New Delhi, March 10, 2019: On the occasion of International Women’s Day and in keeping with this year’s theme of #BalanceForBetter, the Dawoodi Bohra Women’s Association for Religious Freedom (DBWRF) explained how the community has been a living example of the theme in their daily lives.
Dawoodi Bohra women are raised equal to their male counterparts, enjoy the unique distinction of being the most progressive, and educated in the country, with a near cent per cent literacy rate, the highest among any community in India and play a very strong role in society. At home too, they are not burdened with the responsibility of cooking for the family, as food is provided to them by the FMB kitchens. As a result, they have pursued careers in education, technology, business, and more, becoming leaders in their fields.
Insiya Moiny is one such woman whose success story is notable. From designing ridas as a hobby, she soon turned her passion into her profession when she set up a small shop in Surat. Today, she owns a three-storey boutique, featuring some of the finest wedding wear and accessories for men and women in Surat – Kisvat Creation. Insiya’s journey highlights the gender-inclusive nature of the community, as she credits her husband and brother for teaching her about financial management, how to raise capital, grow a business, and make it profitable.
Education plays a very important role in Dawoodi Bohra culture, with menfolk of the community actively encouraging the girls and women to pursue higher education, as in case of Dr. Zainab Najmi. Her father instilled in her the value that education is at the heart of a person’s intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual well-being. Living by this principle, today, she has risen in ranks from being a teacher, to a Principal of a reputed school, and now starting her own internationally affiliated school in Surat. Her success comes as a result of her grit and determination, which saw her find the perfect locale for her school, obtain Cambridge affiliation, and ensure the curriculum focused on value education and multiple intelligence, for the all-round development of students. She also credits all that she has been able to achieve, to her community values and the goodwill they have earned in society.
Speaking about the achievements of women from the community, Samina Kanchwala, Secretary, DBWRF, said, “Our spiritual leaders have always encouraged women to be independent, business-minded. Over time, we have proved our mettle through our sincerity, commitment and emotional quotient, which we, as women bring to the table. As Dawoodi Bohra women we are raised to be honest, and ethical, and these values greatly contribute to our success in life.”
Not only is Ms. Kanchwala the Secretary of DBWRF, upholding her culture’s values at every step of the way, she is also a highly successful technocrat. Samina runs her own IT consulting and software development company, based out of Noida, with an office in the United States and operations in Africa. She has also served the Government as a scientist at the Indian Defence Ministry’s Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), besides working in several leadership roles at global multi-national companies.
Stories like these abound within the Dawoodi Bohra community, and are great examples of how women ensure #BalanceForBetter, by not only managing their personal and professional lives with ease, but also establishing gender-balance in all aspects of their being.
Corporate Comm India(CCI NewsWire) Â
