Salams,
This lady, Kavita Ramdas,
http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/1work/team/team-knr-bio.html
[thumb=B]kavita.JPG[/thumb]
an Indian social worker who’s married to a Pakistani, came to our campus recently for a talk. My friend went to it and can’t stop raving about it since :smack: I was planning to go to the talk too but it was raining and I felt lazy :biggrin:
Khayr, my friend loved the talk so much that she actually took notes and typed them up to refer to later! Here’s the email she sent me…I thought I’d share it here on GS 
Kavita Ramdas: Global Fund for Women http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/
- became CEO of GFW in 96.
- came from MacArthur foundation (big institution)
Entrepreneur: french word
entre: to be in
preneur – to take
→ immerse yourself in something you are deeply passionate about so that it
takes over you.
Global Fund for Women:
Intro:
- provides seed capital to social entrepreneurs.
- started in PA kitchen by 3 women in 87.
- remarkable idea at that time when the trend was to invest in large
institutions. No one thought what $3000 could do in a place where there is
no credit. - started with $500 of their own, and got people like Hewlett and Packard to
contribute - In the first year they gave away $ 34000 in womens grants
- Since there already exists a network where people in Peru working on
domestic violence know who is working on domestic violence in Brazil, this
gives the ability to do things in a LIGHT and NIMBLE way - Get money from individuals (including kids) to big institutions
- philanthropy is not the privilege of only the Rockefellers of the world
Issues:
- Entrepreneurs do not invest in a single issues. All issues are women’s issues.
- Trust women, the communities to identify what they really need ( as
opposed to GWF deciding what a community needs)
Examples:
***** lady physician in Uzbekistan noticed corelation b/w [edited]
defects and the toxic contamination of the Aral Sea. She asked for and got
funds from GFW in 97 ($5000).
In 2000, Goldman Foundation (big, v prestigious) identified the woman as a
hero and gifted her cause with $125000.
She came back to GFW as a donor and donated $5000 – they said y? u need the
money – she said: give it to the other women like me.
***** When Kavita first joined GFW in 96, she received a letter from the PM of
Mongolia thanking them and telling them that without their help democracy in
Mongolia would never have succeeded. Since GWF does not fund govt agencies,
Kavita was puzzled so she investigated. Apparently in 95. a group of women
lawyers from Mongolia asked GFW for funds to spend the year travelling all
across M and talking to the women in the towns and villages and telling them what democracy was really about – they could vote for what they wanted
instead of what their husband wanted it — enlighten them about the
democratic process. The result was that 78% of all the eligible women voters
voted, and voted against the prevailing communist party.
Now:
***** Entrepreneurs needed here as opposed to the rest of the world: rest of
the world is in chaos. There is peace and stability at [edited]– make use
of it
***** Inclusive Entrepreneurship needed: global community
***** Its an obligation – you are not obligated to complete the task but
neither are you are free to abandon it (rough quote from the Talmud).
Questions:
- What have been the challenges faced by the women you have helped? eg:
interfering in their culture etc
- universality of human rights
- all too often culture is used as an excuse for discrimination
- women are extraordinarily good judges of the constraints they work within
- helped Afghan women since 91 – refugees in Pk → strategic in the
battles the chose to fight:
- fight the battles you can win
- avoid direct confrontation with authorities
- in Uganda, women in struggle against AIDS did outreach to men to help –
men think of their daughters etc - women in developing countries are more sophisticated in dealing with
authorities, culture, regulations
- She studied development in Princeton – y?
- Her dad was in the Indian Navy → method, order
Mom → rebel, social activist
combination: structure, order + constant questioning of authority * privileged middle class existence. lived in other countries of the world
as well – moved about – global citizen - at 18 went to Europe for summer and came back walking on clouds – her mom
said : you havent lived in India – and sent her to spend months in Bihar,
the poorest state in India – made a huge diff in her outlook
- Sustainability of the groups they fund?
- they discuss frankly how to fundraise within own communities – most
organizations have some sense but not formalized methods - Bigger groups are willing to leverage the GWF funds
- sustainability <> profit-making venture
b/c state/private sector failed to recognize their social responsibility - Diversify funding base
- Most parts of the world: huge diff between the haves and have-nots.
eg: India: 250 million people living a middle class existence comparable to
anywhere in the world, but taking no responsibility for poverty in their own
country. - Now: women’s fund in Nepal gets 60% of their funding from Nepali donors
4: How to convince the US to donate internationally?
- www.foundationcenter.org just released a report on international funding
in the US. less than 1% goes to organizations outside the US. Most of it
goes to organizations within US - People dont realize that the dollar goes a loooong way in other countries
- US as a country gives least %age of its GDP for overseas assistance, Most
Americans think the %age is huge but its not – US gives 0.1 % of its GDP in
international aid – which is a lot of money since US is the richest
country – but miniscule %age wise.
→ indicates sense of isolation US struggles with from the rest of the world - talke about the world as a global community
- cannot ignore poverty and [edited] in Mexico when it has a direct
impact at big US cities
-
Why do they make GENERAL support grants as opposed to PROJECT grants?
ie: general would be used to pay the driver etc
→ grants are designed to strengthen the infrastructure -
What are the criteria which help you decide whom to donate to?
- they receive 3000 requests a yea
- use network of international advisors
- priority in India would be
- untouchable women
- Muslim women
- women in NE India
- how articulate they are aboyt the issues
- try to help people who have not received funding b4 : ie have no track
record
- Dont you ever want to be more involved in the GRASSROOTS efforts as
opposed to what you do right now?
- she left college to work at NGOs.
- But she met this farmer in Bihaar who said:
" I know you want to help us but you know how to READ, you know how to
WRITE, and you know how th read and write in English. So go talk to the
people in English who have the power to make a difference in our lives –
besides, you wont make a very good farmer" - take on the path and do it b/c it is something we do best
- took her a long time to figure out what she was good at
- hard being in the US and not being in the developing world, but her role
is a BRIDGE.
I went to talk to her. My questions:
- Womens organizations if associated with the west are not looked upon
kindly. How do the women you help deal with it?
Ans: They help women who have already been doing the same work in their
communities for a long time, and then they approach GWF for funds. SO their
credibility at home is already been established, so it wont be tarnished b/c
of funding from a western source
- You mentioned you made Muslim women in India a priority. Why?
Ans: cos of the rise of Hindu fundamentalism, the whole Muslim community
became an oppressed community. So the women’s issues within the community
had to take the back burner. Same with Palestinian women. Same with African
American women.
- In your experience, have you noticed that it is mostly Muslim women who
are oppressed/need help as opposed to other religions and cultures?
Ans: Nope. Its a problem among all cultures and religions – they get
catholics, jewish, everyone asks for help. Every civilization used religion
as tool to oppress women. Time to take back religion (eg: when Prophet (saw) said
READ, then y did Taliban close womens schools?). Same with all cultures.
My comments:
Her husband is Pakistani, and her daughter is a 4th grader and was present
at the talk
This is one heck of a woman, an excellent speaker. I was afraid she might be
biased in her opinions, but her opinions and deeds do seem to be global.
Totally inspirational woman.
