User:Raktimjorhat/sandbox

''' SheSpeaks '''

SheSpeaks is a project of the AAMBRA Foundation that has been working for gender sensitisation and empowering women entrepreneurs in India. It is a platform that pledges to build a better nation for the Indian woman by working towards its twin goals. The SheSpeaks editions are the most commonly known feature of this project cum initiative. Since the first edition, held on 8 March 2016, SheSpeaks editions have been held at regular interval. The latest one, SheSpeaks edition 8, is going to be held on 20 February 2020.

AAMBRA Foundation is a government registered non-profit organisation which was founded in 2012. Apart from SheSpeaks, AAMBRA Foundation has organised its very own cultural event, Aambrotsave in 2017 and 2018. Besides, its project Aarohan works towards the educational needs of underprivileged children by providing non-formal education and skill development training. The AAMBRA Foundation was founded by author and social entrepreneur Vinita Bakshi (website).

'''SheSpeaks activities and projects '''

SheSpeaks events promote the upliftment of women and act as a forum to celebrate their success stories. In its events, successful women share their life journey and inspire others while the event tries to provide a voice to the problems and tribulations of women. In all togetherness, SheSpeaks seeks to provide an ecosystem that mobilises campaigns and concerted efforts to sensitise the masses on gender issues and promote women entrepreneurship. With distinguished panellists on one side and an ever-growing number of members on the other, SheSpeaks acts as a strongly woven network working towards its objectives. SheSpeaks aims to act as a cradle for model leadership roles within its network where women can not only showcase themselves but also take up challenges, demonstrate leadership and accomplish initiatives. By being a part of the SheSpeaks platform, a woman can thus raise their own personal, social and professional profiles while leading the SheSpeaks pursuits in their own right. SheSpeaks membership drive and the network is also open for men, who too are equally crucial and instrumental in working towards the betterment of women.

Growing organically from a centralised positioning, SheSpeaks seeks to turn a leaf and spread across its presence across India in the form of a social enterprise. Regional chapters of SheSpeaks designed to be established across India, wherein each of these chapters will be headed by a Regional Chairperson. These chapters will invite 21 women to be a part of the Regional Chairperson’s council of members, for a tenure of two years. These groups of 21 will comprise of illustrious women who have made a significant mark in their fields of expertise and command the stature required to drive the SheSpeaks’ goals.

SheSpeaks is also involved in the running of a non-formal education centre in Central Delhi and s costume jewellery making skill development workshops. It will continue to use its future sponsorship revenue as well as membership revenue on initiatives such as free health camps, distribution of medicines and equipment, free counselling and legal aid and various gender sensitisation drives.

'''SheSpeaks Founder '''

Vinita Bakshi is a social entrepreneur and the author of the fiction novel “31 Miles”. She is the founder of the non-profit organisation AAMBRA Foundation and has been involved in various social and cultural initiatives through the foundation.

She drives the flagship event of the foundation, SheSpeaks, which is being held since 2016. There have been 7 editions of SheSpeaks which have acted as a platform to scrutinise and discuss various issues and topics related to gender sensitisation and women empowerment.

Through the AAMBRA Foundation, Vinita has also organised Aambrotsave, the Foundation’s annual festival of Indian culture. She also launched Project Aarohan, through which the foundation was able to address the educational needs of underprivileged children.

Mrs Bakshi is a prolific writer who contributes regularly to several leading magazines and newspapers. Her novel with Rupa Publications, 31 Miles, was released in 2017 and a couple of new novels are expected to be released later this year including her debut Hindi novel, Bindu ka Dayra. 31 Miles was released by Nandana Sen in the Jaipur Literature Festival and has received a warm reception from readers as well as from national and international media, including ITV New York, Huffington Post, DD National, The Hindustan Times, The Hindu, The Pioneer, The Statesman, The Tribune, The Asian Age, The Millennium Post, The News Now, The Different Truths, Savvy, Urban Asian and many other newspapers and magazines. Mrs Bakshi has been a panellist at Jaipur Literature Festival, World Book Fair, London Stardust Show, Delhi Literature Festival, Bhopal Literature Festival and North East Writers Forum apart from many other prestigious forums and festivals. Vinita Bakshi pursues her passion for art and culture even beyond the Aambrotsave festival. Recently she has written the voiceover for the lead female protagonist for Bollywood commercial film- Paharganj. This has led to the opening up of a new creative field for her, with script and character development for films and other mediums as areas of interest. She is an alumnus of Delhi School of Economics with a Masters in Sociology.

About SheSpeaks 2020

SheSpeaks commemorate the Women’s Day 2020

The upcoming 8.0 edition of SheSpeaks, to be held on the 20th of February 2020, will look to celebrate International Women’s Day through its initiatives. Among the key topics open for discussion are, The Role of Technology in Creating Safe Spaces for Women SMEs as Growth Engines of Economic Development & Women Empowerment Gender Awakening and Leadership Initiatives He for She: The Role of Men in Gender Sensitization

The 8th edition of SheSpeaks will be held at the Annexe Lecture Hall-2, India International Centre, New Delhi on 20th Feb 2020.

'''Previous SheSpeaks Events '''

It was a showcase of inspirational women and their stories, featuring a cancer survivor and brave heart Nirbhaya’s mother.
 * SheSpeaks Edition 1 - The Inspirational Journey of Outstanding Women (March 2016)

It featured Padma awardees Dr Sonal Mansingh and Shovana Narayan and examined topics surrounding discrimination that is rampant in our country. True to its topic, the edition 3 featured CEO of Apollo Group and the DG of Doordarshan amongst others. It highlighted the importance of an ecosystem and how it is instrumental in empowering women entrepreneurship. This edition discussed ways of sensitising and tackling the perils of workplace harassment and also looked at why it continues to teem in the present society. Featuring authors, educationists, bureaucrats, activists etc. this edition discussed a different angle into the problem of gender discrimination and typecasting. Stories of Inspiration and Aspiration (March 2018) This edition highlighted trafficking survival stories and stressed the need for honouring such survivors. The edition featured social scientists, bureaucrats, journalists and social entrepreneurs. Held in Guwahati, a city surrounded by matriarchal states, the impact of geography and environment on gender bias was the topic of this edition. It was attended dignitaries from all walks of life including culture, philanthropy, education, journalism, law and order etc.
 * She Speaks Edition 2 - Impact of Culture on Gender Discrimination (July 2016)
 * She Speaks Edition 3 - How to make ecosystem friendlier towards Women (February 2017)
 * She Speaks Edition 4 - Harassment of Women in the Workplace (July 2017)
 * She Speaks Edition 5 - Tagging and Typecasting Women (November 2017)
 * She Speaks Edition 6 - Sex Trafficking of Women and Girls in the Subcontinent
 * She Speaks Edition 7 - Does Gender Equality depend on area and environment (June 2018)