This year’s International Women's Day (March 8th) is being marked under the theme “Choose to Challenge”. Miindia.com, DIWA are collaborating this year to celebrate International Women’s Day on a virtual platform on Sunday, March 7th at 2:30 PM.
Aptly titled “Soul Tough” – Embrace the Power Within, the event is bringing together people of every gender, age, ethnicity, race, religion, and country to drive actions that will create the gender-equal world we all deserve.
The beneficiary for this event is Mai Family Services – a nonprofit organization working toward empowering and supporting individuals, primarily women in domestic violence situations. Learn more at www.maifs.org/soultough
Miindia annually celebrates the contributions of local achievers who go and beyond their line of duty in helping and supporting others. Let’s take a look at the 2021 achievers – International Women’s Day Honorees:
Latika Mangrulkar: Latika Mangrulkar is an educator, social worker, and a writer. In ’67 Latika came to work on her second Masters at University of Missouri, Kansas City, its first woman graduate student from India. In ‘68 she moved to Detroit to earn a doctorate at Wayne State University. Though Latika did not complete her Ph.D. her association with this urban institution continued, first as an instructor and later, when her children were in college, once again as a student in the School of Social Work.The socio-political activism of the sixties led Latika to become involved with various local and international organizations. This community- work culminated into her first social work job. The background in literature provided insight that enhanced her work as a therapist as well as made her an innovative founding member of organizations such as Bal Bharati, now part of the Bharatiya Temple, Troy. She was amongst the first group of social workers in the agency which we know as MaiFS, the leading provider of support services to the residents of Southeast Michigan.
Latika’s work extends beyond the South Asian groups. She has volunteered at the DIA for many years as a member of the Asian Arts Committee; worked as a cultural consultant to the Michigan Opera Theater as well as written commentaries for various dance and performing endeavors. About five years ago Latika took the nine month IPV training at the DIA to conduct public tours at the museum, where she often focuses on the evolving immigrant identity.
Decades of volunteerism led Latika to create an endowed fellowship in the name Robert and Sylvia Farnsworth in post-colonial literature, as a “gurudakshina” for her teacher at UMKC. In 2020 she endowed a fellowship at WSU to honor her parents Dr. M.R. and Malti Tatwawadi to support a social work student who demonstrates an interest in immigrant and refugee issues as they relate to the Indian sub-continent.
Now in her mid-seventies, Latika Mangrulkar continues to take her roles, whether as a grandmother of six or as a social activist and advocacy work, seriously yet laced with a little dry humor.
What makes my soul tough? Sense of humor.
Rekha Wunnava: Rekha Wunnava is an executive in Information Technology at Ford, currently in the role of Global Director, Automotive Design & Build IT. This includes the product driven organization for Product Development, Manufacturing, Quality and Safety & Environmental Sustainability Engineering. In this role, she is helping shape the future of Ford’s core automotive domain through digital transformation. Prior to this she was the IT Director for Manufacturing. She played a key role in partnering with Ford’s Advanced Manufacturing group to define the vision and roadmap for Ford’s Factory of Tomorrow, enabled by disruptive technologies. Previously, she led IT Strategy, Learning and Change Management and was instrumental in defining Ford IT’s strategy to transform into a Product Driven Organization, powered by Culture Transformation.
Rekha has contributed to Ford IT’s growth and transformation during her 18 years with the company (25+ years in the IT industry). Having a strong foundation in software product creation and enterprise data/process architecture, Rekha has effectively combined that with the ability to manage complex and integrated programs to deliver many large-scale global IT programs in finance, manufacturing and product development. She also delivered strategies for Ford’s Global Business Services in India that successfully grew IT capabilities within that region, in a fully integrated global delivery model.
Having lived and worked in India, UK, China and US, she has a unique perspective on global cultures and is the executive champion for Ford IT’s culture transformation. She enjoys combining that with her technical experiences to create winning strategies and a vibrant culture that energizes a multi-generational workforce. She is passionate about empowering women and developing leaders at all levels and is a board member for the Women of Ford employee resource group. In 2020, she was selected by Automotive News as one of the 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry.
Rekha studied in India focusing on accounting, finance and computer science. She resides in Michigan with her husband and when not working, they enjoy travelling and spoiling their two golden retrievers.
What makes your soul tough? I like to think that my soul is gentle my mind however may be totally different. The grit, determination, courage and confidence to keep on keeping on comes all that way from my early upbringing and from all of the people that have shaped who I have become. Starting with my mom, who was one of the most courageous women I have known, raised me to always stand up for what I believed in. My husband and my extended family (which include some close friendships) are a constant source of support and encouragement and yet keep me grounded and honest. When you have a strong safety net that you know will catch you, no matter what, you can do things that you never knew you had it you to go after.
Dr. Asha Shajahan: "Health is not about the absence of illness but about our working conditions, education, housing, social inclusion and public policy." — Asha Shajahan, MD, MHSAAsha Shajahan is a board-certified family physician. She is an assistant professor at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. She also has a master’s degree in Health Services Administration. She completed a faculty fellowship in underserved populations at the University of California, San Diego. She is the Medical Director of Community Health for the Beaumont Hospital in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. She is also the Graduate Medical Education Director of Health Equity and Health Disparities for all 8 hospitals at Beaumont Health.
Her interest in health policy and health disparities led her to intern for former United States Senator Carl Levin in Washington DC. She was also a senior healthcare intern for the Office of the former Governor Jennifer Granholm, where she worked to augment healthcare access for the uninsured in Detroit. She has volunteered at several underserved health clinics and non-profits in the Detroit-area. She sits on numerous nonprofit boards. Her expertise on implicit bias brought her on Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Implicit Bias Taskforce. She also served as the Michigan State Director for South Asians for Biden for the 2020 presidential election.
Dr. Shajahan is dedicated to educating physicians on improving community health through the understanding of social determinants and cultural dexterity. Her passion for homeless and vulnerable populations led her to start a Street Medicine curriculum for the Beaumont family medicine residencies and to design the first elective available for all Beaumont residents in social equity focusing on unconscious bias, environmental health, minority health, drug addiction, refugee health, and human trafficking. She does homeless out-reach regularly at the Pope Francis Center in Detroit.
She is an advocate in health, wellness, and against misinformation. She completed a graduate program at Harvard School of Medicine entitled Media and Medicine. She is on the executive leadership team of the national grass-roots movement #Thisisourshot to empower healthcare workers to be digital trusted messengers to fight misinformation on the COVID-19 vaccine. She is also an Alfred Landecker Fellow where she works with colleagues from around the world on preserving democratic spaces focusing on medical misinformation and COVID19. She has written several Op-Eds in national publications, had television appearances and public speaking engagements on health advocacy. As a podcast host for the award-winning Beaumont HouseCall podcast, Dr. Shajahan believes media is a powerful tool to deliver health information to the public that should be factual and transparent. More information on Dr. Asha Shajahan and to read her articles and media portfolio visit: http://www.drshajahan.com
What makes my soul tough? Being courageous enough to face adversity knowing I live for a purpose greater than myself.
Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan: Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan is a Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Royal Oak, MI. She has published more than a hundred papers in peer-reviewed journals and several book chapters and serves on several national and international committees and organizations in the field of cardiology.
Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan: Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan is a Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Royal Oak, MI. She has published more than a hundred papers in peer-reviewed journals and several book chapters and serves on several national and international committees and organizations in the field of cardiology.She is a Srividya initiate and disciple of Sri Chaitanyananda Natha Saraswati (Haran Aiya), pi?hadhipati and founder of the Rajarajesvari Pi?ham in Rush, NY, and of Dr. Sumit Kesarkar in Ayurveda, Tantra and other disciplines.
She is the founder of Sabda Institute, and the author of Shakti Rising (Nonduality Press, October 2017), which won the Nautilus Gold Award for Best Books of 2017, Glorious Alchemy: Living the Lalita Sahasranama (New Sarum Press, January 2020) and The Heart of Wellness (Sfaim Press, November 2020).
Her workshops, courses and writings strive to bring ancient Eastern traditions to modern living in practical ways.
Visit her at sabda.institute
What makes my soul tough? Reclaiming my power enables me to show other women how to stand in their own light.
Shanti Menon: Shanti Menon’s passion lies in exploring the intersection of ethnicity, class, gender, and patriarchy and how these forces shape women’s experiences and their view of the world. This interest and the desire to make a difference led her to join the Mai Family Services Board in 2013, after a career in academia as a teacher, administrator, and researcher. She is a voluntary grant writer for the organization. Under her aegis, the organization received a STOP award to run Educational Programs to empower survivors of domestic violence to rebuild their lives. 2020 – the year of the pandemic- was a challenging year for MaiFS. It was a busy time for the Board and Shanti, who was instrumental in securing almost $100,000 in grant funding. The money has enabled us to help women who face additional challenges in the wake of the pandemic.
Shanti Menon: Shanti Menon’s passion lies in exploring the intersection of ethnicity, class, gender, and patriarchy and how these forces shape women’s experiences and their view of the world. This interest and the desire to make a difference led her to join the Mai Family Services Board in 2013, after a career in academia as a teacher, administrator, and researcher. She is a voluntary grant writer for the organization. Under her aegis, the organization received a STOP award to run Educational Programs to empower survivors of domestic violence to rebuild their lives. 2020 – the year of the pandemic- was a challenging year for MaiFS. It was a busy time for the Board and Shanti, who was instrumental in securing almost $100,000 in grant funding. The money has enabled us to help women who face additional challenges in the wake of the pandemic.Besides her work with MaiFS, Shanti volunteers her time as a consultant to schools in India.
Her optimism is fostered by the anchors in her life - family and friends. As the poet W.B. Yeats wrote - "Think where man's glory most begins and ends and say my glory was I had such friends."
What makes Shanti's soul tough? It would be the same answer as her optimism. Her faith, her family, and her friends.
Srividhya Sivanandan: Srividhya Sivanandan graduated with Bachelor's degree in Physiotherapy from India in1991 and with a Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2012 from Wayne State University.
Srividhya Sivanandan: Srividhya Sivanandan graduated with Bachelor's degree in Physiotherapy from India in1991 and with a Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2012 from Wayne State University. Currently employed at Rehab Institute of Michigan and Children's Hospital of Michigan as a Clinical pediatric PT Specialist with a specialization in pediatric pelvic floor therapy, Vidhya is a Yoga trainer for children with special needs. She has conducted several yoga sessions for all ages at Surya Namaskar Yagna and International Yoga Day representing Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, Balagokulam, and Detroit Indian Women's Association (DIWA). A key member of DIWA, Vidhya facilitates and organizes seminars on emotional wellness and support to create awareness and destigmatizing mental health among the Indian community. Vidhya was core to DIWA's success in volunteering many hours to prepare care packages to be delivered to different organizations and was actively involved in providing resources to the community members to cope with the pressures and stress of the pandemic.
Vidhya has been part of DIWA's efforts in sewing and knitting (a newly acquired skill for the pandemic) beanies, hats, hand warmers, and scarves to be donated to different charities such as Creating Opportunities To Succeed (COTS) and Children's Hospital of Michigan.
What makes Vidhya's soul tough? Her sympathetic nature, ability to remain undeterred and positive despite various hurdles makes her a strong individual. Her capacity to recover from the odds through determination, integrity and unwavering attitude is commendable.
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