chhau akhada in Baripada, purists reacted with delicate disapproval whereas progressives hailed it warmly. Mukherjee has been a pioneer in bringing the women Chhau dancers of Odisha to the limelight. She is related to Venture Chhauni, created by the Mayurbhanj administration, which is working to revive Chhau, supporting current artists and enlisting new ones. Recruiting and coaching ladies dancers is a part of the challenge. She says, “Ladies didn’t take up Chhau due to the concern that it will mark them out as rebels and society would disown them. Apart from that, the use of heavy props such as shields and swords in Mayurbhanj Chhau most likely made it tough for ladies.”

Today these issues seem to be a matter of the past. Watching Prakashini Mishra, a 16-year-old schoolgirl rehearsing the vigorous Shiva tandava at a dance faculty in Baripada, one realises that women Chhau dancers are enjoying the fruits of empowerment that different ladies have introduced into the art form taking this beautiful and complex dance form full circle and putting new life into it.

Vanishing taboos

The taboos related to ladies taking part as male gods are additionally vanishing. Malay Kumar Sahu, a Seraikella-based researcher, says ladies can carry out Chhau so long as they continue to be physically fit and able to manage the rigorous practices.

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“Within the Seraikella space, women begin coaching on the age of 10 and stay active in the dance arena until about 24. Most of them discontinue after marriage,” says Sahu.

However marriage has not deterred 26-year-old Sunita Mahato of Purulia. She heads an all-women troupe referred to as Bongabari Matangini Hazra Mahila Chhau Nritya Dal. Beginning off as a kirtan singer, Mahato later turned a Jhumur dancer. Her Jhumur guru educated her in Chhau, which she has been practising for the final three or 4 years. She married in 2019. Seeing her dedication, her husband and in-laws inspired her to continue.

Now that public performances have began once more after the lockdown, Mahato is very busy, touring regionally and in neighbouring States. The problems that women Chhau dancers face are often unusual. “Since most performances are in makeshift stage areas, we face privacy issues when changing,” she laughed, “Allwomen troupes usually stock three or four sheets of tarpaulin in the props and use them to set up makeshift changing rooms wherever we go in case the organisers don’t make arrangements. If there’s no rest room, we make one with a partition contained in the tent.” The dress-change needs to be carried out quickly, with every performer taking part in a number of characters. As a senior member, Mahato performs the tougher roles like that of Kartik, Krishna, Mahishashura Mardini or Parasurama, leaving the less difficult ones to the trainees.

Although they are seeing more demand for their performances, gthe women say the pay is still negligible. For all-night performances, even a mere eight years ago, Mahato says they often just be paid the same old fee of a couple of kilos of chickpea and jaggery, twothree bundles of beedi (local, hand-rolled cigarettes), and merely 10-20. Today, things are not that bad even though the money hardly compensates for the hours of training and physical effort.

“For me, it’s not a matter of cash. My ardour for Chhau drives me on,” says Mahato proudly.

SALAAM SOCIETY

Madhu & Sejal delight with deft brushstrokes Artists Madhu Sarda and daughter Sejal opened their first joint art show at the Harbour Gate in the BFH. Special VIP guests included the Indian Ambassador Piyush Srivastava and his wife Monika, Nepalese Ambassador Padam Sundas, Shura Council Member and art collector Redha Faraj and others.

The exhibition, featuring the 5,000 year old Madhubani painting style and contemporary canvases made full use of the Ground Floor space of Harbour Gate at the BFH, framed by the lovely, outdoorsy view in the background.

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endy r t e b s Alway tafa s u M Nazia

Note from Nazia 12

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COVER STORY

O

nce again, my fashion and lifestyle brand Moda Vestire is proud to celebrate International Women’s Day with conversations in Salaam Bahrain featuring individuals who are iconic in the success they have achieved, innovative and imaginative in carving a niche for themselves.

Being a woman in the 21st century is full of limitless promise and so many winning opportunities. Thanks to all the pioneering women who taught us to respect ourselves and our talents, the world has now created a space where a woman can shine in whatever role she chooses and contribute fruitfully to humanity, society and community.

In Bahrain, we are living and working in a truly empowering environment. The Kingdom has a heritage of respecting women and in modern times, women have expanded their roles to fit their ambitions, their advanced education and the call of the country for them to play their role in national development. Women of all nationalities find the means to fulfil their dreams and it is with pride that Moda Vestire once again celebrates International Women’s Day with you all through these inspiring narratives.

Speaking for myself, I have been a Gulf Girl since childhood, growing up in Saudi Arabia and later, relocating to Bahrain. This instilled in me an exposure to so many different cultures because the region is truly a melting-pot of world values. Growing up, I was saw how my mother and aunts invested so much care into their selection of fabrics and crafts to embellish their garments and it gave me an understanding of how our fashion choices can strengthen one’s personal image and also contribute to the sustainability of ageless craft traditions as well as new ideas.

My passion for fashion has led to the founding of my exclusive label Moda Vestire through which I curate fashion lines and work with bright and sophisticated designers of clothing, jewellery and accessories in India, Pakistan, Bahrain and across the MENA region. I do believe that fashion is the amalgamation of so many things: of an understanding of art, beauty, popular trends and a consciousness of worth.

2020 has been a very challenging year for us all and women have been the anchor holding communities and households together. Finding the strength to juggle professional commitments and the new global practices of working from home, taking on new full-time roles as the resident housekeeper-chef and part-time teaching assistant for one’s child has been a huge test and we have re-drawn the boundaries which define us.

I salute women everywhere – whether they are well-known and iconic like the leaders featured here or the tireless and strong home-maker on whose ingenuity, courage and compassion her family depends, we are all part of a sisterhood that deserves applause.

Happy International Women’s Day 2021!

Nazia Mustafa Nazia Mustafa Fashion Curator Founder - MODA VESTIRE

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AMBASSADOR PRADEEPA P. SARAM - Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Bahrain Smiling, soft-spoken and a woman of action – Ambassador Pradeepa Priyanganie Saram ticks all the boxes for success in a career in diplomacy. Since arriving in Bahrain in 2019, she has chalked out an ambitious and very visible plan to showcase Sri Lanka’s vibrant culture and the small but significant Sri Lankan community in the Kingdom with cultural shows, culinary festivals and several high-profile face-to-face meetings with the movers and shakers in Bahrain government to forge new and stronger ties between the two nations.

Ambassador Saram represents the growing shift in gender parity when it comes to a career in civil services in general and ambassadorships in particular as women take the helm – about 25 to 40% globally.

A distinguished civil servant, Ambassador Saram, is a member of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service batch of 1998, and holds the honour of being the first Sri Lankan Consul General in Milan from 2015 to 2018 and has served in Sri Lanka Missions in the United Arab Emirates, Germany and the United Kingdom.We spoke to her about gender parity in the civil services and, since she has served in both these regions, if there was difference of perception between Middle East and the west when it came to these issues.

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Raising the flag for country

COVER STORY

As an accomplished diplomat of several decades, in your experience have you seen significant changes which have made civil service a more desirable career choice for women?

Ambassador Pradeepa Saram: Indeed yes. In the last decades, there have been significant changes which encouraged and enhanced women’s participation in civil service of many governments across the world.

It has been already proven by several successful examples of female civil servants of many countries that gender is not a barrier - indeed gender is an irrelevant factor. I have observed that equal and just opportunities and fair access to education are the key factors for most of these noteworthy changes.

In the context of Sri Lanka, women in the public sector remain high. Broadly speaking, women in administration bring rich grassroots knowledge and valuable social experience leading to substantial changes of perceptions in society. However, there are many qualified women who have quit their careers due to family and other commitments not only in Sri Lanka but in elsewhere.

Having served in Sri Lankan Missions in the United Arab Emirates, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Consulate General in Milan, what do you see as the main challenges that the women diplomats face across regions and do you believe they vary across cultures?

Ambassador Pradeepa Saram: Diplomats are varied from other civil servants as they have to travel and work in different cultures, environments, situations and countries in the world throughout their career.

It is obviously rich experience but challenging task. However, for a female diplomat it is more challenging than for a male diplomat. Despite the many regions or cultures, the challenges faced by female diplomats are mostly alike across the world, since they have to live in different countries throughout their career while balancing the work-family relationships. I believe basically the end result is determined by the individual personalities.

The great predisposition of women to diplomacy is not something new. In the past two decades, an increasing number of women have entered the field of diplomacy. Women constitute an even larger share of the lowerlevel diplomats and face few limits in a career in diplomacy.

In your time as representative of Sri Lankan people in foreign countries - what progress have you seen on gender equality in your life and work?

Ambassador Pradeepa Saram: Well, in my career as a diplomat, I have worked in two regions i.e. Middle East and the West, where the Sri Lankan community is heavily based and very active irrespective of their gender. In my experience, in different countries, in diplomacy, gender equality is practiced most of the time.

I further observed that women are been given important portfolios and have led delegations in national and international platforms representing their respective countries. In negotiations women have proven better skills and that is a positive trend when they pursue careers in diplomacy.

Sri Lanka is the country that gave the world its first women prime minister - why do we need more women in leadership?

Ambassador Pradeepa Saram: Yes. Sri Lanka created the history by electing the world’s first female Prime Minister Madam Sirimavo R. D. Bandaranaike in 1960, long before many countries produced female world leaders. Further, the universal franchise in 1931 gave Sri Lanka’s women the right to vote on equal basis as men just three years after women in Great Britain. Nonetheless, despite these striking achievements and the progressive narrowing of sex differentials in education and literacy, Sri Lanka too has followed a global pattern of limited political participation by women in more active and public political role due to various reasons.

The mere fact that the majority of those women succeeded in making things change – even if the change is minor – means that we can all do it, if we put our mind to it.

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COVER STORY

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Dr Mona Suri - Associate Professor, is the Acting President and Academic Vice President at Royal University for Women - Academician and educationist with over three decades of expertise Leading the charge, in one of the most challenging year to be in the education field, at the Royal University for Women, Bahrain's 'first private, purpose-built, international university dedicated solely to educating women', is Dr Mona Suri. One of Bahrain’s highest-placed woman academicians, she is an educationist with over three decades of experience. Dr Mona is the Acting President at the RUW. She has many publications and awards to her credit and has been part of many national projects both in Bahrain and India, with the Supreme Council for Women and BAPCO in Bahrain and Ministry of Textiles in India. But what makes her a right choice for Woman Icon is her warmth, the ease with which she wears the weight of her wisdom and her genuine engagement with shaping the future of her many hundreds of students.We spoke to her to find out her perspective on how higher education for women helps them carve out their own identity in society, creating a ripple effect, enhancing Bahrain's economic growth and impacting the world at large.

Empowering women through education

“Women in academia are inspiring role models who can change the trajectory of many lives” Dr Mona Suri: The focus on senior women academicians has profound ramifications. As more and more women academicians attain senior leadership positions such as Vice Chancellors, University Presidents etc., and despite being underrepresented in some fields of academia, they deeply impact the lives of their students and colleagues. This also gives female students a feeling of a self-acceptance and instill a sense of pride, hope and optimism amongst young girls.

Young boys also get inspired by senior women academicians, as they actually are able to experience gender equality, which encourages mutual respect and breaks the stereotype images of women in their minds. This also prepares them in all spheres of their future life, particularly the workplace of the future.

“Our association with the SCW has helped to promote active research into women’s issues and capturing diverse women’s voices and success stories of women in Bahrain” Dr Mona Suri: Championing and celebrating the position and achievements of women has become an integral part of my role at Royal University for Women (RUW) and there has been a great deal to celebrate in the last decade.

As a women’s only university, all faculty members, irrespective of gender, are involved in shaping the content of study and actively working towards women advancement in all spheres. For all RUW students, studying liberal arts is mandatory and one stream of the this course is related to women – Women’s Leadership, Women’s Health, Women in Literature, Women and Gender studies among others. Our association with the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) over the last decade has further aided in the content of study and aligning it to the successful initiatives undertaken by SCW for the advancement of women in Bahrain. The success stories of Bahraini women and their role in nation building is showcased. Women in Shura Council, women parliamentarians, businesswomen share their real life experiences through dialogues, debates and forums.

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COVER STORY research. RUW works with local institutions to support this and research findings are cascaded down to instruction level.

Today, there is much to celebrate at RUW, where our students are carving out successful careers and inspiring the next generation through entrepreneurship and are ambassadors of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Dr Mona Suri: It is very essential for the harmonious development of the country that women should be empowered and higher education plays a vital role in this. As per Bahrain Education and Training Annual Report 2018, majority of the enrolments across the universities consist of females. A total of 59% women are enrolled across the 12 universities in Bahrain. This statistic is evident of the unparalleled women’s hunger for education is Bahrain. Bahrain is a country where ‘equal opportunities’ concept is practiced to the core. The Ministry of Education, Higher Education Council and Education and Quality Training Authority are the key bodies that have put all efforts to ensure there is no bias in access to education and support women advancement.

Further, both private and public sector provide equal employment opportunities between men and women employees. As the only women’s university in Bahrain, RUW is a strong contributor to women’s development by supporting them to be strong well-rounded personalities, who can contribute the economic development of the country.

Today, there is much to celebrate at RUW, where ladies are carving out successful careers and inspiring the next generation. We have proudly witnessed our students play a major role through entrepreneurship and act as ambassadors of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

“Traditionally, women studied subjects related to humanities, languages etc., but in the past four decades they have started to opt for STEM streams as well as commerce, law, and business.”

Dr Mona Suri: The number of higher education students has increased globally in the past four decaes and universities are no longer elite ivory towers but places where the masses can gain unlimited knowledge.

A particular feature in this development has been the increasing rate of women’s participation in higher education. Their choice of programmes has also undergone a shift. Traditionally, women studied subjects related to humanities, languages etc., but in the past decades they have started to opt for STEM streams as well as commerce, law, and business. Their career choices have also undergone a huge shift with them being successful entrepreneurs, CEOs, pilots, engineers, doctors etc.

Interventions at various levels have led to an expansion and improvement in women education.

Educational policies, workforce policies, family and personal laws, socio-cultural beliefs and practices and working environment have evolved over a period of time to support women advancement.

“Gender stereotyping and discrimination may be considered the greatest problem that faces women in the workplace” Dr Mona Suri: There are many factors, gender stereotyping and discrimination may be considered the greatest problem that faces women in the workplace. Though the educational system allows equal opportunities for women to pursue education in all fields with no reservations, however in the workplace this is not always the case. This is not only due to employers’ attitude, but rather to other social and cultural aspects as well.

Additionally, it has been found that the skills taught in universities and the skills employers look for are sometimes very different. This gap may also lead to less women taking up careers.

Another factor is that young women lack role models in their careers. In male-dominated fields, men are employed to top positions and given challenging projects which helps them build their career profile. On the other hand, few women are granted opportunities to participate in high profile projects or to take on tasks that require more decision-making.

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Problems related to work-life balance due to inflexible working hours, having children are also some of the main concerns for women trying to pursue a successful career.

Another obstacle women face is ‘equal opportunities’ in obtaining leadership and senior management positions.

Studies indicate that in many cases though women graduate university with higher grades than men, the best jobs and the top positions are still male dominated. If “Equal Opportunity Programme” is to be properly implemented, special laws and regulations need to be developed to ensure that they receive an equal chance at these opportunities.

In my opinion this change will come, slowly but surely women are bridging the gap and employers are now realising women’s potential and offering them befitting roles.

“While ‘behind every successful man there is a woman’; behind every successful woman there is a sisterhood network: mother, sister or nanny who support her aspirations in practical ways” Dr Mona Suri: While motherhood is an important source of inspiration for all women, it is important that women have a choice and support from society to fulfil their potential. I strongly feel that allowance must be made for women’s important biological role. Women should be supported with maternity and parental benefits physically, financially and emotionally. At the same time, maternity leaves often adversely impact women’s career graphs. This issue must be addressed by providing them with special privileges, inclusive practices and support.

Sharing of duties by the partner and other family members is extremely critical during these times.

While ‘behind every successful man there is a woman’; behind every successful woman there is another woman - mother, sister or nanny… this sisterhood is extremely important in society.

“Women are not demanding favouritism, women are seeking equality and acknowledgment of their contributions to society” Dr Mona Suri: Many women seek inspiration and motivation from other women and role models.

Young women seek trust, respect, equality, and an opportunity to achieve their goals.

Women are not demanding favouritism, women are seeking equality and acknowledgment of their contributions to society.

Finally in my opinion, women want to make decisions of their life themselves.

SALAAM SOCIETY

Afkarech sisterhood celebration Members of the Afkarech Managing Committee met up to celebrate International Women's day one another with due attention paid to all CoViD-19 social gathering norms. Founder and President Mariam Alammadi said, "Due to the pandemic, we have not been able to have any real-time meetings or events and we were overjoyed to be in each others company after a long time. It just served to remind us of the camaraderie that exists between all of us and how vested we are in supporting and indeed uplifting one another. There was conversation and laughter over high tea followed by a fun photoshoot."

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COVER STORY

AHLAM JANAHI - Founder & President (six including the current 20212023 term)of the Bahrain Businesswomen’s Society - One of the first women entrepreneurs to be elected to the Board of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce & Industry - Listed by Forbes Magazine as among most influential Bahraini women - On several government appointed Boards shaping development and training opportunities Warm and outgoing, Ahlam Janahi is well-known among all circles for her work in setting the agenda for businesswomen's progress in Bahrain and across the GCC and MENA region. A sought-after and articulate speaker, she often addresses key conferences and regional seminars on women in the economic space. She brings an amazing empathy and passion for promoting Bahrain to her work and has often served as a representative of Bahraini women's achievements in official delegations to other countries.

Setting a progressive agenda My involvement in national and community affairs is natural Ahlam Janahi: I was always encouraged even as a young girl to be deeply involved in community affairs.

When I entered the world of business, first as a professional in banking and later in PR and after that as a business owner, I think I found ways to continue this affinity to work for Bahrain and for society. This led to a satisfying journey into volunteering my professional skills for the community - I believe that my key achievement has been my ability to serve my beloved Kingdom of Bahrain and its leaders and also mentor and support women of Bahrain in their path to success.

In 1999, the late Shaikha Lulwa bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, (may peace be upon her soul) brought together sixteen prominent and active businesswomen and suggested the idea of a professional organisation to serve as a platform for their aspirations. I was one of the Founding Members and in 2000, the Bahrain Businesswomen’s Society was formed. Since its founding, the BBS has served as a vital link between Bahrain’s women entrepreneurs and the government, helping to gain recognition, and support to further their cause.

I am humbled and honoured that I have been able to serve on every Board of the BBS for the past two decades, including as President five times (including the present term).

Challenges and opportunities for women doing business Ahlam Janahi: In the Kingdom of Bahrain, women have entered a new golden era during the reign of HM the King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and with the leadership of HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of HM the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women.

We have a champion in our Crown Prince and PM, HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa who has a keen sensitivity for inclusive and sustainable development that leaves no one behind.

Women in Bahrain also benefitted greatly from the encouragement and support of the late Prime Minister, HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

Businesswomen have especially found an empowering environment where laws have been created to support their role in nation-building and access to finance, training and start-up culture have been enabled.

What we need is to create more awareness of new areas of opportunity – technology has radically changed workplaces, workplace culture and created new spaces to explore. Women must move into these new spaces as entrepreneurs and narrow the digital divide.

Women need to overcome their hesitation in embracing technology Ahlam Janahi: Technology is a gender gap of the 21st century – in the past we used to have barriers of finance and social acceptance for businesswomen. Today we have government and banking support for our dreams but we still need to dismantle the access to technology and only we can lead the way to that goal.

The digital divide which troubles many women entrepreneurs makes them hesitate to embrace the process.

I believe that economic pathways usually follow in the tracks of role models and mentors. Although in recent years in the Kingdom of Bahrain, businesswomen have entered many new areas such as FinTech and Logistics, the majority of businesswomen tend to start and buy businesses in sectors where women already have a presence, like retail/service businesses (nail salons, daycare) or professional service firms like PR. Tech won’t have more women founders until there are more women founders leading tech companies. To push uptake of women in technology and industrial businesses, we need to encourage more discussion about the benefits and processes that can enable women-run businesses to expand using technology. We need trend-setting women to change the situation.

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We are living in times of unprecedented opportunity and peace – it is up to us to make the most of this period.

Ahlam Janahi: To Bahrain’s women, I always say that we are living in blessed times of peace, prosperity and opportunity in the reign of His Majesty. As a signatory to international human rights and labour agreements, the Kingdom actively supports non-discriminatory practices and equality in every sphere of activity. It is in our hands to make the most of the golden opportunity that we have been given.

We must also nurture the next generation of young entrepreneurs and share our life-lessons, knowledge and experience with them to prepare them to take on the responsibilities of ensuring Bahrain's bright future.

To entrepreneurs I say, failure is the stepping stone to success – embrace it.

Ahlam Janahi: The greatest obstacle to entrepreneurial success is not always lack of opportunity or funding – it is lack of courage. My advice to every entrepreneur is to embrace and learn from your failure. Undoubtedly, a single mistake can turn into a failure. But true failure is the one that occurs when nothing was learnt or changed after the previous mistake. Learning from your own mistakes is of the utmost importance if you intend to become successful.

Consider each new mistake as an opportunity to learn something and gain experience. Use them to find out the best possible solutions to future dilemmas -once you gain enough experience, you’ll positively understand the perspective of momentary failures and you’ll make sure that they do not occur in the future.

TECH TALK

What does the blue bird say?

Twitter India analysed about 5,22,992 tweets posted by Indian women across 10 Indian cities, between January 2019 to February 2021 to find out what they talked most about. Indian women talked most about everything from parenting, working from home and issues faces by women in India - as well as gaming, entrepreneurship and other fields of interest. Other topics explored the most were fashion (30%), books( 28%), beauty and music. They also shared their artworks, talked about modern dating, culinary discoveries. Lastly, the research also found out that Indian women love K-pop. #SareeTwitter was one of the most shared hashtags.

About 41% of Indian women used Twitter to seek advice, tips and recommendations.

11.7% women used Twitter to make virtual communities using hashtags such as #WomenInScience, #Wom22

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enInTech, #WomenInMarketing, and #GirlGamers.

20.8% of Indian women used Twitter to follow up on news and current affairs.

The report added that 31 per cent of women made real-life friends on female Twitter communities.

IWD HAPPENINGS

BCICAI to mark IWD with balance emphasis The Bahrain Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants has a good representation of women number-crunchers and decision makers in finance – 60 women members and a separate wing called WICAB - and it is a tradition with them to mark International Women’s Day with a special focus on the female members. This year, the theme is “Balance for better – better the balance, better the world” and Chairperson CA Ajaykumar has gone one step further by stepping aside and appointing CA Sharmila Shet as the Acting Chairperson for the month of March 2021.

Top of the celebration list are plans for a Women’s Conference on March 20, featuring a networking and sharing of success stories by women icons, the managing of the monthly BCICAI magazine completely by women members, including the content and focus on the Woman Titan of the Month and the organising of all the chapter events by women members. Several other events and activities - cultural, fitness, sports, seminar, storytelling session, special gifts for women members, social media activities - are being planned which will be announced in due course.

Rocking the network with Womenza!

'When there is a woman, there is magic' was the mood at the Womenza networking event organised at the photogenic Gallery21. In keeping with pandemic protocol, the event was kept to just six amazing women: Dana Zubari, Thu Le, Nazia Mustafa,

Victoria Mohammed, Hamna Arif and Rana AlAlawi. The International Women’s Day event was put together by make up artist Sundaz Ghazali who created the glam look with her outfit @ makeupbysandz.bh

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COVER STORY

BATOOL M. DADABHAI

- Board Member of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce & Industry - Director of Dadabhai Group - Founder-owner of Affinity By Batool, a fashion house - Former Board Member of the Bahrain Businesswomen’s Society How the world has changed for the woman entrepreneur Batool Dadabhai: I speak as a Bahraini entrepreneur here – I think the pace of change for women entrepreneurs has quickened in Bahrain over the past two decades especially after the sweeping reforms initiated by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa with the National Action Charter and also the establishment of the Supreme Council for Women under the Presidency of HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King. I believe that this created an environment which enabled women entrepreneurs, businesswomen and professionals to seek out new avenues to contribute to the progress of Bahrain and opened up new channels in terms of how they could access support in terms of training, financial and technical packages and even change the legal environment to fulfil their potential as contributors to the national progress.

All this has made Bahrain a 24

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Championing women’s

commercial presence

true hub of entrepreneurship – little wonder that Kingdom’s business ecosystem has generated the highest percentage of female business founders in the world, according to the 2019 Global Startup Ecosystem Report.

About 18 percent of the country’s enterprises are started by women, which is higher than London and Silicon Valley!

My mentor and guide is my father Mohammed Dadabhai – I think he saw my potential before even I was aware of it.

Batool Dadabhai: I have always been very close to my father and I think I am blessed that he has taken the time to mentor and guide me in my journey into the world of business.Yes, coming from a top-ranked business family has its advantages because you grow up surrounded by life-lessons on running a business empire and setting goals. But what binds my father and me closer is the fact that we both are people oriented. Growing up, my father’s warmth and his larger-than-life personality left an impression upon me as much as his ability to work so hard and stay so focused.

I think the biggest lessons I learnt from my association with him was to set goals and stay focused on achieving them and also to delegate to team members so that you grow your team and develop the business. Also, I was never made to feel that women could not achieve anything so gender did not come into the equation at all – only excellence mattered.

Every woman needs strong female role models Batool Dadabhai: I think these are exciting times for women in Bahrain and we thrive under the leadership and vision of HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King and President of the SCW. She is not so much a role model as she is an inspirer and mentor to us all.

Well, I spoke about my special relationship with my father – let me add that I have drawn great strength also from my mother. People see my outgoing personality but I think I also have inherited a measure of my mother’s deep spiritual belief. She has been a centre of calm and caring for her children and we all draw so much strength from her patience and have learnt from her how to love unconditionally and give generously to our families.

Such role models are particularly powerful for women because we are called upon to work so much more to balance work and life responsibilities and keep our families together.

The 2020-21 pandemic period has been especially challenging for women in business and with careers Batool Dadabhai: The sudden need to be more at home and not just WFH as the trend goes but also juggle an escalation of home front responsibilities has been especially difficult for women in business and career women. We could no longer leave home for our work place and expect our children to manage their school work and the home front to run as usual. Suddenly, because of the pandemic, we had to take on the responsibility of being part-time supervisors of the school Zoom sessions, try to fit more work from a distance since many of us didn’t go as often to office..it has been a learning curve.

I think women can leverage their ability to be more flexible, to multi-task and adjust quickly to new circumstances and shape a new work environment for us all in the post-pandemic world. Believe me, nothing will stay the same even after the virus abates and we will need to explore and adapt new ways to do business – women can lead the way.

I am always excited to work with women in collaborative projects Batool Dadabhai: As a businesswoman and fashion industry voice, I consciously try to leverage my SALAAM BAHRAIN | MARCH | 2021

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influence to mentor women as fellow designers, collaborators and suppliers. That said, I think it is also important to layer your approach – for me as a businesswoman, excellence and quality comes first and I do not make gender notes when dealing in business. It also means, that I will not automatically choose men as project partners just as I would not choose women only on the strength of their gender.

Luckily, the fashion industry that I am in has a good representation of women working in lead roles, so I am able to take forward my women-centric collaborations with ease.

I think the bottom line in any transaction is the customer Batool Dadabhai: Whether you are a shopper in a store or a businesswoman seeking wholesale goods for your outlets, the value of the transaction determines your power. Just as we expect quality and value as customers, we have to live up to our brand promise to deliver the same – and this has really nothing to do with being male or female, either as a business or as an individual shopper.

BUSINESS

Batelco Team’s 1.2 Million steps in Bahrain Sports Day Virtual Challenge Batelco celebrated the fifth edition of Bahrain Sports Day by holding a virtual challenge for its team members, encouraging them to achieve 1M steps in six days. Participation was high with team members sharing their daily steps via Batelco’s internal Instagram account.

Batelco marked the occasion of Sports Day via a live virtual show, when the number of steps was revealed to be 1.2M reflecting the success of the challenge. A raffle draw took place for those who participated in the challenge, with prizes such as Apple watches, Huawei watches, Samsung watches and Apple AirPods, in addition to cash prizes, handed out. Furthermore, two Bahrain National Football team jerseys signed by all team players were included in the raffle prizes.

Batelco General Manager Corporate Communications & CSR Shaikh Bader bin Rashid Al Khalifa said, "Batelco is proud of its national identity and support for all national activities, particularly sports activities. The company confirms its pride in cooperating with the Bahrain Olympic Committee and its commitment to the directives of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS) and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) President, with regards to celebrating Bahrain Sports Day virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.”

“Due to the current circumstances, we have launched the #StayAtHome campaign that aims to encourage people to conduct their daily duties from the comfort

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of their homes. Hence, we came about the idea of holding this event virtually and encourage people to participate remotely,” he added.

“We witnessed great engagement by Batelco team members and achieved more than the 1M steps challenge we set for ourselves. There are plans to have more initiatives around #StayAtHome campaign, that will even be extended to our customers.”

SALAAM SOCIETY

Art-preneurs add value to Bahrain business landscape Under the patronage of Dr. Hashim Suleiman Hussein, Head of UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the official inauguration of the Art-Preneurs Initiative took place with the opening of Nawal Al Sabbagh Art – Preneur Exhibition in the area of creative industries. Present were Council of Representatives member, MP Ahmed Al Saloom who is also the CEO of Bahrain Development SME’s Society and Osama Al Khaja the founder of Ebtikar Association Society and art patron Safia Kanoo.

“We are confident that the UNIDO-supported Art-Preneurs Initiative through which the community’s entrepreneurs and artists can collaborate for business, will help creative people to monetise their talent and add value to the cultural landscape of the country,” said Dr. Hussein, “Undoubtedly, this too will be an idea that will find a lot of acceptance in many countries.”

He added, “Bahrain, because of its business-friendly eco-system and the willingness of Bahrainis to accept new ideas, is an ideal hub for the uptake of such new ideas.”

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COVER STORY

DR. NAJAH AL ZAYANI

- Founder & Vice-President, Bahrain Specialist Hospital Behind the calm and dignified presence of Dr Najah Al Zayani lies a determined and passionate soul who fought against all odds to become Bahrain’s first woman medical entrepreneur and establish the Hospital.

Coming from a long and illustrious line of women pioneers - her father's cousin and her maternal great-grandmother and grandmother were all among the first trained midwives and nurses in Bahrain - Dr Najah knew at age 10, she wanted to be a doctor. In the 1960s, she was one of two women who secured a position in the competitive and prestigious American University of Beirut and went on to study and then teach at Baylor College in the USA. Her success story tells of steely determination and a courageous woman who fought odds and gender bias to reach the top on her own terms.

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Healing the gender gap The accidental medical-entrepreneur Dr. Najah Al Zayani : It was never my aim to set up my own hospital, I want to teach, mentor and build the next generation of doctors in Bahrain. I wanted to raise the level of medicine in my own country. After I came back from Baylor College, I joined the Arabian Gulf University and taught there for five years.

Unfortunately, this was a time when Bahrain was lagging behind in the medical field. There were only two big hospitals in Bahrain - Salmaniya and BDF and there was not even enough equipment. I was blocked at every turn by male doctors who went to the extent of locking up the available instruments so that I could not carry out the necessary procedures.

But that didn’t stop me - when you are young, you have big dreams and are very resilient. So I bought my own endoscopy machine and together with my assistant we would lug it around on a trolley to the hospital, do our procedure, sanitising the machine and putting it back into the trunk of my car. It weighed around 28 kgs.

I did this for five years. And then I joined the American Mission Hospital in 1986 and they too had no endoscopy equipment or an ultrasound machine. The room they gave me was on the roof and the patients had to be wheeled in under the sun. So, I bought a portable ultrasound machine and kept it in my car. My assistant sat in the front seat and the back seat and trunk full of equipment but I had no choice – it was either that or go back to the States.

The call which changed my life Dr. Najah Al Zayani : Then one day, the late Emir, Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (may God bless his soul) called me and told me that he wanted me to start a good private hospital in Bahrain. I told him it was easier said than done and while I did have the expertise and knowledge, I had no finance, other resources or support. He said that I should start small and build it up from there.

I was lucky because when I told my late father (may God bless his soul) about this, he threw himself into the project with enthusiasm. Since he wielded a lot of influence in the business community, he contacted many potential financial investors.

But this was an ambitious project, and was very hard to get off the ground because shortly after we began, the 1990 Gulf War started and the financial backers got cold feet. Shaikh Isa had very generously given us land to build the hospital but there were no roads near the area. It gave me sleepless nights and one morning, when I couldn’t sleep I came to Juffair for a walk and saw this empty structure which was supposed to be a hotel but was abandoned because of financial difficulties. I contacted the owner and we had our building but that was not the end of it - we had to transform it into a hospital, the requirements are very different. My brother Hamid Al Zayani helped me with that and in 18 months we had our hospital.

The best gift a woman can give her family is her good health Dr. Najah Al Zayani : In traditional societies, women’s health is not taken seriously. Women give more preference to their families, parents and children than they do to themselves. However, this is changing now as more women gain financial independence and higher education. Their self-confidence goes up and they realise they need to take care of themselves. They know there is a lot more at stake for them now. I keep telling my patients, you want to be a good mother but how will you do that if you don't take care of yourself and fall sick.

As women try to juggle multiple roles, they face more stress.You can seriously impact your health when you are constantly putting others' needs above yours. Plus we are brought up to feel guilty about not prioritising our family, parents, husband, and children above ourselves. And here is where I think we women have a chance to break the cycle. We must marry the right partner. Someone who will support your dreams and ambitions. I was very lucky to find someone like that - who encouraged me, supported my career choices, and didn’t treat me SALAAM BAHRAIN | MARCH | 2021

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like a second-grade citizen.

Women have become more intelligent, more confident and more independent and this makes it a very complex dynamic when it comes to finding a right partner who will appreciate these qualities.

Empowering Women at Work Dr. Najah Al Zayani : The challenges women face are very different to that of men and we need to realise and acknowledge that. For example when we started out, there were some really talented women on my staff, who because of visa restrictions could not being their family, their children to stay with them in Bahrain. I rang several of my contacts to sort out their living situation for them. A mother who is away from her child cannot give her 100 per cent at work. If they need to take care of aged parent or find the right care-giver for their child, I will help them out. I even get involved if there is a domestic dispute to try and see both sides and come to a compromise. Sometimes all they need is a sister or mother-figure to talk to.

And when you do that you are rewarded with amazing success stories - like when I see the achievements of the second generation of the people who work with me - how they have excelled in universities and their level of education far exceeds their parents, it makes me very happy.

Advice to women looking to make a difference Dr. Najah Al Zayani : Be passionate. Be happy about what you are doing or don't do it! Do what you want to do, not what other people want you to do it. If you do something because it pays well or is a prestigious job but your heart’s not in it you are not really going to be happy or make a difference. The day I stop feeling passionately about medicine I will quit. The days I find an unusual diagnosis treatable I am on top of the world. I go home elated. Being a doctor is like being a detective, you have to have the diagnosis, it is like finding the missing piece of the puzzle and I believe I am very good at that. It’s that passion that helps people make a difference in their chosen profession.

AWARD

WBAF Bahrain country office wins World Excellence Award The newly-established Bahrain presence of the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) has won the award of the ‘Country Office of the Year 2020’.

This was announced following the conclusion of the WBAF’s 2021 World Congress of Angel Investors held virtually for the first time, where the winners of the forum’s World Excellence Awards were announced.

The international jury for the awards selected five institutions and individuals that have distinguished themselves by empowering their local and global economies through entrepreneurship, science, technology and innovation in 2020.

WBAF Country Office, Bahrain was named the 30

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‘Country Office of the Year 2020’. It was also announced that the Bahrain Entrepreneurship Organisation (BEO) sponsored a Bahraini start-up’s participation in the congress. “We are delighted that we were able to sponsor Theiab Aldossary’s startup, Felix Haptic Technologies, and wish him all the best onhe global fundraising stage,” said Feryal Nass, who is also BEO chairwoman.

“Unido ITPO initiated the introduction of Felix Haptic Technologies to BEO and we are looking forward to supporting Theiab to reach international status,” she added.

HEALTH

Obesity issues in Bahrain The enforced reduction in physical activity in 2020-21 has pushed the obesity charts upwards for Bahrain’s youngsters.

By NISHITA KAPOOR

I

t is a unhealthy fact that there is very low awareness in Bahrain about what children need to eat to stay fit.

Where once kids’ fitness was taken for granted, today children as young as four and five years old are diagnosed as obese by pediatricians and the problem only worsens as they reach teenage, according to research. The outcomes of being an obese child or teenager have an immediate negative impact on one's physical health as it leads to a higher risk of asthma and cognitive impairment.

According to research, in 2018, it was found that 35.3% of children and adolescents in Bahrain were considered obese, and the body-mass index (BMI) of 65.8% of the total population resulted in a scale above 25 (keeping in mind that the BMI of a healthy population must be between 18.5 to 24.9).

The stationary or inactive lifestyle, using cars to cover shor t distances instead of walking or cycling and eating foods where the main ingredient is white flour or fried food items are the leading causes of obesity. Although most schools have been closed in 2020, the fact is that school canteens serve food that do not always promote optimum health in children. Most students prefer buying food from canteens because it represents a social interaction with friends and also because home-cooked food is not seen as ‘cool’ enough.

Though burgers and pizzas taste far better than salads and wholewheat bread, one may not realize what impact it holds on their body. White flour is difficult to digest as it ruins the body’s metabolism and congests it. Having foods made out of white flour consistently may cause mental health issues, frequent headaches, and weight gain. Unfor tunately, most foods like za’atar and shawarmas are made with white flour bread. A carbs addiction is as bad as nicotine addiction. In addition to that, kids and adolescents are also addicted to flavored sodas. The sugar content in such drinks is higher than the amount of sugar one can consume on a day-to-day basis.

Based on WHO guidelines, the Ministry of Health in Bahrain has set up several nutritional clinics across Bahrain with qualified health specialists, nutritionists, and dieticians to help combat the rise of obesity. They provide diet char ts and exercise routines to be followed by their patients, which have great results. They are easy-to-follow diet and exercise routines that ensure that the patient is on track and is motivated towards achieving their goals of getting back in shape and leading a healthy life.

5 WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S WIGHT MANAGEMENT 1. Balanced Diet: Parents must ensure that their children eat a healthy and balanced diet consisting of all the essential nutrients required by their bodies. A balanced diet must include a good por tion of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and proteins. The meal por tions shouldn’t be too much nor too little. Following a regular healthy diet, pattern ensures a moderate metabolism rate and an easy digestion process.

2. Workout: Workouts are an essential par t of the day. Just how impor tant breathing is to our body, exercise is vital for our bodies to function actively and efficiently. Parents must encourage their children to set aside at least 30 minutes a day to exercise, it could be in any form, either a walk, jog, run, Zumba, yoga, gym, or even swimming. Parents, too, must workout at least four times a week to set an example for their children.

3. Adequate sleep: Another leading cause of obesity is inadequate sleep. Most children and teenagers stay up late at night watching their favorite series or movies, having midnight snacks rich in carbs and sugar, and waking up past noon the next day. Having at least 8 hours of sleep every night and avoiding screen time before bedtime helps relax the body’s muscles and mind. It also allows one to wake up feeling active and fresh the next morning.

4. Reducing screen-time: With technology developing at a faster speed, social media has become more addictive than ever.

Every impor tant information, call, or text from a friend is just a scroll or tap away. We’ve become addicted to our screens more than ever, due to which parents must set a screen time for their children to have a healthy balance between screen time and family time. Parents could involve their children by playing family games like ludo or monopoly.

5. Ensuring healthy mental and emotion health: Often when we’re depressed or sad, we tend to eat more, especially foods rich in sugar, to help us feel happy, or we end up overeating. To reduce that, parents must have a daily conversation with their children, talking about how their day was, asking them if they had something upsetting them or bothering them. This helps children eat in moderation and helps develop a good relationship between parents and children.

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COVER STORY

FERYAL A. NASS • Founder & Chairwoman, Bahrain Entrepreneurship Organization • High Commissioner & Bahrain Country Office Director,World Business Angels Investment Forum • Vice Chairwoman, ASEAN Bahrain Council • Former President, Bahrain Businesswomen's Society A dynamic go-getter social entrepreneur and businesswoman who comes from a family where business success is encouraged, Feryal Abdullah Nass started out as an entrepreneur herself.

Today, she is the CEO and founder of Bahrain Entrepreneurs Organisation, where she channels her experience to mentor upcoming entrepreneurs. As the Vice Chairman of the ASEAN Business Council, Chairwoman of Bizgrow Incubators and Accelerators and Country Director at the World Business Angels Investment Forum, she taps global expertise to build a network of support especially for women entrepreneurs.

Feryal is also the recipient of the Masterclass Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the 8th Middle East Business Leaders Awards, in addition to being a Foundation awardee from the International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge.

Currently, she is an Executive Director for Nass Group, a position she has held for the past

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Mentoring growth for women 27 years and also runs her own interiors business. She is Head of the Advisory Council for the Interior Design curriculum at the Applied Sciences University. We spoke to Feryal about how to best tackle the challenges women entrepreneurs commonly face and how to keep growing.

On the hurdles women entrepreneurs face as they try to build their own businesses Feryal Abdulla Nass: More and more women are becoming entrepreneurs and business owners than ever before. Some disadvantages faced are lack of access to professional mentorship, training, resources, digital transformation etc. However, I truly believe the biggest block for women’s success is a fear of failure before even commencing and the struggle with securing investment funding. The main challenge that women face is access to smart finance which will give her both funds and mentorship to guide her towards her dream. Plus, of course, the social and cultural challenges.

On the lessons learnt during her entrepreneurial journey Feryal Abdulla Nass: I have learnt that a successful entrepreneur needs to persevere, be unafraid of hard work and always strengthen these attributes: collaborations and constant learning, willingness to assist and be assisted, resilience and optimism, in addition to the ability to adapt.

I have also learned valuable lessons because of my association and work on the board of and founder of different NGOs. One opportunity this has presented me with is to give back to the entrepreneurial community.

For example, I have been honoured to be recently was appointed as part of a mentoring team at the Supreme Council for Women to assist affected businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. I was honoured to be able to assist and to empower other entrepreneurs in such difficult times and would like to take this opportunity to thank Supreme Council for Women for entrusting me with this role.

On how the landscape has changed for women entrepreneurs over the past nearly 30 years Feryal Abdulla Nass: Bahraini women are highly educated, open to new ventures and ideas, they are creative and hard working. According to a recent statistic 41% of commercial registrations in the Kingdom of Bahrain belong to women. One area of the business world where they have made significant strides, is as small business entrepreneurs.

Over the past nearly 30 years, there has been a tremendous improvement in the numbers of women entrepreneurs and in different sectors and professions as they have increased their participation in leading different corporate and in the boardrooms of major companies in the private sector.

The wise leadership of His Majesty the King Hamad Al Khalifa and the guidance of HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty and President of the Supreme Council for Women have been a great support for women entrepreneurs by providing different programmes, trainings, mentorship and financial funds and initiatives to support and develop the women entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

At our level, women like me who have found a measure of success are investing a lot of effort and time to support the Bahraini entrepreneurs and start-ups and I do believe that this is showing results in opening doors for more women to truly participate in nation-building.

On women bosses – are they multi-taskers and perfectionists?

Feryal Abdulla Nass: It most certainly is a correct assessment! A female boss can be a great multi-tasker, perfectionist and set high standards for both herself and her team, these are attributes that every woman has.

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COVER STORY

Feryal Abdulla Nass: There is not one but many occasions when I have felt empowered as a successful woman. As I mentioned, I think I have been humbled and empowered by my role in the SCW’s support programme for women entrepreneurs in COVID times. Again, when we recently received an award from World Business Angel Investments Forum as the the best country office for the year 2020 and also won the WBAF elections to be in their Executive Global Women Entrepreneurship Committee among women entrepreneurs’ leaders from around the globe, I think it was a moment of empowerment for all Bahraini entrepreneurs.

In addition to this, the Bahrain Entrepreneurship Organisation that I chair, was founded in June 2019. We have taken major strides to empower and assist youth and women entrepreneurs. Seeing the members’ successes, particularly over the past year with all the struggles that came with the Covid-19 pandemic, has been humbling and extremely rewarding.

I think I also cherish the awards that recognised my efforts and success - the IWEC award six years ago in Istanbul and the Entrepreneurship World Excellence Award in the United Kingdom.

Why we need more women in leadership roles Feryal Abdulla Nass: Women value and have the ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance. We are nurturing, empathetic and make great listeners. We are motivated by challenges, handle crises well, are flexible and defy the odds. Women are adaptable to change, are good at multi-tasking and wear many hats, they dream big and communicate well.

AWARD

FedEx Express recognized as ‘Most Gender Inclusive Workplace’ Accolade at Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company, has been recognized with the award for ‘Best Gender Equality Workplace’ by the World HRD Congress at the Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Awards 2021. The Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Awards recognize and celebrate individuals, advisory firms, industry partners, and institutions for their work and passion in enabling diversity and inclusion initiatives. This year, more than 400 organizations participated in the awards conducted by the World HRD Congress.

Recently, FedEx Express launched the Leadership, Education, Advancement, and Placement (LEAP) initiative in its Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa region; a mentoring program aimed to equip women with mentorship opportunities, and the tools they need to advance their career within the organization. In March 2020, Jack Muhs, regional president of FedEx Express Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa, signed the CEO statement of support for the ‘Women’s Empowerment Principles – Equality means Business’.

The principles were established by the United Nations Global Compact and United Nations Women, and outline actions to encourage gender equality in the workplace, and the community. FedEx has been named by Forbes Magazine

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in 2019 as one of the Best Employers for Diversity globally, and was also recognized as one of the Best Workplaces for Women 2020 in the GCC, by the Great Place to Work® Institute.

WOMEN & FINANCE

Tackling gender bias in algorithms a must, says global fintech leader, Finastra New KPMG report, commissioned by Finastra, examines the size of global consumer lending markets and the potential impact of algorithmic bias in society

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inastra, one of the world’s largest fintechs, is calling upon the global finance industry to tackle algorithmic bias which is likely to be impacting millions of people every day. The fintech firm, which supplies vital technology to financial institutions of all sizes, including 90 of the world’s top 100 banks, recently commissioned consultancy firm KPMG to look at the issue across banking, lending and insurance. The research considered how decisions coming from this advanced technology have the potential to impact outcomes for certain people and groups. In response to the findings, Finastra has published a five-point plan to identify and tackle algorithmic bias and is urging the financial industry to come together to take action and build a fairer society.

In the past decade, the financial world has been industrialized and digitalized through the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly forms of machine learning, boosting efficiencies and automating processes, resulting in many parts of banking, lending and insurance decision-making processes now being made by algorithms. The pandemic has accelerated the use of these technologies and whilst it brings clear positives, these vital algorithms can only be as ‘fair’ and unbiased as the data sets that are used to build them. The industry must check if the biases that exist in society are being repeated through the design and deployment of these technologies.

To understand the severity of the problem,

Finastra commissioned KPMG to produce a report which reveals the sheer size of consumer lending markets and the potential impact of algorithmic bias. For example, in 2020, consumer lending and transactions across key financial products (credit card, other consumer product lending and mortgage/home lending) were over: • $6,110bn in the U.S. • HK$1,270bn in Hong Kong • £440bn in the United Kingdom • €280bn in France • SG$110bn in Singapore

Both the provision and costs – e.g. the interest rates charged – to consumers of this credit will be informed in many cases by the algorithms that are used.

Simon Paris, CEO at Finastra, said, “Without this being a priority in the financial industry, AI will become a flywheel that will accelerate the negative impact on human lives. Finastra doesn’t have all the answers but we believe that the industry must first acknowledge that there is a problem with algorithmic bias – only then can we work

together to find a solution. We will work with our partners and ecosystem to drive the change the industry needs to make collectively and collaboratively we can redefine finance for good and open it up to all. Finastra’s goal is to ensure financial technology is benevolent and fair in every way to give everyone a level playing field when it comes to borrowing money.”

Dr Leanne Allen, Director at KPMG Financial Services Tech Consulting, said, “Consumer and public trust are critical success factors for Financial Services. The findings in our report for Finastra make it clear that providers need to take care when designing, building and implementing these algorithms to ensure innovation can continue to advance in a safe and ethical way. The report brings together recent thinking on algorithmic bias, with specific applications to financial services and the potential for biased decision-making.

Mitigating bias is vitally important in our digital and data-led world. Not doing so could run the risk of serious financial harm to the consumers who use these services.”

The full report by KPMG and Finastra’s proposed solutions can be found at the Finastra website. Meanwhile, Finastra is working hard to create a future where finance is open for all. Starting with International Women’s Day, the ‘Open By Default’ movement will be reflected across the hosted events, branded content and marketing strategies run by Finastra.

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COVER STORY

SHABANA ASIF SAHERWALA

- Founder-MD Space & Style Interior Designing Studio WLL. A sought-after interior designer, Shabana Saherwala’s interiors are stamped with a lively sophistication and combine practical functionality seamlessly with eye-poppingly beautiful aesthetics. Originally from Mumbai and a graduate of the SNDT University where she majored in interior design, Shabana followed her banker husband to Bahrain 12 years ago, bringing her expertise as an interior designer and businesswoman to Bahrain’s shores.

Shabana has worked on prestigious projects such as the Lulu Group’s regional offices in Dana Mall, Affinity

by Batool for Dadabhai Construction, the Kinderworld School in Hamala and Adliya, the Dadabai Group corporate office and other residential and commercial spaces in Bahrain, India and France.

Shabana says one needs to master so many disciplines to succeed.Women are still rare in this field and we take pride in saluting a lady of fine taste and determination who leads the way in her field.

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Designing for success A very good place to start When we first came to Bahrain 12 years ago, I started with a freelance project in which I did the interiors for 20 villas in Durrat Marina and 56 villas in Saudi Arabia. I know I initially landed the projects because I was costeffective but, in the end, I believe that the quality of my work is what brought me more clients until I could start my own Bahrain business, Space & Style - Interior Designing Studio WLL. We have since grown and recently started our new venture Wall Canvas- Coats & Cuts WLL which caters to a niche requirement of artistic walls in decorative paints and panels.

The work environment in Bahrain Working in Bahrain is, in many ways, the same as other places – women interior designers who actually “get their hands dirty” by supervising their projects on the floor are rare. Often, women in this business prefer to channel their aesthetic knowledge into the retail industry, opening shops that sell carefully curated interior design accessories and elements. I chose differently and I believe that my Mumbai background helps me to add so much value to my projects. After all, Mumbai is the home of international swag! At the same time, Bahrain offers access to an international style palette and this makes for a knowledgeable client base which challenges me.

The gender gap Even after all these years of success, I do come across clients who express reservation about working with women interior designers especially for commercial spaces. Women are considered great for home interiors and colour advise but we have to work twice as hard to prove ourselves for commercial and industrial spaces. There is always a doubt that men are available to work 24 x 7 whereas women can only be there for less time due to their home front responsibilities. But I think successful women are just as serious as men professionally – besides we are good at multi-tasking and setting target time schedules for projects. Moreover, our work involves working with so many men – often I have been the only woman on the site. But we need to break that inhibition to succeed. Fortunately, I have a very dedicated team that works and thinks in sync with me.

Despite its image as a ‘soft’ career option, interior design involves understanding so many technicalities, aesthetics and product awareness. Besides one needs to stay in trend with technology like energy saving and ‘smart’ options. Then there is inter-personal skills – most of our contractors and suppliers are men and often, they don’t accept a woman’s point easily, especially technical details. One has to communicate, convince and at the same time command respect as a project leader – it’s all a balancing act. Effective communication and perseverance have often proved vital in securing one’s position in the corporate world.

Favourite project Every project is special and has been close to my heart, rather I have a favourite moment in the creative cycle.

That is the part where I dream - I create an image in my mind for the space I need to design and envision it with the client’s eyes. I create a 5 dimensional aura in my head. I enjoy that part the most, it takes me into another world.

Blurring lines Interior design is still largely a man’s world but I do try and work with women suppliers and contractors. I feel women must empower each other through professional support. A supportive family is definitely a key for successful career women. As parents, we too have played a role in emphasising the need for financial independence and a career even for our daughters. The generation after us is already more focused and selfdriven than we were and gender differences are slowly blurring.

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COVER STORY

CHRISTINE GORDON

Student Director Founder - RIA Institute Christine Gordon has an all-enveloping warm and sunny disposition. Any conversation with her makes you feel special. She is just the kind of person that you would trust your child’s care to.

And it’s these traits that make Christine perfect for the cause she champions as the Founder and Student Director of the RIA Institute for differently abled children.

This erstwhile professional singer put her career aside and dove into setting up RIA institute over twenty years ago, one of the first of its kind, to support her son who is autistic.

Over the years she has helped thousands of children and their families cope with enormous challenges that they face. She was awarded by Queen Elizabeth with an MBE for her work on inclusion.

Salaam Bahrain and VESTIRE tip their hats to Christine and her zest to help special and differently-abled children feel loved and understood.

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An advocate for inclusion People with disabilities can be your work partners!

Christine Gordon: I have seen a lot of positive developments and changes in the 20 years I have been running the RIA institute especially since Bahrain has signed and ratified the CRPD - Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. One of the most significant achievements is the acknowledgement and the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace.

On receiving the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) Christine Gordon: I feel it has definitely changed people's perception of the work I do for autistic and other special needs children. It certainly has inspired me to continue this work and it was an acknowledgement that that I got something right along the way Gender disparity in treatment of special children Christine Gordon: This a global phenomenon that everyone is facing. Maybe more in some countries and less in others. I was lucky enough in the summer to meet with the people from CRPD Secretariat (UN) and there are a lot of positive changes that are happening globally. All it needs is for people to voice their opinions and make people aware of their needs.

Reports say that most caregivers and teachers for special needs students are women – is it because women have a higher EQ? Christine Gordon: I don't think I’m qualified to comment on this but I can give you my opinion and my opinion is if you can do the job, do it! If not, get out of the way.

Building the RIA programme with gender consideration in mind Christine Gordon: We take everything into consideration, the circumstances, the environment, the gender, age gap between siblings if any, how the child relates to the rest of the extended family. There are so many different variables. We also factor in the emotional support that we need to give the parents.

Lack of opportunity for differently-abled women and women with mental health issues Christine Gordon: I just believe that there needs to be a more open and thoughtful dialogue between all the different sections of society when talking about inclusion and that means so many different things to different people. We have to look at ways to remove stigmas, judgement and labels and work as a community.

I think there are many wonderful opportunities opening up for everyone, I don't want a single out one gender, but yes but things are moving in Saudi and in Bahrain as well but I think it has not been given enough media attention – I guess because there is a pandemic going on and a lot of things are happening. But I do feel really positive and I expect things will change over the next few years.

I am personally really excited that we're going in the right direction and a lot of young people are realising that we are ONE TEAM and that’s the message you want. It’s not us and them, we are one team. We'll have to help each other and promote advocacy and self-advocacy.

Sisterhood and support Christine Gordon: It is an honour to be selected as one in this list of amazing ladies, but I have to say that behind me is an army of unsung heroes and that make things happen. They are all the women in the houses making house a home, a beautiful sanctuary for the family and that is what it’s all about – family.

And we must remember three magic words – INCLUDE . ENABLE . INSPIRE .

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COVER STORY

SWAYTA SHA Born into a family that were jewellers to the Nizam of Hyderabad and designed and sourced some of his finest gems and jewellery, you would think that Swayta Sha would automatically gravitate to a career in jewellery design.

But this creative woman’s first career was as a banker.

After a successful foray in the world of finance, she switched direction and harnessed her inborn talent as a jewellery designer with an eye for quality gems to follow the family tradition.

Today, Swayta’s brand is showcased at Saks Fifth Avenue and it is a reflection of the passion, creativity and instinctive understanding of contemporary taste that her work embodies.We caught up with this self-made entrepreneur to find out how celebrating the women of today has helped Swayta carve out a niche for herself as a professional jeweller.

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A winning gem Although women are the majority users of jewellery, why is it that most professional gemmologist and jewellers are men?

Swayta Sha: The designs I create truly cater to the women of today. It’s beautiful to see how women have come into their own, how their persona is redefined by the choices they make.

Every woman deserves to be able to look at herself in the mirror and be appreciative of what she sees and who she has become. And that is what I seek to do every time I create a new piece. It is what my brand represents the true embodiment of the woman of today - bold, beautiful, ambitious and exquisite.

What were the challenges you faced in making a mark as a serious jewellery designer? Is it true that women are taken seriously as customers but not as designers or dealers and brand -builders?

Swayta Sha: Starting my own brand has been an exhilarating experience. There were numerous challenges I had to face, there are some which I still face but I choose not to fixate on. These difficulties never made me lose hope. That’s what my brand stands for – women empowered. I feel my pieces empower women when they wear them and gives their self-confidence a boost Personally, I derive strength to overcome these challenges from my elaborate support system - my friends. In addition, the appreciation from my customers gives me a great sense of elation especially when it’s the quality of my pieces that is complimented as that is one thing I have never compromised on.

What is your favourite gemstone? How do you create designs?

Swayta Sha: Although I love all gemstones, if I have to single out one, it would be the diamond. They have the fire element which enhances the colour of any stone it is paired with. Diamonds also have the power to reduce stress, emotional pain, fear, and protect the owner from negative energies. Diamonds are associated with nobility of character, buoyancy of thought, a wiser vision, peace & prosperity. A diamond inspires creativity, imagination and innovation and brings clear- headedness when facing problems and aids in decisive decision making.

Do women and men perceive beauty and aesthetics differently?

Swayta Sha: Most women have an eye for detail that’s why we love jewellery so much. We admire the intricacies that come into play in a good piece of jewellery. Men, on the other hand, see beauty more holistically, they have an overall view of things and are great buyers of gifts for the special women in their lives.

In the jewellery market place, does any big brand have a clear and progressive women centric policy which embraces female employee rights and clients?

Swayta Sha: Yes, women’s empowerment has opened the doors to more avenues of progress, more access to resources for women and many great brands are listening and responding effectively. I do appreciate and admire many brands in the jewellery line and in many other fields for managing workplace reform in terms of women empowerment . Many leading brands are positive examples of such practices. Women today have paved their way into various sectors and this particular sector (jewellery) is not far behind. It makes me strive harder to bring a similar sentiment not just to my clients but also to my future women employees.

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COVER STORY

SUSY MASSETTI Chef & Organic Farmer Director Massetti Consultancy & Management WLL

Susy Massetti's journey to becoming a chef started at birth.

Literally! She was born in a kitchen as her mother went into labour while working in a restaurant kitchen. So it was, as they say, 'Kismet' that Susy became a world-class chef and restaurateur. Born in Milano, Italy, Chef Susy (as she is popularly known) is a third generation chef born into a family of cooks starting with Susy's grandmother who owned and ran her own restaurant.

From these humble beginnings, Susy has cooked in and managed restaurants around the world including Spain, the Caribbean, USA, Abu Dhabi, had her own cooking show 'Simply Susy' on OSN, served American politicians, film stars and directors as well as international heads of states and worked as the personal chef for the former Prime Minister of Qatar. But eventually the charms of this beautiful Island of Pearls ensnared Chef Susy's heart when she moved here for a couple of prestigious projects, set up some of the most prominent restaurants and even her own organic farms – it 42

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A spice called success would be truthful to say Bahrain is her home now.

L’Orto, Eat’sy KSA, Fishbone, Masso The Orangery, you have imagined and brought to life some of the coolest culinary experiences, Chef Susy, what inspires you and what can we expect next?

Chef Susy: Ingredients and people and their culinary culture is what inspire me the most, and I wish I had more time as my mind is full of concepts and ideas. At this moment L’Orto is very young and like all babies needs care and attention and we are also expanding eat’sy (its first branch is in Khobar, KSA) to Riyadh so I will be pretty busy with these two for a while!

You worked in the west as well as in the Middle East - are the taste buds different, did you have to tweak your style to accomodate the Bahraini palate?

Chef Susy: I am Italian but I’ve also worked in Spain, in the Caribbean and in USA and no, I didn’t have to tweak my style. My goal is to make people discover real authentic flavours not 'adapt them' to what they already know - imagine how boring will that be? I use (as much as I can) the elements, techniques and locally sourced ingredients to incorporate the local culture to create dishes that speak to your soul.

You have won several awards and accolades collaborating with the ministry of tourism and culture, what is the one ingredient, locally grown, that you love to cook with and which surprises people?

Chef Susy: Oh my gosh, there are several actually, bagal for instance and trinj, and I adore Mehiawa, the fermented dry fish sauce. It is so briny and salty and works wonders as a secret seasoning!

You have spent almost a decade planning and selection of crops in your organic gardens, Roots and Shoots and before with Masso garden, what is your advice for all those who've taken to gardening during these pandemic times?

Chef Susy: Growing your food is so rewarding, controlling how you grow it using only organic methods is extremely beneficial. Simply tending a garden both for food and for flowers is such a cathartic action, it helps you let all your worries go and marvel at the miracles of Mother Nature! Get your children involved, we need a new generation of passionate gardeners!

Gold leaf on desserts and drinks has become synonymous with Middle East and expensive tastes - do you think these are just gimmicks or is there something to them?

Chef Susy: Heck no, just a silly, silly gimmick! I’s rather buy myself a nice piece of jewellery if I want to “see gold”.

Plant-based meats are all the rage, what are your views?

Chef Susy: Well, I am pretty much a vegetarian and now moving toward being vegan although not forever so I am very pro! I personally use very very few pre-packed “meat substitutes” and very carefully read the ingredients of those preparations. They are not so healthy and contain too many “synthetics” so…. I prepare amazing super-flavourful burgers or “meatloaf” recipes using only vegetables and herbs.

Cooking is traditionally considered a 'woman's job' till it is done professionally and then it becomes a male bastion. What challenges did you face when you started out as a professional chef?

Chef Susy: When I started I was a woman amongst many women in my grandmother’s humble restaurant, my mother, my aunts were all working there with us kids making a noisy happy mess all around them. The men of the family were working somewhere else and the women were running the restaurant - so my first experience SALAAM BAHRAIN | MARCH | 2021

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outside my family place was truly a shock. There was no woman to be seen except for my then sister-in-law at the register, everyone else was a male. I had to show them what I was capable of and push my way through, gain respect and it helped me enormously as I had a lot to learn!

Gender imbalance and inequality is predominant in the culinary world - according to a study only 7 per cent of the kitchens in the US are led by women, what you feel can be done to balance this ratio and encourage more women to aspire to be chefs and culinary entrepreneurs like yourself?

Chef Susy: Once again for women to succeed and take on this profession we shall have to “train” our male counterparts! Women don’t usually take this route or not so commonly as we are socially “conditioned” to believe that we need to be at home, have babies and and care for our children rather than this duty being equally shared by both sexes. So being at work at night or during holidays is not appreciated, sadly. I was lucky and I always had support and with the years, I never saw myself as a “female chef”.

In fact I hate this term with a passion - I am a chef and capable of as much, if not more than any of my male counterparts. We need a culture change, we need to see family and maternity as a duty shared, and men need to show their support to their female companions as women have always done for them!

Most chefs prefer simple home food - what is your go to 'feel-good' dish to make/eat?

Chef Susy: Pasta al Pomodoro! Never ever go wrong with it, tomatoes, garlic, chili and basil with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, a dish that is ready in less than 10 minutes!

Who you consider your female- role model in the culinary world?

Chef Susy: Alice Water, the chef-patron of Chez Panisse in California (USA) she was the precursor of the farm to table, ‘what you see is what you eat cuisine’, I simply love and I have a lot of respect for her passion and her heart.

What do you do to address gender parity issues in your professional space? Do you mentor upcoming woman chefs and woman product suppliers?

Chef Susy: I try very much to attract, support, mentor and encourage ANY aspiring chef - as a first, I do not think in terms of gender, I think that if we all dropped the female/male thing we will be so much better off!

Finally, the three things you would advise Bahraini women who are nowadays increasingly taking to professional cooking?

Chef Susy: Humility. Practice. Focus.

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FASHION

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unveils 2021 Spring-Summer Look 46

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FASHION

Moda Vestire, have launched their Spring 2021 collection with a beautiful focus on textures – silks, breezy chiffons, intricately worked handcrafted lehenga and gowns and stunning colours to match the crisp weather – glowing reds, cool grey, white and beige.

“Craftsmanship never gows out of fashion” says fashion curator and Moda Vestire owner Nazia Mustafa, “I also feel we must invest in such handcrafted clothing to keep alive the proud heritage of textile crafts that India has always been famed for.”

The Moda Vestire boutique is a treasure trove of fashion accessories and clothing – located in Al Murjan Centre in Juffair, the fashion house also has a lively social media presence. Meanwhile, we caught up with talented make up artist Sundas Ghazali from @makeupbysandz.bh who has created the “look” for the fashion photos you see here. Here are her top tips for how to get the glam quotient: 1 - The higher the temperature, the lesser the makeup.

2 - Prime well on the bare skin including eyes. It is an extremely important step as it will help to seal your makeup for a longer time.

3 - Pick a long-wear foundation (oil free) with an SPF. 4 - Use less products on your face. Try to use a concealer instead of a foundation. There are less chances of it having a blotchy effect.

5 - Its always better to avoid powders as it could clog your pores and make you look cakey.

6 - Use a long-wear makeup spray at the end, it helps keep your makeup in place.

7 - BLOT! Use a blotting paper to absorb any sweat without disturbing the makeup.

8 - Don't forget to keep yourself hydrated! Drink lots of water.

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MILLENNIAL VOICE

What’s a woman’s place in the office?

The long-suffering patience is not part of the lexicon of the thirtysomethings in today’s corporate world and are challenging stereotypes.Thank goodness for all the noise!

By ADITI NAGAPPA

I

t happens quite subconsciously now – any time I join a conference call, scroll down to a LinkedIn post about a new job or new appointment, see an advert for a webinar or industry event – I instantly do the gender mental maths. How many men versus women? How many women of colour? What is the seniority spread?

And lately, where are all the older women, especially in senior positions?!?!

Once you get into the habit of doing it, you cannot not do it – and once you spot the trend, it's like seeing a pink car over and

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over again. The 'stats scans' as I call them, are usually not encouraging, and where they are, I find myself browsing the internet for days trying to understand how a company or initiative managed to overcome the odds this way.

I didn't think I'd be this way. As a shiny new thing joining the corporate world not too long ago, I really couldn't understand what all the fuss was about and there was a time, I'm ashamed to say, I actually avoided events held by women's networks in my industry and company. I didn't want to be seen 'asking for special treatment' - I was young and naïve to think that we lived in a

meritocracy (spit twice, throw some salt over my shoulder, shudder complete).

Times have changed, I'm happy to say. I am well and truly sceptical and frustrated. And I own this gentle simmer of rage – unapologetically. Here's why (and this is just today's rant): n In 2021, women still need International Women's Day, women's networks, 'women in the workplace' awards, cutting edge research on gender inequality in the workplace, sponsors, mentors, coaches, salary negotiation guidance, personality transplants and more – simply to get 65% of what men make in the workplace. That's enough to make me scream into a pillow.

All this infantilising, patronising nonsense - I mean, it's even worse for women of colour, women with disabilities and women in developing economies who see a far wider pay gap in addition to societal and workplace barriers to their career progression.

The gender pay gap is a constant reminder to me that there is some latent belief that women don't belong in the workplace, and if they do, it's for all the gendered 'women's jobs'. If women aspire to anything more, it's only by meeting a criteria which is unfair and riddled with bias, either stamping out any cognitive diversity women bring to the table by forcing to conform and/or ensuring they live with constant imposter syndrome about being found out as inadequate.

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n Covid 19 did a real number on working women. We may find those videos of kids gatecrashing their parents' video calls, video calls cute - so long as it is not happening to us! But it must take all the patience in the world world to keep the corporate mood intact and not hurt your parent-child relationship at the same time - I just about manage not to do that to my adult partner when he walks into our study-slash-drying room to grab a shirt off the airer pack. Kids are not known for being obedient, good at concentrating or self-starters in any respect. It makes having them at home time an intense experience and studies show that women end up with the majority of the home chores and kids duties even when both partners are at home. No – it isn't because they are control freaks or 'like things done a particular way' or 'the kids only listen to them'. It just takes less

emotional labour to get on with things than negotiate household responsibilities with an equally busy partner. n Lately, I've been thinking of my 10 year plan. Put another way – will I be doing what I'm doing when I'm 45? Because I don't have much to go on. In my line of work, most older women are in HR and L&D – doing fantastic jobs of it. But do I see enough role models in my world of selling complex financial products to institutional investors? I can count them on one hand. What is it about older women that makes them invisible in the workplace, especially at a time when they can bring such intelligence and rich life experience to the jobs – career changes, bringing up kids, redundancies, a few failed attempts at a promotion, successful projects saved by their brilliance, more. All those power suits replaced with confidence and skills honed by juggling several more personal and professional responsibilities than the average

man. I hope that these women come into focus soon.

Here is what I do know. We seem to be moving steadily towards some sort of light in the distance. I know that the ceiling the woman who came before me faced is my floor and hopefully my ceiling will be the floor to the next generation who will aim even high. Until then, I'll keep nominating amazing women for women's awards and I'll keep looking for pink cars and hope they don't turn up.

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CUISINE

Women chefs and foodpreneurs own the digital kitchen!

Restaurants doing delivery and takeout business over the past year, have new competition – talented home-based chefs who market their delicious food through social media and from food trucks. And women are leading the charge!

By SONORITA CHAUHAN

D

igital spaces like Instagram and Whatsapp have opened up the market for young, ambitious women who wanted to start their own food businesses but didn’t have the money for the marketing machinery required to make a niche business successful. It works especially for women because they can deftly channel their culinary skills and do so from the comfort of their own zones, whether home kitchen or work kitchen.

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Usually it begins because of a personal journey in search of a special diet or food which then blossoms into a career choice. That’s what happened to bankerturned chef Wafa Al Mohanna, Instagram’s favourite vegan chef (@veggie_chef_bahrain), who pioneered a vegan movement and helped make it cool in the Kingdom.

“In 2015, when I first went vegan, there were not many people like me and I struggled t​ o find things in supermarkets or order in restaurants. I had to make

everything from scratch. Many people wanted to buy the dishes I created and that’s when I decided to get onto Instagram and market my skills,” Wafa says, “Today, things have changed - there is a growing v​ egan community in Bahrain. I have a WhatsApp group​of like-minded people a​ nd before COVID-19, we used to meet up all the time​for gatherings​, ​workshops and seminars​.Veganism has become trendy in Bahrain and I’m happy because it increases awareness and shed light on healthier eating and plant-based diets. Earlier we had to source materials from abroad but now more brands have started offering vegan options here.” ​“Unfortunately, I was affected financially by the pandemic in the beginning as people had a lot of concerns about the safety of food delivery. However, later as people started becoming more aware of their health the tide turned in our favour”, says Chef Wafa.

Fellow veganism-advocate Olivia Middleton, Marketing & Front of House Manager of Raw Candy has a similar view. Her brand set up shop six years ago with a chocolate bar and now has a café as well. All their food is gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar free – which in itself is quite a task.

“We all inherited our father’s sweet tooth, but we realized that we wanted to offer a healthy yet truly indulgent option that you can feel good about eating,” Olivia said, “Raw Candy was born from the attempts of my sisters Phoebe & Sophie, who founded the brand to recreate some of our favourite childhood sweet treats, such as peanut butter cups or a snickers bar – but with a healthy twist. We wanted to show

people that chocolate doesn’t need to contain anything overly processed. It can come from simple ingredients, pure organic cacao and complimenting the origin of the chocolate rather than overshadowing it with ingredients that just are not healthy for you.”

Their food is proof that the popular misconception that healthy food and plant-based foods sans preservatives lacks a certain something in taste definitely needs to be binned.

“I believe that there is a huge difference and approach to this idea today as compared to 10 years ago. There is way more awareness and knowledge of what a single ingredient can do, from the science behind how aquafaba or chickpea liquid, can be an egg alternative, and the use of milk made from almond or cashew nut instead of animal sources such as a goat or cow.”

Still, specialty food businesses have to work twice as hard to deliver quality. Olivia says sourcing is one of the most important elements because even the country of origin can make or break the taste of your food. “I would say baked cakes have been one of the challenging items to make vegan, and this is because

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CUISINE you are using egg & milk alternatives - even flour alternatives can create difficulty, because each option could work or not work with one another, and can completely change the texture of a sponge or even the frosting.”

That has not stopped Raw Candy from pushing the flavour bar. “We get a lot of praise for our Italian and the Philly Cheese bagel – the cheese is amazing and made from cashew nut. Our veggie pizza is fantastic its all about the slow-dough sourdough base we created in-house,” she enthuses.

we have a warm and friendly social connection with our followers and customers.”

Insta Queen Khawla

Sometimes, the road to success takes a detour through a swampy patch of failure. With almost 100k followers, on Instagram, (@Chef_Khawla) Bahrain’s Chef Khawla Al Saib’s RULES on Instagram. She is best known for her desserts which look exquisite and taste fabulous. Yet her start in the culinary world was rocky,

Food truck challenge

Burly truckers from Punjab are almost a meme, so it seems apt that Bahrain’s only female food truck chef is a Punjabi kudi herself. The trailblazing Sarabjeet Paresh of Roti Shoti Sarabjeet’s Kitchen loves challenging set norms - be it starting a food truck bang in the middle of a pandemic (December 2020) or cooking mouthwateringly delicious non-vegetarian fare without tasting it (she is strict vegetarian), she manages it all with flair.

“The food truck business may look glamorous but it’s anything but that. Apart from the hard work there's only so much you can do in a 2x2 on wheels.

From heading to Manama's Central Market to hours of prep at home, followed by the cosmetic touches added on-site in the truck, each day is a new challenge! Moreover, we have a different menu daily which keeps our guests craving for more and us on our toes. And since the family is involved on a day-today basis, it gives us a lot of 'WE' time!” she laughs.

Sarabjeet’s favourite dishes to make are Dal Makhni (vegetarian) and Patiala Murg Masala (non-vegetarian) “But fan favourite would undoubtedly be the Vada Pav and Highway Chai.”

The pandemic has hit the restaurant and hotel industry especially hard but excellent home-chefs like Sarabjeet have found the silver lining in this dark cloud.

“Honestly, had it not been the pandemic, we would not have got out of our comfort zone to launch RSSK,” says Sarabjeet.

The venture has taken wing because of a strong social media presence – and great tasting food. “We manage our social media ourselves. More than create content, we craft our light hearted, fun messages together from the heart as a family and theme it according to daily menu which is probably the reason 52

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when she could not reach the finals on MBC’s Top Chef.

“My loss at Top chef was the first step in ladder to success as it taught me to be resilient and always keep learning and experimenting. It set me up for success on social media as I kept trying new things and posting them on social media and built up a strong following.”

Television may have made her famous but Chef Khawla’s preferred medium to present her creations is

SARABJEET PARESH’S

MURG SAAG INGREDIENTS

1kg boneless skinless chicken

1kg spinach (chopped)

4 onions (chopped)

3 tomatoes (chopped)

1 tbl spoons ginger garlic paste

4 tbl spoons yoghurt

2-3 teaspoons garam masala powder

2 tbl spoons kasuri methi

6 green chillies (or per taste)

2 teaspoons salt (or per taste)

METHOD

Add sunflower cooking oil to a pan. Once heated, add the onions and ginger garlic paste and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes on a medium flame.

Add the garam masala powder, kasuri methi, green chillies and salt into the mix and stir well for a further 5 minutes.

Add yoghurt and mix well. Add the chicken and spinach to the mix. Add a glass of water and cover the pan with a lid to cook until the

chicken is tender (Stir occasionally in between).

Garnish with thin slices of ginger, a cube of butter and serve in a clay pot.

Serving: 4-6 people

Instagram. “Connecting with people, getting their feedback almost instantly is very rewarding.”

A woman of many talents, she’s an executive chef at the Ministry of Interior, a TV host, an Instagram star, a consultant for restaurants, an associate at the World association of chefs and a masterclass teacher who teaches the art of perfecting the cheesecake.

And she has achieved all this despite being selftaught. What sets Khawla apart is her acknolwedgemment of her limitations, “I believe I am gifted at making great food. I have a great knack for continental cuisine, French, Italian and desserts but Arabic and Asian cuisines are not my strong suites,” she smiles. When her cheesecakes are such showstoppers, few of her fans are complaining!

Chef Khawla loves her cheesecake – the difficult to make Japanese Cheesecake is a particular favourite but the most unusual dish she has made is Dill Cheesecake (recipe on her Instagram) and Vegan cheesecake with green beans – both of which she insists may be unique but quite tasty.

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CUISINE KHAWLA AL SAIB’S

JAPANESE CHEESE CAKE INGREDIENTS for 6 servings

7 tablespoons butter

4 oz cream cheese (100 g)

½ cup milk (130 mL)

8 eggs, yolk

¼ cup flour (60 g)

¼ cup cornstarch (60 g)

13 large egg whites

2/3cup granulated sugar (130 g)

hot water, for baking

powdered sugar, for serving

1 pt Strawberries (340 g), for serving

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C).

In a small pot over medium heat, whisk together the butter, cream cheese, and milk until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth, then slowly drizzle in the cream cheese mixture, stirring until evenly combined.

Sift in the flour and the cornstarch, whisking to make sure there are no lumps.

In another large bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.

Fold about ¼ of the egg whites and into the yolk mixture, then repeat with the remaining egg whites until the batter is evenly combined.

Grease the bottom of a 9 x 3-inch (23 x 7.5 cm) round cake pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. If using a springform pan, make sure to wrap the bottom and sides completely in foil twice to prevent any leakage.

Pour the batter into the pan and shake to release any large air bubbles.

Place the pan into a larger baking dish lined with 2 paper towels at the bottom. The paper towels ensure that the heat is distributed evenly along the bottom of the pan. Fill the larger pan about 1-inch (2-cm) high with hot water.

Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 285°F (140°C), and bake for another 55 minutes, until the cake has risen to almost double its original height.

Remove from oven, and carefully invert the cake onto your dominant hand and peel off the paper. Be extremely careful, the cake will be hot. You can also invert the cake onto a plate, but this will cause the cake to deflate more.

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Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar, then slice and serve with strawberries while still warm!

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A blog through the ‘hood

At just 25, foodies Neethu and Silpa have made a name for themselves on Instagram and what a fun name it is! @Hungrybuddies.

“We've been best friends since 1st grade. We've always had a passion for food and our likes and dislikes are similar which made us explore Bahrain and try out different cuisines. We started out by putting down restaurant names in a list and visiting them when we can. One such food trip gave us the idea to put our thoughts into words and start a food blog. And we've been doing it ever since. It's been more than a year now and sharing delicious food, recipes etc. with other people on the internet has been a blast!” says Neethu.

Their breakthrough video was actually a ‘fail’ video.

“Fails are always expected in the kitchen! There are days when you make a recipe that you're confident about, but it simply will not cooperate. One such example was when we made our meringue cookies.

It's a fairly simple recipe with limited ingredients but it went wrong in every way possible. Funny part was, we were filming a recipe video during that time so we could see all our mistakes on camera. We then decided to cut our losses and make a 'How to NOT make meringue cookies' video which made a lot of people laugh. So I guess it was worth it!”

The pandemic may have shut many restaurant spaces but it pushed the friends to experiment at home. “It was definitely a big change but we believe in adapting and overcoming.

During the pandemic we experimented with a lot of recipes and reviewed takeout food. It also gave us time to work on our Chef Wafa

content, learn photography and styling. These things definitely helped us improve and we're still learning so much

Getting social

Undeniably, social media is what puts the tiger in the tank for these women chefs. But if you thought they focussed mainly on styling the food, the ladies are quick to protest. Food styling has become a time consuming art but not everyone is into overstyling their food.

“We spend more time making the food and perfecting it because the quote 'Looks can be deceiving' should never be applied to food. What good is the dish if it looks good but doesn't taste good? Presentation is important but the flavour is the heart and soul of the dish”, says Neethu who adds that the best advise for a business on social media is to not second guess oneself and press the 'Post' button instead! And then, the response from the public will give you the answer.

Wafa says it’s about the dish she is creating, her style is unpretentious and more simple. "Social media definitely helped me spread my message, it is very liberating to be a vegan chef on social media in Bahrain especially when we have the support of the government and the people of Bahrain,” she says.

“Social Media is a wondrous and challenging element for any entrepreneur.

It has allowed me to connect with other incredible female business owners and evolve a community of support”, says Olivia.

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CUISINE HUNGRY BUDDIES

GARLIC SHRIMP STIR FRY INGREDIENTS for 6 servings

Oil

1 - 2 tsp fish sauce

3 cloves of garlic

1 - 2 tbsp garlic oyster sauce

1/2 onion

Shrimps

1/2 capsicum

Splash of water

2 tsp chilli garlic paste

1 tsp sugar

Coriander

METHOD

Add oil in a pan and once heated, add 3 cloves of minced garlic.

After the garlic is sautéed and fragrant, add 1/2 onion. Sauté well.

Add your capsicum next and sauté.

Next add your chilli garlic paste, fish sauce and oyster sauce to the pan. Mix everything.

Add your shrimp. Sauté well until the shrimp is cooked (5 - 6 minutes).

Add a splash of water for a little gravy.

Add sugar to balance the flavour.

Add a handful of coriander leaves for freshness and turn off the flame.

Serve with rice.

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Neethu and Silpa

CELEBRITY CHAKKAR

QUOTE OF THE

MONTH We are nothing without the Begums in our life! The ones who fix our crowns, offer unconditional support, believe in us more than we sometimes believe in ourselves. Inspire, cheer-even if it’s from afar. Clear paths of bias and fear in a misogynistic world so that the journey becomes far easier for the rest of us.. lead with empathy, generosity and kindness! Some we know intimately, others we aspire to and admire from afar.

Pooja Bhatt The 90’s powerhouse actor, Pooja Bhatt is all set to make her digital debut with Netflix’s Bombay Begums, created by Lipstick Under My Burkha director Alankrita Shrivastava. Recently, Pooja Bhatt shared on her social media platform how she feels it is important to have women friends in life. She also stated the importance of women empowerment, and having women leaders in different walks of life.

Pooja also shared how she finds inspiration in women around her, without whom her life would be “bereft of colour”. She added, “Some we interact with daily, some we don’t talk to for years or have never even met but they just give us a sense of well being by their very existence in the world and have our backs and stand in solidarity no matter what. Also the countless others who stand up for themselves in the face of injustice, thereby standing up for us and consistently break new ground. To all of them and more, my salutations, affirmations, love and support! Life would be bereft of colour, fragrance and flight without each of you!”

Nora Fatehi notches first as YouTube superstar She is the first African-Arab female artist to cross 1 billion views on YouTube with 'Dilbar' Exotic dancer-actress Nora Fatehi is of Moroccan origin and raised as a Canadian. But she went truly global after reaching Bollywood and recently became the first African-Arab female artist to cross 1 billion views on YouTube with her sizzling performance in the item song 'Dilbar' from 2018’s Satyameva Jayate. Nora’s moves catapulted the song to the top of every music chart and broke records when it was released. 'Dilbar' became the first Indian song to reach number three on the Billboard YouTube Music Chart and one of the most streamed songs of all time on YouTube.

"Achieving this glorious feat is a matter of pride for me as I think it represents not just India but also Africa and Middle East," a jubilant Nora said.

Is that a nightingale or a stork, Shreya?

Singer Shreya Ghoshal is expecting her first child with husband Shiladitya. She took to Instagram to confirm the news. Sharing a photo of herself with a baby bump, she captioned the picture: “Baby #Shreyaditya is on its way! @shiladitya and me are thrilled to share this news with you all. Need all your love and blessings as we prepare ourselves for this new chapter in our lives.”

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CELEBRITY CHAKKAR

The curious case of failed star sons The ones who got the best of genes and launches but failed to make a mark

The millennials, who love to hashtag nepotism each time a scion of a film family gets a challenging role at the cost of a grass-root actor, often forget that a generation earlier people used to wait for their favourite star’s son or daughter to be launched. In the 1980s, the fawning public was more than happy to give them a chance. And like traditional business houses, actors used to see their sons as the cultural capital they needed to invest in for the market of show business.

One remembers old uncles discussing the futility of Dilip Kumar’s marriage with Saira Banu for it failed to provide the country another Tragedy King.

Rajiv Kapoor and Mandakini in Ram Teri Ganga Maili When his nephew Ayub Khan made his debut with Mashooq (1992), there was Goswami - neither Sridevi nor Kishore Kumar’s much anticipation but he proved a damp squib.

‘Neele Neele Ambar Par’ could save his debut film, The biggest no-shows were probably Suniel Anand, Kalaakar (1983). whose father Dev Anand launched him with Anand Recently, after the demise of the showman’s youngest Aur Anand (1984) and Manoj Kumar’s son Kunal son Rajiv Kapoor (58), many realised how illustrious genes can also come in the way of success. Despite immaculate diction and decent acting skills, Rajiv’s uncanny resemblance to uncle Shammi Kapoor and brother Rishi limited his progress. When Prem Granth, his take on caste and rape, failed at the box office, he could not muster the courage to stand up again as a director either, for the RK image was bigger than his personal growth. “I indeed looked like Uncle Shammi and even my gestures resembled his,” he said sadly in an interview, “I should have understood early that I have to make an identity of my own. By the time I realised it was too late.”

Raj Kapoor ensured that in Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985) he did not look like a Shammi Kapoor lookalike. The same year, Rajiv put on a moustache in Ravindra Peepat’s Lava but sounded too much like his brother Rishi Kapoor. And if Ram Teri Ganga Maili turned out to be a Mandakini show, Lava Kumar Gaurav was remembered for Dimple Kapadia’s explosive 62

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Sunny Deol and son Karan

performance.

Talent, good genes and a powerful family are not always automatically the formula for success. Look at the languishing career of a fine actor like Abhishek Bachchan. And those who were teenagers in the 1980s cannot forget the Kumar Gaurav craze. It was bigger than Sanjay Dutt’s, who was also launched around the same time with Rocky. In fact, it was these two sons, Rajendra Kumar’s and Sunil Dutt’s, who started the star son rush in 1981, riding on the music of R.D. Burman. Love Story was also a kind of launchpad for Amit Kumar, son of Kishore Kumar. But both Amit and Kumar Gaurav failed to come out of the giant shadows of their fathers.

A decade later, Rajendra Kumar tried to salvage his career with Phool by casting Madhuri Dixit, the reigning queen, opposite him. But the film proved to be one of the biggest flops of Madhuri’s career.

Like Rajiv Kapoor, Kumar Gaurav was not a bad actor either, as the discerning discovered afterwards in films such as Mahesh Bhatt’s Janam and Naam (1986).

Unlike his father, he was a lot subtler, and perhaps that proved his undoing in an era where acting needed to be seen. It was not until Kaante (2003) that he could prove to the millennials that he is more than just his father’s son.

Remember Sanjay Kapoor’s candid statements in the series Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives? He said he faced the pressure of being Anil Kapoor’s brother. The

two are strikingly similar in looks but Sanjay’s Prem proved to be a launching pad only for Tabu.

More recently, we saw the tumble of the good-looking Harman Baweja, touted as a poor man’s Hrithik Roshan. Despite powerful parents (director Harry Baweja and producer mom Pammi), he never made the cut after his first film, and moved quietly to production.

And in this long list, we can conclude for now with Karan Deol, Sunny Deol’s son and the grandson of Dharmendra – despite the weight of the whole khaandaan behind him for his debut film, the boy seems to have gone the way of his uncle Bobby, whose career is full of fits and starts.

So, it is immaterial how you get your first break – what really counts is if the audience accepts you.

Ayub-Khan

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CELEBRITY CHAKKAR

The Balu Mahendra Library in Kilinochchi Welcome to the Balu Mahendra Library Young Sri Lankan film buffs dedicate unique initiative to ‘one of their own’ When a bunch of young film enthusiasts in northern Sri Lanka decided to build a library of cinema, they were certain about two things. Their resources would not be limited by geography, language, or culture. And, the library would be named after one of their own – Balu Mahendra, who made a name for himself with a string of sensitive Tamil films.

Mahendra, who hailed from eastern Batticaloa, worked in the island nation’s dominant Sinhala film industry as a young technician before his formal training in Pune. He went on to become one of South India’s most admired film icons, with technique that many compared to the best in world cinema.

The opening of the Balu Mahendra Library in Kilinochchi in December 2020, was attended virtually by an amazing line-up of world cinema giants: Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi, Sinhala filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage, director Bharathiraja from India, and senior Sri Lankan Tamil theatre person Maunaguru Sinniah, among others.

The Balu Mahendra Library, opened in Killinochchi just weeks before his seventh death anniversary last month, is housed on the first floor of an old building belonging to a cooperative society.

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“We thought a lot about the library’s name, and felt it had to commemorate Balu Mahendra sir, who was from Batticaloa. He went to a thriving film industry in South India and made a mark with his creativity and technical brilliance. That is no small accomplishment,” says Ramya.

Mahendra’s decision to go to India in the late 60s was completely understandable, says Vithanage, the acclaimed Sinhala filmmaker. Although many popular producers, distributors and theatre owners in Ceylon back then were Tamils, the predominantly Sinhala film landscape gave little room or recognition to Tamil technicians, he says. “Even now, in this Sinhala-Buddhist majority context, it is not easy for mainstream Tamil filmmakers to make the films they want for theatrical release. Balu Mahendra tried working here but soon realised he couldn’t do much. That is why he left for Pune Film Institute” with a recommendation letter from no less than Lester James Peries, a pioneer Sinhala filmmaker, called “the father of Sri Lankan cinema”.

Lankan Inspiration Mahendra may have not worn his Sri Lankan identity

on his sleeve, but much of his inspiration appears to have come from his formative years on the island, although it was not confined to that. He has spoken of watching David Lean make The Bridge on the River Kwai in Sri Lanka’s scenic hill countryside, during a school trip, and being drawn to filmmaking that day.

Like others in her team, Ramya, a -20year-old software engineer, volunteers her time to manage the library.

“We dream of building a distinct Eelam [Tamil name for Sri Lanka] Tamil film identity, and we could not think of anyone but Balu Mahendra sir as our icon, and as our film identity.”

Not long after entering the Indian film world, Mahendra’s work was noticed. “He did not try to merely fit in; he began telling stories on his own terms,” says Vithanage, recalling the experience of watching Azhiyatha Kolangal (1979) in Colombo and “being stunned” by the film’s sensibility. “With the limited technology of that time, his storytelling was so close to life. It opened a new vista in filmmaking,” he says, citing Veedu (1988) and Sandhya Raagam (1989) as other inspirations.

Years later, Mahendra’s films stood out for capturing human relationships and emotions with rare honesty.

“He was especially good at sensitively portraying the dynamics of male-female relationships. Tamil society prides itself in being morally righteous, defining culture and values in very rigid ways. Annan’s films zoomed into the complexity of human relationships, without being judgemental,” Sinniah notes.

and DVDs from writers and filmmakers abroad and in Sri Lanka. Mahendra’s family too has made a sizeable contribution, even as the young volunteers running the library explore funding options.

Meanwhile, the team is also trying to expand its network within the island, getting not only Tamil youth from the north and east, but also Tamil-speaking Muslims from the north, the ethnically diverse Eastern Province, as well as Malaiyaha Tamils from the island’s central and southern hill country. “We are keen on evolving a distinct Tamil cinema idiom in the island, but we want to tell stories from all over the country, not just from the north or east,” says Ramya. Going forward, the team wants to make their resources accessible in rural Sri Lanka, through mobile libraries.

“We also want to screen the classics in our villages.”

For now, they meet every weekend to watch the classics. Apart from aspiring filmmakers and technicians like themselves, they have even had their curious milk vendor and other local people join some sessions.

Heated discussions follow. The group has a sizeable number of young women. “We are particular that women get a chance to learn about being technicians in cinema, and not be confined to acting careers,” says Ramya. Mahendra would have liked that.

Women with a will Vithanage also finds Mahendra’s writing of women characters “remarkable”. “Look at Shoba in Azhiyatha Kolangal, Archana in Veedu or Revathi in Marupadiyum. They were so different to the women portrayed in other films at the time.

They had agency, they were decision makers,” he says.

The newly launched library so far has received over 10,000 books SALAAM BAHRAIN | MARCH | 2021

65

EDITOR'S VIEW

Two famous yesteryear stars, Asha Parekh and Waheeda Rehman were recently reminiscing on TV about the work conditions during their time. While the world sat in rapt attention every time they graced the celluloid screen and enamoured fans lined the streets for a glimpse of them, they said the reality in film studios were very different – even the topranked heroines of the day had to manage with makeshift toilets and poorly ventilated make-up rooms and inevitably preferred to eat and drink very little in order to avoid bathroom trips. Poonam Dhillon, a star who came much later, also said outdoor shoots were a problem because of a lack of privacy – especially since Hindi movie song-and-dance routines called for multiple costume changes. That’s when she thought up a business idea of hiring out completely fitted luxury vanity vans – and hit the jackpot.

If you’re wondering why I’m pondering over the changing room requirements of movie stars instead of pouring fire and brimstone for International Women’s Day, it’s because some stories make you wonder if things have changed at all. Sure boardrooms now have women’s restrooms attached – remember how women in the ‘seventies were denied top posts because the highest management floors didn’t have these critical accoutrements to corporate power? – but at the entry level, its plus c'est la même chose!

Our Arts story on how women are storming the bastions of the martial-arts based Chhau dance traced the struggle with prejudice and gender bias that held them back till they bravely broke the shackles but ended depressingly with a reference to how the all-women troupe always packed a couple of tarpaulin sheets into their prop box to rig up makeshift changing rooms and even loos during open-air performances.

It’s not about organisational or corporate carelessness – it’s about not valuing what women bring to enhance a professional or cultural commitment. And that happens when we don’t challenge the status quo – what is the use of the poetic phrase “Women hold up half the sky” when we are not even allowed to reach the rooftop?

Still, there is also much to rejoice over. Our interviews with the Vestire Women Icons featured here left us awed and inspired and ready to take on the world. At the end of the day, going forward is a collective gain but it is made up of several individuals taking those forward-moving steps together.

Shall we all do that? Women and men together – because no one can be left behind.

Happy Women’s Day!

Meera Ravi 66

SALAAM BAHRAIN | MARCH | 2021

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