Verma asks men to promote gender equality |
Six years ago, Patti Tripathi, a former news anchor at CNN – the first and perhaps the only Indian American woman to hold that position – launched a radically impactful calendar, `Saris to Suits,` as a tool to empower South Asian women, and to redefine what constitutes a modern-day South Asian woman. On May 31, Tripathi organized the first benefit event to mark six years of the calendar, which has featured trailblazers like Houston University president/chancellor Dr. Renu Khator, human rights activist Malala Yousafzai, cancer researcher, MIT professor and biotech entrepreneur Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia; and author-poet and Arjun Award-winning shooter Roopa Unnikrishnan. These empowered role models are also some of the most powerful women who are challenging social norms, and inspiring other women to follow suit. Profits from the calendar are donated to charities such as Sakhi for South Asian Women in New York, Apna Ghar in Chicago, and Raksha in Atlanta. The inaugural gala, held at the historic Wimbish House in Atlanta, Georgia, was titled, “Saris to Suits – East to West to South: “Women First, Empowerment for All. ”Former U.S. Ambassador to India Richard Verma, the first Indian American to hold that post, joined the event as the charity`s `suit` ambassador.
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