Tuesday, April 16th at 6:00 pm

The Inaugural Issue of deFacto; the Definitive Women’s Directory is being launched at the Oxford Bookstore, at Leela Galleria, Leela Palace in Bangalore. Ms. Pushpanjali Reddy, the publisher and editor, will address the readers and the audience, sharing insightful details about the book and take in questions from readers. This will be followed by a brief book signing and press interaction session.

At the Event

Ms. Rohini Reddy (Executive Director SARRA), Ms. Soumya Aravind Sitaraman (Author), Ms. Manasi Prasad (Musician), Dr. R. Poornima (Editor – Udaya Vani) and various distinguished women will attend the launch. The concept and primer of the book was launched on 8th March 2010 in commemoration of the Women’s day at the Leela galleria and was a successful well received event.

About deFacto

Like most great ideas, this book has a simple thought – the concept that this book is based on – “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness”. And that is precisely what Ms. Pushpanjali Reddy has set out to do. She will tell you of her plight in finding a woman surgeon when required to undergo a simple procedure. Women are everywhere in the professional and corporate world and yet as most will tell, they are mighty difficult to find when you set out to actually finding one. So does this book make women more accessible? No. Does it claim to catalog mail order brides? Most certainly not! It is the sentiment behind the book; that of service to women by women themselves and a celebration of womanhood.

Pushpanjali Reddy

Pushpanjali Reddy shares the empowering effect of the women profiled in the book and believes the true value of the book will be realized if it too has that same empowering effect on its readers. An architect by profession and also an industrialist and builder she exemplifies the spirit of entrepreneurship.

For Media Enquiries & Interview requests, please mail us at info@defactoindia.com or call +91 99020 56500

As the old saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention”. For Pushanjali Reddy, a successful architect, builder and industrialist, the need to know, fuelled her desire to discover; discovery led her to explore; exploration revealed secrets of success. These inspiring stories made their way into de Facto, a ready reckoner for women. Pushpanjali Reddy is the founder of Tropical Habitat India Pvt Ltd, a long-standing construction firm. She set up Ope Systems Pvt Ltd, to manufacture unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) windows used in her constructions. She is also the co-founder of Awel Energy, a go-green firm that deals with biomass and renewable energy. Being a self-made entrepreneur, she aspires to establish a platform that highlights achievements of women entrepreneurs in Bangalore.

The inaugural issue of de Facto was released on the 8th of March 2010 on the occasion of the 99th International Woman’s Day. “The book is about women who have made significant changes to society and life”, says Pushpanjali. The first edition of this directory showcases achievements of women who have battled against the odds to carve a niche for themselves in different walks of life. It features path-breakers who have excelled in domains that have long been a man’s stronghold. The book is scheduled to have an annual release and will contain a comprehensive listing of women professionals and entrepreneurs based out of Bangalore.

Most of Pushpanjali’s business and social ventures have been preceded by challenges and accidents. When advised to undergo a surgery, she insisted on being operated upon by a lady. After bearing the pain for over a year, a laborious search led her to find a lady surgeon to perform the operation. This incident and the inconvenience it caused propelled her to create a medium of easy access to information about women professionals. Seeds of thought blossomed into an idea and de Facto was conceived.

Educational institutions, business holdings and professionals like consultants, architects, surgeons, advocates, fashion designers, veterinary doctors are listed in the book. It also features quotes by women, interesting trivia and must-knows. “It has been a difficult but fulfilling journey”, says Pushpanjali as she recounts her struggle to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Pushpa Dravid, her teacher during her course in architecture was the first to be profiled. Coffee taster Sunalini Menon, “Mango Rani” Sharmila Pattawardhan, India’s first lady veterinary doctor Sakkubai Ramachandran, graphics designer Sujata Keshavan, vocalist and danseuse Manasi Prasad, swimmer Nisha Millet, martial arts exponent Vandana Rao and social activist Rohini Reddy are some achievers featured in this issue of de Facto. “I feel that I have grown sixty years older in a year”, she says talking about the humbling experience of following these chronicles of success.

Internationally renowned coffee cupper Sunalini Menon joined the Coffee Board of India as an Assistant Taster and went on to become the Director of Quality Control. With years of experience in evaluating, roasting, tasting and qualifying coffee behind her, Sunalini started Coffelab in 1997. The laboratory manned by women, provides quality related services to assist the various stakeholders of the coffee industry in India.

Bangalore’s very own girl with the golden voice, Manasi Prasad leaves a trail of accomplishments as she scales new heights of success. An IIMB graduate, Manasi has excelled both in academics and in the field of art. Being recognized as one among the top ten students of all IIMs she was a recipient of the coveted Aditya Birla scholarship.  Manasi has performed in over 500 concerts in India and abroad. In 2008, she was conferred the prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar awarded to exceptionally talented artists below the age of 35.

“deFacto is a solid idea and a good resource for women”, says Vandana Rao, a third degree black belt in the ancient Korean martial art Tang Soo Do. She trained under Master David Bell while in Fremont, California. After relocating to Bangalore, Vandana established The Healing Arts Center, a school of art. At this school she imparts training in Tang Soo Do, Chi Kung, a Chinese meditative practice and yoga. “Learning martial arts has strengthened my identity and made me focus on who I am. I have become a stronger mother, stronger daughter and stronger wife”, says Vandana.

The queen of the water, Nisha Millet who swam her way in the record books is also profiled in the book. In a career that spanned over 15 years Nisha has won about 600 gold medals in various events and still holds the record for the maximum gold medals in the National Games. She has won several prestigious awards including the Arjuna Award, Ekalavya Award and Rajyotsava Award. At present, Nisha is a much sought after coach who trains swimmers of various age groups.

Sujata Keshavan Guha, the wife of famed historian and journalist Ramachandra Guha is the co-founder of Ray and Keshavan, a firm that is a pioneer in the field of brand consulting and graphic design in India. The firm has been consistently ranked as India’s top design firm and Sujata was named as one of India’s top 30 powerful women . She is the only Indian graphics designer to have received the Advertising and Marketing (A & M) Graphics Designer of Year twice.

The book also features Kapila Saigal, small town girl who has mastered the mantra of success. She landed her first job as a marketing executive and then went on to establish a printing business. Her desire to explore and excel prompted her to set up Chandni Chowk, a flamboyant restaurant in an up market location of Bangalore. Exquisite restaurants Heera Panna, Jalsa and Ruh followed the success of Chadni Chowk. Hats off to this lady who came Bangalore with just eight hundred rupees in her pocket!

At 79, Dr. Sakkubai Ramachandran who has the distinction of being the first lady veterinarian in India is the oldest achiever to be featured in de Facto. In 1948, Madras Veterinary College opened admission of girls and Sakkubai was one of two girls who joined the course that year. After graduating in 1952, she worked as a virologist and scientist at Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) till her retirement in 1991.

These women are living examples of the adage, “Triumph always begins with you” and are just a few who have launched themselves to the pinnacle of glory. The women of today are standing tall in what was once a man’s world.  They dare to chase wild dreams and take the road less traveled. Defying the odds, can make the impossible, possible and are redefining the phrase that the “sky is the limit”.

Once a man was asking Bertrand Russell, ‘What’s your opinion about civilization?’ Russell said, ‘It is a good idea – somebody has to practise it.’

It has not yet happened, it is just a good idea, it is utopia. Man lives in a very uncivilized way. Hence qualities which are warlike are praised . Qualities which are flower like are condemned. To be soft is thought to be feminine. It is feminine, but there is nothing wrong in it. In fact it should be praised because it is feminine. Two things are implied in it. One is that god is conceived as a mother, not as father – which is far more truer. God as a father is not so true; in fact the very institution of father is arbitrary. It is created by the society. There is every possibility in future, the very institution may disappear; father may become almost irrelevant.

In fact the very idea of father arises out of private property. Because man became very conscious of possessing property, he started possessing the woman; he won’t allow the woman the freedom to move freely without being possessed by anybody in particular. And of course, man is in a certain way stronger than the woman; in an animal way he is stronger, in a muscular way he is stronger, obviously.

The woman is stronger in a different way. She has more loving qualities, more heart, more capacity to be patient, great capacity to resist all kinds of misfortunes, immense power to pass through suffering unaffected. Man is very weak in that way but muscularly he is powerful. His height is a little bigger, his bones are a little stronger he can overpower physically any woman.

Hence he started possessing other properties. And he wanted to be absolutely certain that only his children should be the owner of his property. That was the beginning of the institution of fatherhood. Mother is a natural phenomenon, father is artificial. In animals there is no father, only the mother. In birds, only the mother; the father is only accidental, it is not so intrinsic. The same is possible once women become more freer economically, more freer psychologically. The same is going to happen again.In the future, fatherhood is going to disappear. It can be predicted and very confidentially predicted that father has outlived. Because in the past the male became very important – he created all the institutions around the idea of the masculine. Even god became masculine. It is far more truer that god is a woman because god is a womb. Out of the womb everything has arisen: the whole creation.

OSHO

Excerpted from Man Is Not an Island courtesy Osho International Foundation

Recently when I required the services of a lady surgeon, I was unsure where to find the requisite information. There are various directories available with sector specific information such as the Medical directory, Doctors directory and The Handbook for Construction Professionals among others. Shouldn’t there be one for women? That’s when I felt the need to create deFacto, a directory of women professionals. In addition to highlighting women who have achieved stellar success in their respective fields, the directory will attempt to document all women engaged in the professional sphere. We believe that all successful women professionals have contributed in various ways to society. However big or small this maybe, the spirit of successful entrepreneurship must be brought out into the open and dedicated “For Women, By Women”.

deFacto aims to be a ready reckoner of women professionals, entrepreneurs, organizations, associations, small-scale industries, politicians, social workers, doctors, architects, construction professionals etc. The directory will also contain inspiring stories which draw on the personal journeys of various women achievers.

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Working women in India today are faced with numerous challenges. It is important to get fresh perspectives on the obstacles encountered by women en route to success. deFacto will also serve as inspiration for young women as well as a guide to aspiring entrepreneurs. Those spotlighted in the book will serve as role models and/or mentors to the youth. The objective is to empower and recognize successful women whilst inspiring and nurturing those who aspire to emulate them in addition to publicizing their services to the general public. deFacto will be distributed in all corporations, women’s institutions, associations, five star hotels, airport lounges, etc. Furthermore, it will be made available at all prominent bookstores. It could also be a guide for the public to access services provided by women such as salons, clinics, therapists, legal counsels, support groups, civil liberties organizations etc.

This initiative is perhaps the first of its kind in the country, and we aim to lead a paradigm shift in the evolution of women professionals and thus issue a call to harness the power of women to shape and nurture the future.  To achieve this, we have short listed noted personalities and achievers from Bangalore to be role models for the first edition of the book which is expected to be released in January 2010. Please respond with suggestions and stories of women achievers (from grassroots level crusaders to corporate czarinas). Your feedback/suggestion for the same will be valuable and highly appreciated. Please proceed to the Contact page to get in touch with us.

As India continues to transform herself, the role of women in our society is evolving as they occupy positions of power, importance and influence in the new economy. Companies are increasingly realizing the value that women bring and the differential impact they are making on an organization’s performance. Young women are discovering their entrepreneurial strengths and establishing successful businesses. Remarkably, police stations operated entirely by women can now be found around the country.

A related question that has consumed both academic and popular writers is whether men and women have the same leadership abilities. On average, women in management positions are somewhat better leaders than men in equivalent positions, according to a study published in the current Psychological Bulletin. A transformational leadership style may be especially congenial to women because this way of leading is relatively androgynous and has some nurturing, feminine aspects. A considerable body of research has shown that women can be disliked and distrusted in leadership roles, especially when they exert authority over men, appear to be extremely competent or use a dominant style of communication. Transformational behavior may lessen suspicion of female leaders and alleviate problems of lesser authority and legitimacy that they sometimes face.

Another reason women may favor a transformational style is that such a leader operates more like an excellent teacher than a traditional boss. Women’s past socialization may give them more ability to lead by teaching — that is, by developing and nurturing workers’ abilities and inspiring them to be outstanding contributors. And the glass ceiling itself may produce more highly skilled female leaders. Research shows that higher standards are often imposed on women to attain leadership roles and to retain them. Because transformational leadership constitutes skillful leadership, women may be more skillful leaders than men because they have to meet a higher standard.

Are we however taking the progress of women for granted? In spite of this increased role in the professional sector, there is no doubt that there is much work to be done in overcoming the factors that discourage women entrepreneurs. How many people are aware of women who have stepped beyond their conventional roles? Are these women being acknowledged, encouraged and recognized?

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