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Unique Lives that Inspire Asia

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Unique Lives that Inspire Asia

The Diplomat speaks with three women whose actions and ambitions help empower and enrich lives throughout Asia.

Women comprise nearly half the world’s population and yet continue to face large-scale inequity worldwide, including in the fastest growing region—Asia. The CIA World Factbook re-stated in a recent update, for instance, the well-known fact that increasingly skewed sex ratios in some Asian countries are the result of sex-selective abortion and infanticide resulting from an often still-prevailing cultural preference for sons. Sadly, these imbalances will in the future affect both genders when, according to the agency, there will eventually be ‘unrest among young adult males who are unable to find partners.’

Meanwhile, this year’s United Nations report on human development in the region (2010 Asia-Pacific Human Development Report) has drawn the sombre conclusion that while countries of Asia and the Pacific have experienced notable economic success, this hasn’t been ‘duplicated…in the realm of gender equality.’ UNDP Administrator Helen Clark has stated clearly the problem this situation presents to nations throughout the region, saying, ‘Empowering women is vital for achieving development goals overall and for boosting economic growth and sustainable development.’

To help better understand these key issues, The Diplomat spoke with three women who not only have roots in Asia, but who all continue to use their connections to the region to empower and enrich the lives of the women, children and men living in it.

Roshaneh Zafar is a microfinance pioneer who helps women secure their rights and value in society through economic independence. Sheema Kalbasi is a poet and activist who fights to inform a global audience about human rights violations in the Middle East. And Dien Yuen is an experienced philanthropist who works to bring well-meaning donors together with those most in need throughout Asian communities. All three of the women we spoke to spearhead projects that aim to do nothing less than alter the direction of societies in Asia.

Roshaneh Zafar

1. Roshaneh Zafar, Microfinancier

Roshaneh Zafar is the founder and president of Pakistan’s Kashf Foundation and Kashf Microfinance Bank Limited. Prior to her current post, Zafar spent several years working for the World Bank in Islamabad and at one point even aspired to become an investment banker. The trajectory of her career, however, was significantly transformed by a chance encounter with Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Prize winner and ‘the father of microfinance.’

Inspired by the success of Yunus’ Grameen Bank, Zafar established the Kashf Foundation in 1996. Kashf was the first specialist microfinance institution in Pakistan and the first microfinance institution targeting only women from low income communities. After a decade of success with this venture, the Kashf Microfinance Bank Limited (KMBL) was established in June 2008. Its aim is to become Pakistan’s leading microfinance bank, helping facilitate a prosperous, equitable and poverty-free Pakistan.

When and why did you initially go into your current line of work?

I’m economist by training and my initial work was with the World Bank to assess the impact of social sector investments, like water supply and sanitation schemes, on women. I got to travel across Pakistan and many parts of South Asia to gauge the impact of such investments and also had the opportunity to speak with thousands of women. I remember sitting in a remote rural community in Kalat, Balochistan, speaking with this old lady, on whose face one could read the etchings of history itself, telling me about the importance of women’s economic empowerment. That conversation stayed with me for many years, until I had the chance opportunity of meeting Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank. As a result of this conversation, I left my job with the World Bank and headed out to Bangladesh to experience for myself the miracle of microfinance. I returned to Pakistan in 1995 and established the Kashf Foundation.

The economic situation in Pakistan is still extremely dire—and appears to become graver by the day. In light of this, how does microfinance banking alleviate the plight of the poor in Pakistan?

Microfinancing is certainly one tool for alleviating poverty, and it’s certainly not the panacea. The current environment in Pakistan has become even more vulnerable with the unprecedented floods that we’ve been facing recently and more and more households have been pushed below the poverty line. For an economy to grow sustainably, development with a pro-poor growth approach needs to take place at all levels. On a micro level, microfinance leaves a strong foot print. For example, we’ve seen in our latest impact assessment that incomes of microfinance clients were 35 percent higher than those who were not availing such facilities, while in a majority of cases women’s self esteem received a major boost both in terms of how they viewed themselves and how others in their families viewed them.

As a female entrepreneur in Pakistan do you, in your opinion, encounter hurdles that you might perhaps not otherwise?

This question is more a matter of perspective and how one perceives oneself and one’s work. On the surface, I’ve never faced professional discrimination. Perhaps a lot of it has to do with my own headstrong nature, which simply refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer, or perhaps it had a lot more to do with the fact that my family has always supported me in every possible way.

But there have been hurdles and these are hurdles more of mindsets, rather than of a quantifiable nature. I still remember in 1999 when we wished to rent an office for our first branch and had a really difficult time of it, for no one wanted to rent a space to a women’s NGO. However, since then things have changed for the positive in Pakistan.

What’s your hope for the future? What motivates you to continue the work you do?

It’s the myriad miracles that we see on a daily basis. The fact that so many of our clients, despite the odds, are able to overcome these hurdles and not only earn a sustainable livelihood, but are able to transform their lives and those of their families. Take Shams-u-Nisa for example. Her husband was a drug addict and instead of working and providing money for household expenses, he used to forcibly take the little money that Shums-u-Nisa managed to earn by stitching her neighbours clothes and used it to buy more drugs for himself. Shums-u-Nisa barely managed to meet the household’s daily food requirements and was unable to provide her four sons and one daughter with proper education and health facilities. Her husband’s drug addiction made him extremely violent and abusive towards his family. She made a resolve that she would not let her children follow their father’s footsteps and come what may, would protect them from ruin.

Shams-u-Nisa heard about Kashf Foundation and took a loan of $130, from which she purchased materials for making children’s toys. She remembers with joy how her children and her neighbours’ children exclaimed with joy on seeing for the first time her colourful cloth dolls. Initially she sold these toys to her neighbours, who in turn sold them to shopkeepers; this enabled her to earn $110-130 monthly. As her experience and work had improved she started going to the market herself for the sale of her products and received a better profit for her work. Shams-u-Nisa is extremely happy with her business as she now earns $215-260 monthly.

With her and her son’s earnings, Shams-u-Nisa has not only been able to provide for the education of her younger children, but has also provided her husband with medical assistance to help him overcome his drug addiction. She’s not only managed to overcome her family’s financial destitution, but has also been successful in catering for a brighter future for her children by making them financially stable and independent.

Sheema Kalbasi2. Sheema Kalbasi, Poet, Activist, etc.

Sheema Kalbasi, an Iran-born poet and human rights activist, is also the founder and president of Reel Content, a film production and publishing company. She’s the director and co-director of several literary projects including the Other Voices International project. She has worked for the United Nations and the Center for non Afghan Refugees in Pakistan and in Denmark.

Kalbasi left Iran over two decades ago, in her early teens, and currently lives with her husband and children in the United States.

On Wikipedia and elsewhere, you are described as a ‘poet, producer, critic, blogger and human rights advocate’. Do you still identify with all these roles? Which are you most focused on currently?

All of these are close to my heart. However these days I spend most of my time on our film project Women on the Front Line (http://womenonthefrontlinefilm.com/) that we are producing at Reel Content Productions. This is an important project because without understanding the struggle of the Iranian women for gender equality, it’s impossible to understand the struggle of the Iranian people for freedom and justice.

Why did you initially go into your chosen area(s) of work?

The story of the Iranian woman in some sense is the story of a century of the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom, and it must be told. My previous anthology covered this story from a literary point of view. As a human rights activist, poetry has been a way to bring attention to the crimes committed by the Iranian regime and other such issues around the world. For example, one of my poems Hezbollah describes the suffering of Iranian religious and ethnic minorities in addition to the arrests and executions of the political prisoners. Also, documentary production will enable us to look at this from a whole new perspective, which is why I find it extremely exciting and fascinating.

Where do your hopes for the future lie?

My greatest hope is for my children, who are currently 8 and 3 years-old, to be proud of their heritage as Iranians.

Have you ever found yourself facing obstacles or challenges because of your gender?

As a matter of fact I’ve never felt my gender to be an obstacle in my work. Internet technology has also removed a lot of artificial barriers that used to exist until recently. Women starting their careers in activism can leverage their inner empathy to relate to the message they’re trying to bring to the world. My best advice to anyone, man or woman alike, is never to give up.

Dien Yuen3. Dien S. Yuen, Philanthropist

Dien Yuen is the chief philanthropy officer at Give2Asia, a US-based non-profit that provides philanthropic advise to individuals, families, foundations and corporations ‘that care about Asia.’

She’s also an advisor of OneVietnam Network, an online platform that connects people and groups to philanthropic opportunities in Vietnam. She’s fascinated with global giving trends and Asia-based philanthropy.

When and why did you initially go into your current line of work?

I’ve been in the philanthropic sector for over 13 years in non-profit and for-profit settings.

After law school, I started my career at the American Cancer Society as a Gift Planning Director. I was able to work with cancer survivors or those that lost loved ones to cancer and heard about their stories and how they wanted to find a cure or support those struggling with the disease. It was heart-warming work, but also difficult as I lost my grandmother and uncle to cancer.

Then, I was offered an opportunity to work with a foundation that promoted philanthropy in the Asian-American community. I learned about the sensitivities of working with high net worth donors and I realized that many of the successful immigrant entrepreneurs generously gave back to their country of origin. Thus, began my study in diaspora philanthropy, which then led me to Give2Asia, the current organization I’m with.

At Give2Asia, I work with donors that have a personal, professional or business connection to Asia. They support education projects, hospitals, livelihood opportunities and many other causes that have improved life for people across Asia. And these donors want to make long-lasting, positive social change.

Do you have a personal connection to Asia?

Since I was born in Asia and travel there frequently, I have a strong connection to the people and social issues in Asia. My parents are from Guangzhou, China. I was born in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Vietnam but I grew up in Adrian, Michigan.

What would you most like others to know about the needs of the communities in Asia that you work with?

The indigenous non-profit sectors and its leadership are growing rapidly across Asia. They bring innovative approaches to bear on systemic and chronic issues such as HIV/AIDS, trafficking, environmental issues and other human rights abuses. More than ever, we need a way to raise awareness about these issues and to support local leaders. These unsung community leaders have concrete ideas about how to approach the problems in their own communities and they can achieve results with modest grants. Their humble and sometimes unassuming work doesn’t make it to the front page of newspapers, or attract the attention of donors. But their work creates micro-changes that will eventually reach a tipping point.

What motivates you to continue the work you do?

My family was very fortunate to have left Vietnam during a difficult time for the country and its people. We settled in the United States, where we all gained a college education and moved on to professional positions. However, not everyone is as lucky. Our survival in the US was difficult at first, but we had some generous family and friends that helped us navigate our first years in a strange land. Given the opportunity to give back, I’d choose to continue my role in philanthropy.

I’ve tried walking away and there’s this invisible thread that brings me back. In the near future, I’d like to move to Asia and use my philanthropic advising skills to help donors and social leaders in Asia.