With all-women panels, the event organised by eShe boasts of a stellar list of historians, economists, academicians, authors, activists, artists, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, lawyers, educationists, and media personalities from 13 countries. The virtual Summit aims to bring together eminent women from around South Asia and the diaspora to discuss solutions for peace, social justice, gender equality and a unified South Asia.

Prominent speakers include renowned Indian educationist and peacebuilder Dr Meenakshi Gopinath, pioneering Pakistani feminist lawyer Hina Jilani, Bangladeshi environmentalist Khushi Kabir, and former commissioner of Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission Ambika Satkunanathan.

The Summit is timed to coincide with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the UN’s International Day of Non-Violence. It will be broadcast live over social media and will be preceded by a talk by three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr Scilla Elworthy, who is also one of the advisors for the peace initiative.

The initiative is supported by WISCOMP (Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace, an initiative of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility), which advocates a humane, democratic and gender-sensitive discourse on peace and security. Collaborators include journalist-filmmaker Beena Sarwar, who founded South Asia Peace Action Network (Sapan) earlier this year, and who will also be speaking at the event.

The 12 panels take up key issues of the time, from the impact of religious extremism on women’s rights, to the urgent need for digital literacy for girls in South Asia. Drawing lessons from the region’s history, scholars such as Rita Manchanda from Delhi, Ravinder Kaur from Copenhagen and Salima Hashmi from Lahore will also discuss how not to repeat the crimes and injustices of the past.

Leslee Udwin, the award-winning British filmmaker of documentary India’s Daughter based on the 2012 Nirbhaya case; Fawzia Naqvi, Pakistani economic policy advisor and former vice president, Soros Economic Development Fund; and prominent academic Dr Radha Kumar, conflict-resolution consultant to the Indian government, will also share their views and experiences.

Representation of women in media and pop culture will also be taken up on a panel that includes actor-author Saloni Chopra. Indian actor and casting director Dolly Thakore and Canadian-Pakistani social activist Samra Zafar will share their experiences at a panel on single motherhood in South Asia, which is timely in the context of a West Bengal actor-politician being trolled for having had a child out of wedlock last month.

Other panels like ‘Voice and Vulnerability: Women Activists in Times of Conflict’ and ‘The Burden of Tradition: Gender Equality and Social Justice in South Asia’ shall be discussed keeping in mind the current situations prevailing in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Participants include Veena Sikri, former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh and convener of the South Asia Women Network; and philanthropist and peace activist Sarita Kumari Sodha, who hails from a Rajput family in Sindh, Pakistan, and is married into the Ghanerao royal family in Rajasthan, India.

Enabling humanistic leaders is also being covered in a session that includes speakers such as actor-producer Vani Tripathi Tikoo, whose outreach programmes focus on encouraging participation of women and youth in politics.

Serving as a platform for women’s leadership for over four years, eShe had earlier organised its Indo-Pak Peace Summit Led by Women in January 2021, which had included talks and discussions by Academy Award-winning filmmakers, renowned authors, humanitarians and feminist activists from India and Pakistan, including Mehreen Jabbar, Sabiha Sumar, Alankrita Shrivastava, Avni Sethi, Sheela Reddy and Moni Mohsin.

eShe has since expanded its scope to include all of South Asia, where traditional social injustices along with continuous political conflict have perpetuated oppression and inequality for large sections of the population.

“Conflict, war and militarisation come at an unimaginable cost – to life, resources, freedom, social justice and the basic principles of humanity. It is women who suffer the consequences of war, violence and extremism the most, and it is time women stepped up to build peace in South Asia using the power of feminine wisdom, the spirit of solidarity, and a vision tinted with empathy,” says Aekta Kapoor, founder of eShe and the nonprofit initiative South Asia Union, which aims to bring together peacebuilders and particularly women from the region to work towards a political and economic South Asian Union, on the lines of the European Union, by 2030.

She adds that South Asia Union Summit Led by Women will now be an annual event to facilitate people-to-people contact across borders, create a safe space for dialogue, and enable courageous conversations on social and political change.

Suparnaa Chadda, Founder trustee, Woman Endangered, is also amidst the speakers across South Asia. A well-known face in the Indian media and also the founder of the annual SABERA Awards that reward individuals and organisations creating social impact and working towards the UN’s SDGs.

She is moderating the session Open for Business: Peace, Economic Growth and Regional Prosperity on October 2nd at 5 pm IST/ 11:30 am GMT

The entire event schedule and list of speakers can be found at: https://bit.ly/3kfG78x

You can Follow eShe @esheworld on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or LinkedIn for the live broadcast.

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Perseverance against all odds– The lady was not for turning at any cost and never buckled under pressure. She knew from the start that it would be nearly impossible to defeat the liberal Labour Party, but she managed to gather a fan following with her riveting speeches. Though defeated, she persevered and tried as a Conservative candidate once more, only to be defeated once again. But Margaret never gave up and made it a point to persevering till victory was hers.

Aspire for academic brilliance-Margaret made the best of what was offered to her. She never let her humble background come in the way of her academic performance. She won a scholarship to Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ schools where she became the head girl. Her reports showed academic excellence and consistency as well as brilliance in extra-curricular activities. She went on to attend Oxford College. It always helps to have a sharp mind which can be used both in academics as well as outside it and Margaret boasted of a fine intellect that stood her in good stead both in school and in later years.

Dream big. You only get one life!— Even as a grocer’s daughter, Margaret always nurtured ambitions to excel in life. Margaret Thatcher left her indelible mark on British politics and transformed it. She struggled to free the individual from the management of the state. She was a good student and gained admission at Oxford University. She was politically active and served as President of the Conservative Association at the University. She harboured political ambitions and her life moved to follow her dreams. Set goals for yourselves and dream big. Never feel shy of pursuing a dream, no matter how impossible it might seem.

Live up to your words- “I fight on, I fight to win” asserted Margaret, the leader of the British Conservative Party, and win she did. She won three consecutive terms of office in two decades becoming the only British Prime Minister in the 20^th century to do so. Follow up on your words with actions and never backtrack. It’s important to live up to your words right till the end.

Don’t get intimidated—Thatcher had the makings of an influential politician from the start. She first stood for the Parliament in 1950 and became the Conservative contender for the Dartford Labour Party seat. She was the youngest representative and the only female candidate at the time. Despite being the youngest and the only female candidate she never lost her confidence and stood her ground amid seasoned politicians with the power of her personality. It’s important to be courageous even when you are all alone.

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