Visit us at femnet.goanet.org Issue 61 | Page 1

Issue 61

May-June 2017

6 Pages

time. My favourite memory is of long lazy afternoons sitting on the balcony with my grandmother just watching the theatre of life unfold on the street”, reminisces Betty. “Family and friends stopped to visit. Hot

cups of tea would be passed around. And stories and gossip shared. Even now, several decades later, that smell of the wet, red Goa earth remains deeply evocative for me.”

Zooming in to Femnet, we have much to share in this issue. We're in conversation

with Patricia Rozario, OBE FRCM in which she talks about Giving Voice to India, the charity she co-founded with her husband Mark Troop to promote singing in India. In April, Candolim Beach became India's first fully wheel-chair accessible beach for a period of ten days. Under the sponsorship of Umoja, an online travel platform, a boardwalk leading to the

waterfront was installed replete with special wheelchairs which allowed the differently abled to float on the water—for many, for the first time. In her poem At the Beach, Frederika Menezes shares with us her joy at being able to feel the wind in her hair and the sand in her toes. We welcome Joan do Rosario's first-time contribution on the mystery of praying the Rosary, a Christian devotion to the Blessed Mother, significantly in a month devoted to her.

In words taken from that comforting Psalm, Dr. Belinda

Viegas reminds us that we women are clothed in strength and dignity. Elsie Maciel discusses how pottery became a healing tonic. Danica D'Souza points out how women, especially young girls, can easily fall into the trap of wanting to look a size zero to match catwalk models and celebrities. In March, Dr. Jaya Dantas attended the 61st Session of the United Nations sponsored Commission on the Status of Women in New York. She presents her reflections on gender equality and the empowerment of women.

As in each i ssue go ing fo rward , B Attitudes presents a slice of life from Betsy Pinto-Nunes, Founder Femnet. Tune in!

As we listen to the rhythm of the falling rain, we hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

By the time you are reading this, the rains would have arrived in Goa. For this team of three, the monsoon

conjures up different things. “It's the myriad shades of green that still the mind and say 'relax' that I find almost therapeutic and capt ivat ing”, says Renuka . . .whi le ironically, it's the other times of the year that are considered 'On season', she muses.

“Being a rather feel, touch, smell person... the monsoon does different things to my senses”, shares Joan. “The monsoon stirs up everything from my kitchen garden to hot broths to cocktails to music play-lists. Long monsoon drives with my husband call out. It's a slice of Paradise revelling in the clouds that descend on the verdant Kerry range. It's my re-think, re-route, re-align time of the year”, she adds.

For Betty, the monsoon spells magic! “Growing up, holidays in Goa invariably ended in May. But every once in a while we stayed on a couple of days into June and got lucky to experience the onslaught of the Westerlies in Goa. Waking up to the sound of rain on the rooftop, the smell of that wet red Goa earth the endless green rice fields, the swaying coconut palms, the air fresh and clean. Inside, as if to combat the headstrong weather, you huddled up in the warmth and cosiness of home and family. Life became less rushed and everyone had

INDEX

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Page 3

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Page 4

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Page 5

Page 6

Woman, Thou Art Strength and Dignity!

The Bewildering Path Of Faith, Unravelled

B Attitudes

In Conversation With...

At the Beach

The Magic of Pottery

Nutrition and Body Image

Women Empowerment

“I will hold you in my thoughts and prayers”. This is such a familiar sign-off. Something we say perhaps routinely several times in a day, over a phone-call, in an email, a letter, a card or even face-to-face.

We hear these familiar words all so often when we receive sad news of an illness or a tragedy. S i t t ing back and ruminating over my eight- decade plus life, I wonder -- Is this just another cliché or is it a genuine human sentiment meant to show one's sympathy/ empathy with someone's ill fate?

My gut feeling tells me that this phrase is reduced to an empty cliché by politicians and their ilk, who gush forth with almost practiced ease. Every time we witness a

tragedy, we hear the same old words being trotted out. It almost sounds like a recording when the play button has been switched on!

However, what I am getting at is not what is not felt when this beautiful phrase is used. Much rather, I am pointing to the beauty and power of these precious words when they come from the heart. For me, they have brought me comfort and strength in good and not so good times.

So, from my heart to yours…to all Fe m n e t r e a d e r s , s u b s c r i b e r s , collaborators, writers and editors, I hold you in my thoughts and prayers!

Betsy Pinto-NunesFounder

Unfolding a comfort corner…thoughts that leave you with something to chew on!

ATTITUDES

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A cache of Awards under her belt: The Order of the British Empire in the 2001; the As i an Women ' s Award f o r Achievement in the Arts 2002, the G loba l Goan Award, 2007, the prestigious Bharatiya Pravasi Samman in 2013, and, more recently, a Fellowship by the Royal College of Music.

Femnet recently caught up with Patricia in London.

…Giving Voice to India

With her husband, pianist Mark Troop, she founded Giving Voice to India, a long term project to improve Western classical singing in India and enhance its appreciation. In just a few years the course has propelled six Indian singers for international study. They have had a hand in the blossoming careers of Amar Muchhala, Oscar Castellino and her latest protégé is Toshan Nongbet from Shillong.

“We started Giving Voice to raise the standard of Western Classical singing in India,” says Patricia. “The project teaches singing, in line with the format of international music academies, during which we work with Indian singers on various skills such as vocal t e c h n i q u e , m u s i c a l s t y l e a n d interpretation, foreign language and score reading skills. We have taught more than 30 courses so far, and have worked with over 100 students. These courses, conducted in Mumbai, Panaji, Pune, Delhi, Chennai and Ahmedabad until now, are offered at highly subsidised rates to ensure their access ib i l i ty by anyone who is interested. Mark and I make it a point to visit India atleast three to four times a year. We have also trained local singers, w h o d e m o n s t r a t e a s o u n d understanding of the principles, to carry on our teaching work whilst we are away. In April, we conducted workshops in Chennai, Mumbai and Goa.”

“The idea for Giving Voice really came when I started teaching myself. I saw that there was considerable talent in

India but I was told that there were few teachers. For some time, I had also been feeling that I should give something back to the country of my birth. And that is how Giving Voice came into existence.”

... Opera Highlights

“We have seen great commitment and interest from lots of singers who want to improve their singing. We have managed to put up two Operas with an all-Indian cast and are planning a third Opera production for July 2017. Cimarosa's Il Matrimonio Segreto will be staged at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai with all our students, some of whom are studying in London. It is our hope that, over time, this will create a core of talented and committed students with a passion for singing and a yearning to pursue vocal music seriously.”

...The Bombay to Mumbai connect

The majestic landmark, the Royal Opera House, built more than 100 years ago, was recently restored and re-launched as a centre for the performing arts. Patricia was invited to perform at the grand re-opening. She feels “blessed” to have been part of that milestone event. The program of opera arias and songs with Mark Troop at the piano, received critical acclaim. It was a spectacular performance that left everybody spellbound. For Patricia this was a nostalgic event.

“I grew up in Santa Cruz, Mumbai, so, for me, this was a homecoming”, she said. “It was like a dream come true.” As she stated in an interview just before the performance “When I was a young singer I was tricked out of my debut performance at the Royal Opera House, London; so this will be my Royal Opera House debut and I shall be ever so proud of it.”

And we are proud of you, Patricia, and wish you and Mark many more years of success.

Patricia Rozario, OBE FRCM needs little introduction to the readers of Femnet. She is the internationally renowned British-soprano. Born in Bombay as it was then called, she has performed at prestigious venues all over the world. One of her most notable appearances was across Europe in The Marriage of Figaro, conducted by the late Sir Georg Solti. Since then her career has developed in opera, concert work, recording and broadcasting. Her unique voice and artistry has inspired over 15 of the world's leading composers to write for her, notably Arvo Pärt and the late Sir John Tavener, who alone has written over thirty works for her, making their c o l l a b o r a t i o n u n i q u e i n t h e contemporary field.

Patricia has performed for Royalty and given concerts all over the world. In 2015 she performed for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister David Cameron at Wembley Stadium in London; the highlight of which was her signing God Save the Queen with Prime Minister Cameron.

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The dictionary defines faith as “a belief in a religious doctrine” or “a system of religious belief”. But how does one obtain this belief? Truly obtain it? My revelation was a simple one.

As a child, the recitation of the Rosary was an obligation that could not be avoided under any circumstance. Fear of “the stick”, administered by our mother, was the forced impetus that dragged us to daily prayer. I must mention here that the Rosary, blessed by every man-of-the-cloth our mother ever came across, was the weapon of choice against the snares and evils of the world. The problem with nightly Rosary-according-to-Mom was that her prayers d idn ' t just involve the customary five decades and closing Hail Holy Queen. Rather, it included litany upon litany dedicated to every relative, dead or yet to die, every saint anointed, or yet to be anointed! Ours wasn't merely Rosary “hour”; ours was Rosary “hours upon end”! We would start out on our knees, but as the tedium of litanies progressed, our rear ends would gradually drop onto our haunches as we incoherently mumbled out responses, subsequently inviting the application of the aforementioned “stick”.

As time went by, Mom's faith in her Rosary grew rather than diminished. She prayed with a fervour and belief that was beyond my understanding and my patience.

Then, at 87 years came the onset of dementia. I was tasked with finding a nursing home where Mom would be suitably cared for. The process was an onerous one, and Mom added to the problem by insisting that she would only contemplate accepting residency at the specific facility where she had engaged in years of voluntary work. I explained that this was an uphill undertaking, waitlists for preferred homes being lengthy, and one must accept that which comes first. My pushback was always met with her immortal words, “Blessed Mother will provide”. Then a miracle occurred. Barely two weeks later we were granted a room at the home of my mother's choice. “Whatever happened to unavailability due to long waitlists

that we were told about?” I wondered aloud. Mom's response with blissful acceptance was, “I told you our Blessed Mother would provide”.

In the ensuing years I watched Mom's health deteriorate and wondered if “Blessed Mother” was on a hiatus. It never occurred to me that, through divine intervention, my mother was at peace and suffered no pain, nor the anxieties of every day life. I did ensure always, however, that she was afforded the opportunity for her daily Rosary recitation. Of course, as the dementia w o r s e n e d , t h e p r a y e r s w e r e considerably shortened. Left to me, I unashamedly whipped through the bare minimal Rosary. Then, one fateful night I, for whatever unimaginable reason, decided to stay with her at the nursing home. In the early hours when neither of us could find sleep, I offered to pray the Rosary with her. Later I would always wonder at this mysterious happenstance. As we prayed, I felt her hands assuming the bluish tinge and coldness of death. I knew the end was near so I held her and told her that she was finally going home. My mother smiled serenely as she nodded her head and closed her eyes. And, in doing so she awarded me her final gift – she revealed to me the mystery and power of her immense faith. As she lived by the Rosary, so had she died.

And now, as I bump along my own difficult journey with cancer, I feel strengthened and empowered as I embrace an unshakable belief in prayer; finally understanding the true measure of faith.

THE BEWILDERING PATH OF FAITH, UNRAVELLED

Joan do Rosario, Toronto, Canada

AT THE BEACH

Frederika Menezes, Goa, India

Joan do Rosario was born in Nairobi, Kenya and is a proud ex-student of the iconic Dr. Ribeiro Goan School. She now lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband. She has two daughters and has recently retired to spend time with the new joy of her life, her little grandson, Jude. Having worked for an airline she was afforded the opportunity for extensive travel which she has thoroughly enjoyed.

So there I satSurrounded by dreams

And friends...

I looked aheadSharing the moments

When the sky and earth Kissed...

I was at the beach!

Digging my toesIn the wet sand

I felt my troubles Gone

And with every wave that crashedOn to me

Strength renewedMy tired being...

I floated on wings Of freedom Unbound

UnchainedWith only an occasional

Call from my friends To remind me

Of the escaping reality...

O the beachA place for meTo just live...

Gratefulness floodedMy heart

With waves of its ownThankfulness to nature

For the beachSuch a wonder

And for the ones who Made my going thereNot just a possibility

But a reality...

A getaway From my

Otherwise every days!

I never shall forgetMy time on the sand and waves

Embedded in my Mind's heart

Are the photos of the Perfect evenings

Of those summer days…!

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International Women's Day, 2017, I returned from my clinic feeling rather bemused. I had just seen a highly educated woman who once held a very demanding job that she handled with ease. Yet, she was plagued with deep rooted feelings of inferiority and worthlessness. When we probed further, we realised that she had been carrying these feelings for almost all her life;-from her very early days when she felt or was made to feel that she was not as good as her brothers. Perhaps these feelings had spurred her on to pe r fo rm ex t reme ly we l l academically, far out-shining her brothers in her career and achievements. And yet she had not managed to shake off those negative feelings, which continued to make her feel like a second class individual in the context of her husband. This, despite the fact that she was earning far more than him. And the feeling continued with her sons. As a result, all of them dominated her.

Many years ago I had seen another well-educated woman from an upper socio-economic class. She was recovering from bone fractures that had been inflicted on her by the very person who had promised to love and protect her. And this was not the first time. She had been silently enduring emotional and physical abuse for years and never stood up for herself. When I asked her why, she replied simply, “He is my husband.” She failed to see that allowing him to do what he did was encouraging him to

cross more lines, damaging both of them and the relationship.

That same day, I was sitting with my husband on our terrace when a labourer

woman from the neighbourhood passed by. We knew her and her husband. “What do you think would happen if her husband hit her?” I asked my husband. It was a rhetorical question as we both knew the answer. My husband laughed. “We'll have to call an ambulance, if he survives!” Here was an uneducated woman who was able to stand up for herself; who had realised her own strength and dignity.

I remember as a schoolgirl having to w r i t e e s s a y s o n W o m e n ' s Empowerment. Even then I wondered how women could allow themselves to be pushed into this kind of unfortunate subservient position. We all know

women are the hardier of the two sexes. More female foetuses survive (if they are not killed off) and more female infants survive their first year, if left to

nature alone. More widows survive than widowers. It is the woman who is able to bear children - the greatest power of all. It is at the mother's knee that both boys and girls get their first lessons about who they are and how to relate to the world at large. And yet, unfortunately, it is here too that they also learn to dominate and be dominated.

How sad it is if mothers themselves make a distinction about how they bring up their sons and daughters – bestowing their sons with a sense of entitlement while instilling a sense of compliance in their daughters.

These children will soon be the elders in society and the story repeats itself.

When we talk of equality and freedom, the change lies with us - in our thinking and our definition of who we are and who we would like to be. Once we see this, change is inevitable. It is not about competition and dominance between the sexes, but each realizing its own unique power that is complementary and supportive of each other, making a perfect harmonious whole.

…But, for this to come to pass, every woman should realize she is strength and dignity!

WOMAN, THOU ART STRENGTH AND DIGNITY!

Dr. Belinda Viegas, Goa, India

Having just left the Intensive Care Unit of our local hospital, I felt completely lost and thought rehabilitation was going to be difficult. With four children to care for(two being very young), and two part-time jobs, life was, indeed, very busy for me. The very thought of having to deal with the domestic front haunted me! Suddenly, there seemed m o r e t h a n e n o u g h t i m e d u r i n g convalescence to reflect on bygone times. I was particularly warmed by the memory of my days at Kitale in the Kenya Highlands, especially of the week when our teacher, Mr Ramanbhai Patel (“RB” to us), came up with the idea that we should plan and build a model “African Village” with red clay. Everyone immediately got engrossed in the

project, and, with the pin drop silence that “RB” usual ly demanded, produced masterpieces in the shape of huts, animals, hedges and other things.The village scene was completed with much detail for our particular age group which ran from about 9 to 11 years.

The exhibits were placed on a board and left to dry out in a cornerof the room where the sun flooded in. It was a delight to be back in class the next day. Everyone raced to the “village in the sun”, looking excitedly and with satisfaction that building the 'village' had turned out to be such an enjoyable experience.

Encouraged by my experience in those long

THE MAGIC OF POTTERY

Elsie Maciel, UK

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ago school days, I later decided to try my hand at pottery and enrolled in classes at our local Arts College. A pleasant gentleman saw us (I later discovered that this was our lecturer and Department Head), and admitted us to classes to suit our particular needs. I was delighted at having secured a place so easily, and counted myself lucky since I had planned to try a year at pottery, and a longer time at the violin! I came

home-happy, and as the term drew to an end, I forgot how ill I had been. My housework and other domestic chores w e r e n o w d o n e w i t h g r e a t e r enthusiasm, and I even managed to return to one of my part-time jobs, arranging my hours in such a way so as to allow me time to get to my class on time. The children were left in the safe care of my husband (Mervyn), and I just couldn't wait for the evening of my

pottery lesson each week.

Almost two decades have gone by now, and having shelved plans for doing a 'stint' at music, I am still at pottery classes, more enthusiastic than ever and have progressed to learning about ceramics. Never did I realize that the magic of pottery would hold me in such thrall and provide me with the perfect tonic when I needed it most. I offer my thanks to “RB” and all those who foster an interest in this craft.

NUTRITION AND BODY IMAGE

Danica D'Souza, Sydney, Australia

Danica D'Souza is a final year BSc student (Nutrition and Physiology) from Sydney, Australia. She plans to study further for her Masters in Dietetics with a view to becoming an Accredited Practising Dietician. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, playing the piano and guitar, reading classic novels (she is currently reading Anna Karenina) and occasionally dabbling in the world of blogging https://apieceofshortcake.wordpress.com.

Ask any woman what she likes about her own body and you will find that she struggles to come up with even three things. Yet, ask her what she dislikes and you will likely get a list that is a mile long! Society has always placed an emphasis o n w o m e n ' s b o d i e s , whether it be from admiring its beauty as art or the body shaming of celebrities that occurs in thousands of tabloid magazines. This obsession with the “perfect” body has often resulted in women worldwide having low self-esteem.

I've always loved cooking and became interested in healthy eating after completing a ninth-grade assignment. We had to record what we ate over seven days and analyse whether it met nutritional guidelines. According to my teacher, my seven-day food diary wasn't as good as it could have been. I immediately became interested in learning about what n u t r i t i o u s f o o d actually was, and began prepar ing healthy lunches to take to school. So, when I had to decide what to study at university, choosing a degree in nutrition was a no-brainer.

However, as someone who was never the 'skinny girl', I'd often worry that I was not thin enough to be a nutritionist. Currently, I'm at a healthy weight range and BMI for my age and

height, but l ike most women, I've struggled with body image in the past. However, from studying nutrition, I've learnt a few facts about developing a healthy body image.

Do I Look Healthy vs. Do I Feel Healthy?

A common misconception is that nutrition is just about weight loss. Wrong! It's much more than that. During the summer, I worked with a dietician and observed his patient consultations. Besides patients who wanted to lose weight, there were several others —of all shapes and sizes -- who needed nutrition information for a variety of reasons; whether it be managing diabetes, being deficient in certain nutrients or dealing with digestive issues. Some of these people were at a good weight and looked healthy externally. But, clearly, the fact that they

needed to see a dietician meant they weren ' t necessar i ly hea l thy internally. It just goes to show that

looks can be deceiving. So i n s t e a d o f focusing on our e x t e r n a l

appearance and t r y i n g t o m e e t

soc ie ty ' s unrea l i s t i c expectations, we should focus on how healthy we feel on the inside and whether we have any serious health issues w h i c h n e e d t o b e addressed.

Love Your Body for What It Does For You NOT for Just How it Looks

After a year of studying biology, a year of studying biochemistry and another year of studying physiology as part of my degree, it's fair to say I've learnt quite a bit about the human body over the past three- and- a- half years. I'm always amazed by the complex pathways and intricate chemical reactions the body undergoes in order to do even the simplest of tasks such as eating an apple. Let's face it —our bodies do more than we give it credit for! We should respect our body by looking after it, not tearing it down with insults. It is more important to eat nutritious food and exercise regularly than to stress over fad diets in order to look like our favourite celebrity.

Everything In Moderation!

Yes I know we've all heard this one before, but part of developing a healthy body image is also developing a healthy relationship with food. Eating should be enjoyable and certain foods shouldn't be demonised. Of course, it's important to limit foods which are high in saturated fats, sugar and salt, but i f we acknowledge that these foods are 'sometimes' foods and shouldn't make up a major part of our diet, but are an occasional indulgence, do we really need to feel guilty about that one piece of birthday cake we ate last night? Not really.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The content of this article covers generalised body image issues based on the author's own experiences and does not deal with more complex issues such as body dysmorphia or eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. If you or someone you know, could be struggling with these issues, please seek medical advice.

***

The Magic of Pottery (continued from page 4)

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In March 2017, I had the privilege of attending the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW61) at the United Nations in New York as a Delegate of Graduate Women International (GWI). I presented at the Churches Centre of the United Nations and attended multiple sessions on a cross-section of themes.

The main theme was: ‘Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Changing World of Work’. Most of us can relate and resonate with the theme in some way. The commission took place at a critical juncture in the changing global political landscape with strong advocacy in many countries around gender equality and the empowerment of women. Established by UN council resolution in 1946, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) i s t he p r i n c i pa l g l oba l intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

3,900 representatives from 580 civil society organizations came to New York from 138 countries to participate in CSW61, attesting to the growing strength and unity of women’s voices.

The focus on women's economic empowerment and the changing world of work encompasses women's right to work and rights at work, as well as the commitment to decent work and full a n d p r o d u c t i v e employment. In the plenary sessions and side events, several issues emerged that are o f f u n d a m e n t a l i m p o r t a n c e t o t h e e m p o w e r m e n t o f women.

Pay gaps:

Overall, women continue to earn significantly less than men during their entire careers as a result of caring responsibilities, clustering in low skilled and low paid work, less favourable access to educational opportunities for girls, and outright discrimination. To address this issue, employers need to undertake periodic audits to review pay gaps, address unconscious bias and use targets to measure progress and focus minds. Even in developed countries, over 60% of those earning less than the living wage are women.

Indigenous and migrant women: Justice and change is needed at the societal level when reviewing issues relating to indigenous and migrant women. We need laws that work for all.

Quality public education:

Quality affordable public education gives girls a sustainable chance to be empowered. Most often, women and girls are viewed less favourably and treated as a possession and do not have the same rights.

Violence against Women:

Presenters lobbied to increase shelters and transition houses, capacity of workers and frontline practices for women victims of violence especially intimate partner violence. It is vital to challenge the acceptability of violence in a sensitive and contextual manner and Governments need to budget enough resources and time to overcome it. Violence against women and girls is one of the most persistent forms of gender inequality in society.

Health, Education and Sport:

Along with Professor Shirley Randell, I presented how education and sport can l e a d t o w o m e n ' s e c o n o m i c empowerment (WEE) and improve health for women and families. WEE allows women equal access to and control over economic resources, leads to increased investments in children's education and health, and reduces h o u s e h o l d p o v e r t y . W o m e n entrepreneurs and sportswomen, challenge gender norms, and act as role models. Sport builds leadership, self-esteem, and courage in women. The cascade effect of sport, continues off the

field and women become physically stronger, and d e v e l o p s k i l l s o f teamwork.

I n c l o s i n g , t h e C o m m i s s i o n a c k n o w l e d g e d t h e important contribution of women and gir ls to sustainable development and re i terated that gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls and women's f u l l a n d e q u a l p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n leadership and in the economy are vital for achieving sustainable d e v e l o p m e n t a n d promoting peaceful, just and inclusive societies.

The aim is to achieve gender parity by 2030 globally and governments, organisat ions, workplaces, c iv i l societies and families will have to work together to advocate and make changes to achieve this.

REFLECTIONS ON GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWERMENT

Dr Jaya Dantas, Perth, Australia

Dr Jaya Dantas is Professor of International Health and Director of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences at Curtin University in Western Australia (WA). Her research and teaching focuses on the social and health consequences of adversity among refugees and migrants especially women and youth. She has worked for 30 years in India, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Australia, Timor Leste, Sri Lanka and Singapore. As a migrant woman, Jaya is a passionate advocate of refugee, gender, education and health issues and has been a foster carer with the Department of Child Protection since 2002.

Jaya with GWI Executives: from L to R - Executive Director Stacy De Lara, President Geeta Desai and Vice-President Louise Mcleod