Day 2
Ms. Anuradha Prasad
Managing Director of Bag Films Network
When I was young, in college, technology meant huge computers. The monitor would take up half of the desk, and they had huge servers. That was technology. Today we are all part of a digital world. The news channels, the news room that I work in and head is completely digital.
Ms. Natasha Gangaramani
Director, Al Fara'a Properties, UAE
In the life of women today, when we have our homes to take care of when we have work and a career and all of this combines, we cannot move ahead without the technology of human values and human touch it has to be integrated. When it is integrated life is beautiful.
Ms. Ranjini Manian
CEO, Global Adjustments Services Pvt Ltd, India
Women are going to be carrying the culture of the nation and of the family. So it is up to us to use technology to do exactly that job that we were set out to do.
Prof. Maya Chakravarti Vishwanathan
Director, Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, India/Netherlands
Women are the networkers, the nurturers, we are the gatherers, the builders of communities and communicators. We women find it a safe place to evolve and come forth which again I must congratulate the organisers because they say it is getting back to your source.
Ms. Shazia Ilmi
Media Strategist, Team Anna, India
When I look at my own inner journey as a Muslim woman, as someone who fought gender biases all her life I really thought tech helped in a huge way because it could get my point across, I could go out there and speak and be a cause in the matter. If you look at any art form, any form of communication, it's what you want to say and how you want to say it. So when we look at technology it is the 'how' of the matter.
Ms. Cathie Burton
Spokesperson, Council of Europe, France, Strasbourg
We had a successful campaign against domestic violence, a big launch in Spain in the presence of the Spanish Prime Minister. We had parliamentarians working on it, but we also had social media. The result was that the Parliamentarians were persuaded by their people, the people who read it on social media, told them to change the law in this country, make it a crime to hurt women. The Council of Europe has just launched a convention against domestic violence that includes 47 countries.
Ms. Bothaina Kamel
Television Anchor Activist and Politician & 1st Woman Presidential Candidate, Egypt
When I announced my presidential candidacy I made it through Twitter. I began my Twitter account before the revolution with 900 followers, now I have through Twitter, 100,000 followers, that's the power of social media. , All the traditional media closed their eyes against a young boy killed by the police via torture. However when we used the social media site like Facebook which promoted it that the whole world came to know about the case.
Ms. Al Wajd Al Fayez
Filmmaker, Jordan
I represent the youth women leaders. About the social media in the Arab world, I'm very blessed to be surrounded with media. I chose to be a filmmaker for two reasons - film is a very powerful medium through which we can send powerful messages to the world; secondly, I wanted to change the perception of Middle Eastern women, who are viewed as oppressed who don't have a voice.
Ms. Ravina Raj Kohli
Founder/Director, Jobcorp Company Pvt Ltd., India
Women are going to become and will always be the single most important influence in the way media is used or abused – we will set the trends, we will set the rules, we do not need the censorship, we understand the value systems and we will imbibe them into media and create the change that the world wants, whether its men, politics, religion etc. The soul of a woman is her strongest point and that is what social media uses best.
Hon'ble Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury
State Minister for Women and Children Affairs, Government of People's Republic of Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, through the use of mobile phones, in the rural villages, at the grass-root level, health service is now being extended to the women and particularly to the pregnant women. It has contributed in improving the health condition of the women and bringing down the mortality rate in children.
Hon'ble Lulama Xingwana
Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Republic of South Africa
We said that the women must also be trained to cut and polish the diamonds. We said to the American women that these are developmental diamonds not blood diamonds, because there is a woman out there who is able to feed her baby, who is able to take her child to school, who has been empowered.
Ms. V. P. Rajini Reddy
Managing Director, Exemplarr Worldwide Limited, India
The IT industry is conducive to women as they have a flare for analytical work, they are good at multi tasking, the career offers flexi-time or part time opportunities, work from home in some locations/jobs. We have some differently abled people who are very good at the work once they are trained well.
Ms. Mawahib Shaibani
Coordinator of UAE Women Empowerment Projects of Middle East & Iraq, UAE
Working as a banker in the Middle East, a male dominated area, I was very stressed. I didn't know how handle the stress and to switch off from the numbers. When I did the Art of Living course, I was able to connect to the inner-net and with that to be able to connect to everyone; I can uplift everyone and take them with me.
Ms. Tatiana Suprunova
Director, The Art of Living, Russia
Technology is more important for women. It is very important to respond fast, to respond from your heart.
Ms. Jolanda Holwerda
Director, Lof Media, Netherlands
What is ambition? Do you feel it's selfish to have a career and a family? Do you sometimes feel guilty because you want to have it all? You want a career and children. Many women have this feeling deep inside – am I allowed to go after my ambition and not feel guilty about my children.
Ms. Tessy Thomas
Director, Agni Missile Project, India
You can use a matchstick for lighting a lamp in a darkroom which gives brightness, at the same this matchstick can be used for destruction. It is how we look at technology and how we utilize it.
