Abattered housewife, a Muslim widow and an illiterate mother of four are among a group of Indian women looking to carve out a living by breaking into the male preserve of New Delhi taxi drivers.
Hailing from some of the poorest quarters of the Indian capital, they are part of plans to launch the city's first radio taxi-service run by women,in time for the October 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The project is the brainchild of Meenu Vadera of the Azad Foundation, a voluntary group that works with disadvantaged women whose employment prospects - if they exist at all - are usually limited to the world of domestic help.
"We have trained one batch of nine women and the training of another batch of 11 is underway," said Vadera, who aims to have five taxis on the road by February and a fleet of 20 by the time the Games begin.
"I was looking at a programme that would combine a livelihood for the girls with the idea of having women cab-drivers who will provide safe transport to working women in Delhi."
Of all major Indian cities, the capital ranks worst in terms of violence against women, with more than 4,300 registered cases in 2007-08,according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
To ensure their own safety, the women have received some basic self-defence instruction as part of their training at a professional drivers'school run by India's largest car manufacturer,Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.
Supplementing these are classes in grooming,etiquette and spoken English.
"The goal is to establish a company with the women as stakeholders. This way it does not look like a charity but a business run collectively,"Vadera said.
India's emergence as a global economic power has done little for millions of unskilled or illiterate women for whom menial work as domestics or care-givers remains a chief source of regular but often underpaid employment.
The work is generally unregulated and unprotected, leaving them vulnerable to harassment and exploitation.
"Some come from families where only the menfolk work," said Poonam Bala, a Delhi University Sociology professor.
"For others, their background is such that they are totally unprepared to enter the professional job market."
Rita, 24, ran away from her marriage and home after suffering seven years of abuse at the hands of her parents-in-law.
Living at the home of a friend in Delhi, Rita saw the female taxi project as a way out of a social and economic dead end.
"I jumped at the idea," she said."It would give me independence and the ability to support myself."
Shanno Begum, a 32-year-old Muslim widow,signed up for the programme last year.
"My husband died three years ago. I had three children and my parents-in-law to support. As a private nurse, I used to earn 4,500 rupees [3,000 baht] a month for a 24/7 job," Shanno said.
"Now, I will earn the same amount working eight hours and can devote more time to my children."
For Ekta, a 28-year-old mother of four, the taxi project opened doors that she had thought closed to her as an illiterate woman married into a conservative family.
"Persuading my husband to let me work was very difficult," she said."Now I feel empowered as if I have my own identity other than a wife and mother."
The project has not been without its problems.With the commercial licence necessary to drive a taxi-cab requiring a year-long wait, Vadera has been trying to find short-term chauffeur employment for her fully trained drivers - with little success.
"I underestimated the gender bias," Vadera said, citing repeated questions from potential employers as to whether women could be trusted to drive safely and turn up to work on time.
"Despite my assurances, they decide against women drivers. This is despite the fact that records show women are more careful than male drivers - they obey traffic rules, don't drink and drive,don't get into brawls on the road," she said.
Some of Delhi's male cabbies, unimpressed by the idea of an all-woman taxi service, have decided the best reaction is one of collective ridicule that panders to a disparaging stereotype of women drivers.
"It's bad enough having women behind the wheel in private cars," said Pamma Singh, who runs a taxi company with his two brothers.
"They take ages to reverse, negotiate turnings,to park properly. So what kind of challenge will they be to us? Just be prepared for more chaos on the roads," he said.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Life in the twilight for Muslim transsexuals
Why can'tIslamaccept us? We are human beings as well. I am also one of God's creations.
With her tight jeans, elaborate makeup and flowing hair, Tasha looks for all the world like a striking young woman. But her all-important Malaysian ID card declares she is a Muslim man.
"In Islam, there are only men and women,there are no transsexuals, and this is an Islamic country so that makes life very difficult for us," says the 28-year-old who has been cross-dressing since she was a child.
Like many transsexuals in Malaysia, a conservative and mostly Muslim country,the clash between ID card and appearance means Tasha is shunned by employers, and forced to make her living as a sex worker.
"It's a hard life, people don't like us,they're always making fun of us," she says as she prepares for another night in the grimy alleyways of Chow Kit, the red light district of the capital Kuala Lumpur.
Tasha endures drunken clients, violent pimps and aggressive competition from other transsexual prostitutes, but what really frightens her are the raids mounted by police and religious authorities.
Enforcement officials from the Islamic Affairs Department (JAWI)- notorious for swooping on nightclubs and motels in search of Muslims drinking or having extramarital sex - regularly descend on the streets of Chow Kit.
Sex workers are sent scattering on their high heels, and those who are caught and hauled off face jail or intensive "counselling"sessions like a two-week interrogation Tasha once endured.
"They asked me why I didn't want to be a man, how I became like this and why I behave like this. But it didn't change my mind!" she says as she layers on make-up before hitting the streets where she has worked since she was 15.
Tasha puts on a brave face, but the pain is clear when she relates how she has struggled for acceptance from her family, her religion and her country. Although she is on the margins of society, she continues to perform the Muslim prayers, fasts during the holy month of Ramadan, and respected her mother's wish that she not undergo sex-change surgery.
"Of course I still believe I'm a Muslim,it's just that the religion cannot accept us transsexuals," she says."Why can't Islam accept us? We are human beings as well. I am also one of God's creations."
It was not always this way for transsexuals in Malaysia, where they are known as "mak nyah".
"Until the early 1980s transsexuals were usually accepted in Malaysia, they could go for a sex change and amend their identity card," says Teh Yik Koon from the National Defence University who has written a book on mak nyahs."At that time quite a few had a sex change, some became happily married and even adopted children."
But in 1983 a "fatwa", or Islamic ruling,that prohibited gender-reassignment surgery as well as cross-dressing was imposed on all Malaysian Muslims, who make up 60%of the multicultural population.
"So now they're not accepted, there's no such thing as transsexuals according to Islam in Malaysia," says Ms Teh, who estimates there are in fact at least 20,000 in the country.
"The biggest dilemma for a Muslim transsexual is the ID card, because it states they are a Muslim man but when you look at them they look like a woman," she says.
Some do manage to find regular work,typically as hairdressers, make-up artists,and boutique sales assistants, but advocates say that at least 70% resort to prostitution.
"At 15 I ran away from home and to Chow Kit. I cried at first, but luckily I had other transsexuals who helped me find a place to stay," says Tasha.
On a good night she can earn 500 ringgit (4,851 baht), a huge sum by Malaysian standards, but since the economic downturn she now gets only two or three clients a night who may pay as little 50 ringgit (485 baht)a time.
Now that her mother has died, she plans to go to Thailand later this year and have a sex-change and breast augmentation surgery.
"If you want to become whole pretty quickly, then you can't be afraid," she says."Only then will I feel like a complete woman."
Transsexuals do not need to be selling their bodies in order to attract attention from authorities. Last year, Islamic religious police arrested 16 for taking part in a beauty pageant at a beachside resort. Influential Islamic cleric Harussani Zakaria, who helped establish the 1983 fatwa, defended the strict approach and said that transsexuals should use their "willpower" and adopt a traditional lifestyle."Of course they won't get a job if they turn up wearing a woman's dress. All religions are opposed to this," he said.
"You cannot be transsexual, you are either a woman or a man. Why do they want to go against Allah?" he asked."If God has created you as a boy, then act like a boy."
With her tight jeans, elaborate makeup and flowing hair, Tasha looks for all the world like a striking young woman. But her all-important Malaysian ID card declares she is a Muslim man.
"In Islam, there are only men and women,there are no transsexuals, and this is an Islamic country so that makes life very difficult for us," says the 28-year-old who has been cross-dressing since she was a child.
Like many transsexuals in Malaysia, a conservative and mostly Muslim country,the clash between ID card and appearance means Tasha is shunned by employers, and forced to make her living as a sex worker.
"It's a hard life, people don't like us,they're always making fun of us," she says as she prepares for another night in the grimy alleyways of Chow Kit, the red light district of the capital Kuala Lumpur.
Tasha endures drunken clients, violent pimps and aggressive competition from other transsexual prostitutes, but what really frightens her are the raids mounted by police and religious authorities.
Enforcement officials from the Islamic Affairs Department (JAWI)- notorious for swooping on nightclubs and motels in search of Muslims drinking or having extramarital sex - regularly descend on the streets of Chow Kit.
Sex workers are sent scattering on their high heels, and those who are caught and hauled off face jail or intensive "counselling"sessions like a two-week interrogation Tasha once endured.
"They asked me why I didn't want to be a man, how I became like this and why I behave like this. But it didn't change my mind!" she says as she layers on make-up before hitting the streets where she has worked since she was 15.
Tasha puts on a brave face, but the pain is clear when she relates how she has struggled for acceptance from her family, her religion and her country. Although she is on the margins of society, she continues to perform the Muslim prayers, fasts during the holy month of Ramadan, and respected her mother's wish that she not undergo sex-change surgery.
"Of course I still believe I'm a Muslim,it's just that the religion cannot accept us transsexuals," she says."Why can't Islam accept us? We are human beings as well. I am also one of God's creations."
It was not always this way for transsexuals in Malaysia, where they are known as "mak nyah".
"Until the early 1980s transsexuals were usually accepted in Malaysia, they could go for a sex change and amend their identity card," says Teh Yik Koon from the National Defence University who has written a book on mak nyahs."At that time quite a few had a sex change, some became happily married and even adopted children."
But in 1983 a "fatwa", or Islamic ruling,that prohibited gender-reassignment surgery as well as cross-dressing was imposed on all Malaysian Muslims, who make up 60%of the multicultural population.
"So now they're not accepted, there's no such thing as transsexuals according to Islam in Malaysia," says Ms Teh, who estimates there are in fact at least 20,000 in the country.
"The biggest dilemma for a Muslim transsexual is the ID card, because it states they are a Muslim man but when you look at them they look like a woman," she says.
Some do manage to find regular work,typically as hairdressers, make-up artists,and boutique sales assistants, but advocates say that at least 70% resort to prostitution.
"At 15 I ran away from home and to Chow Kit. I cried at first, but luckily I had other transsexuals who helped me find a place to stay," says Tasha.
On a good night she can earn 500 ringgit (4,851 baht), a huge sum by Malaysian standards, but since the economic downturn she now gets only two or three clients a night who may pay as little 50 ringgit (485 baht)a time.
Now that her mother has died, she plans to go to Thailand later this year and have a sex-change and breast augmentation surgery.
"If you want to become whole pretty quickly, then you can't be afraid," she says."Only then will I feel like a complete woman."
Transsexuals do not need to be selling their bodies in order to attract attention from authorities. Last year, Islamic religious police arrested 16 for taking part in a beauty pageant at a beachside resort. Influential Islamic cleric Harussani Zakaria, who helped establish the 1983 fatwa, defended the strict approach and said that transsexuals should use their "willpower" and adopt a traditional lifestyle."Of course they won't get a job if they turn up wearing a woman's dress. All religions are opposed to this," he said.
"You cannot be transsexual, you are either a woman or a man. Why do they want to go against Allah?" he asked."If God has created you as a boy, then act like a boy."
Friday, September 4, 2009
STARS IN THEIR EYES
The lives of personal assistants to Thaicelebrities
Ever wanted to live the celebrity lifestyle without the hassle of being recognised in public? In the US of A, this troublesome dilemma is easily solved by the celebrity personal assistant (PA).In the States - home to more celebs per head of population than anywhere else in the world, according to Gurupedia - a PA's duty is to handle tasks ranging from shopping to arranging appointments,to taking their client's chihuahua outside to poo.
PAs get to go to parties, receive pretty presents, a relatively high salary (an average of USD$64,000-100,000[B2.2m-3.4m] according to The Guardian )and a chance to meet all the cool people they idolise on the silver screen.
The downside of it all of course is that some celebrities have borderline psychological behaviour issues. Some of the bizarre outbursts that American stars make when on tour, or on the Internet, really blow your mind away as you are forced to ask,"Is this really how an adult is supposed to behave?"
According to celebrity gossip website theimproper.com, Jennifer Lopez's outrageous demands on tour have included that her hotel suite be painted white, decked with matching white lilies and roses, and white candles burning with the essence of her favourite perfume, Diptyque (more like dipstick, right?). She also required bed sheets with Egyptian cotton of over 250 thread-count and the room temperature set to exactly 25.5 Celsius.
Are Thai stars this awesome? Are our celebrities this insane? We asked some people well placed to answer, PAs to the Thai stars.
Working so closely with celebrities, you must receive some great benefits right? Pupe:When we work as a team it gives us a fulfilling feeling, especially when you see your little stars grow into fully fledged celebrities. It's quite heartwarming. Travelling around with the stars to different countries is also fun. The job is very unpredictable and exciting. Weeks are never the same. Travelling? That's awesome! You must get to go to all the hot locations like Monaco,Dubai and The Bahamas right?Pupe:The job has taken me to Hong Kong, Laos, Singapore and Japan. Laos? Err, cool... I guess I was thinking that it would be more of a jetsetter lifestyle...Ke:Once, several of my clients simultaneously required my help and they were all in different parts of the country. I had to organise their schedule for work and for their personal lives. Over three days I visited every region of the country, getting very little sleep. I also have a team that helps me and it was a very busy time. The schedule can get messy but I love my job. I see. You said the job is heartwarming. What about the diamond-studded underwear or a free house? Ton:This job makes you a more responsible person. I get to go to all the events and concerts. Since I joined the company I have been to a few thousand. The networking you get out of this job is also great since you meet a lot of people.Ke:Working for my own company, I really get close to my clients as if they were like family.On my birthday I get presents from them and that gives me a very warm feeling.Sometimes they even buy me a plane ticket so that I can travel on holiday with them. What about all the love triangles between beautiful people? I bet you get all the gossip,and can sell it to the papers huh, wink, wink? Pupe:In my job, you become the middleman between the press, your celebrity and their parents. A nightmare scenario involves all three parties pressuring me at once and that can be very stressful.
Err, that's not exactly what I meant. What about nightmare scenarios? You probably have to deal with all kinds of crazy situations right? Ton:Now that I am in a managerial position it is not that bad. I have a steady schedule where I get proper weekends like everyone else. I wouldn't say I have any nightmare scenarios but dealing with tabloids talking about your stars dating can become quite a chore. Does Thailand have any cases of the American diva syndrome? Has a Thai celebrity ever demanded that they have an entire bathtub filled up with ice cream cones heated to exactly 38.5 Celsius, for example?Pupe:At a recent project, Tata Young requested that she use her own microphone. Wow, thats hardcore! Was it a one-of-a-kind gold-plated microphone? Pupe:I think she just wanted her own microphone because it sounded better than the available one, but that was about it. She even shared her dressing room with her dancers.Usually we just try our best to make our stars feel comfortable before a performance and it doesn't involve the levels you see in the American entertainment industry.Ton:I can't really think of any situations like that. Our artists usually request refreshments and food for their dressing rooms but no one has ever asked for something out of the ordinary. Refreshments? What like million dollar bottles of Cristal champagne to spray on all the naked groupies?Ton:Oh no, we don't allow our stars to have alcohol at events. From these interviews we can conclude that Thai celebrities are nowhere near as insane as their American counterparts. This can be attributed to two possible factors:1) Our celebrities simply don't possess as much of the insanity gene; or 2) Maids are cheap to hire in Thailand. Here, just about anyone with a reasonable income - celebrity or not - can already live like Mariah Carey by hiring legal immigrants and paying them - at least minimum wage.
While American celebrities are like five-year-olds that have discovered their father's platinum card, thanks to their straight talking PAs we can see that Thai dara are infinitely more human than we could have imagined. Who would have thought it?
Ever wanted to live the celebrity lifestyle without the hassle of being recognised in public? In the US of A, this troublesome dilemma is easily solved by the celebrity personal assistant (PA).In the States - home to more celebs per head of population than anywhere else in the world, according to Gurupedia - a PA's duty is to handle tasks ranging from shopping to arranging appointments,to taking their client's chihuahua outside to poo.
PAs get to go to parties, receive pretty presents, a relatively high salary (an average of USD$64,000-100,000[B2.2m-3.4m] according to The Guardian )and a chance to meet all the cool people they idolise on the silver screen.
The downside of it all of course is that some celebrities have borderline psychological behaviour issues. Some of the bizarre outbursts that American stars make when on tour, or on the Internet, really blow your mind away as you are forced to ask,"Is this really how an adult is supposed to behave?"
According to celebrity gossip website theimproper.com, Jennifer Lopez's outrageous demands on tour have included that her hotel suite be painted white, decked with matching white lilies and roses, and white candles burning with the essence of her favourite perfume, Diptyque (more like dipstick, right?). She also required bed sheets with Egyptian cotton of over 250 thread-count and the room temperature set to exactly 25.5 Celsius.
Are Thai stars this awesome? Are our celebrities this insane? We asked some people well placed to answer, PAs to the Thai stars.
Working so closely with celebrities, you must receive some great benefits right? Pupe:When we work as a team it gives us a fulfilling feeling, especially when you see your little stars grow into fully fledged celebrities. It's quite heartwarming. Travelling around with the stars to different countries is also fun. The job is very unpredictable and exciting. Weeks are never the same. Travelling? That's awesome! You must get to go to all the hot locations like Monaco,Dubai and The Bahamas right?Pupe:The job has taken me to Hong Kong, Laos, Singapore and Japan. Laos? Err, cool... I guess I was thinking that it would be more of a jetsetter lifestyle...Ke:Once, several of my clients simultaneously required my help and they were all in different parts of the country. I had to organise their schedule for work and for their personal lives. Over three days I visited every region of the country, getting very little sleep. I also have a team that helps me and it was a very busy time. The schedule can get messy but I love my job. I see. You said the job is heartwarming. What about the diamond-studded underwear or a free house? Ton:This job makes you a more responsible person. I get to go to all the events and concerts. Since I joined the company I have been to a few thousand. The networking you get out of this job is also great since you meet a lot of people.Ke:Working for my own company, I really get close to my clients as if they were like family.On my birthday I get presents from them and that gives me a very warm feeling.Sometimes they even buy me a plane ticket so that I can travel on holiday with them. What about all the love triangles between beautiful people? I bet you get all the gossip,and can sell it to the papers huh, wink, wink? Pupe:In my job, you become the middleman between the press, your celebrity and their parents. A nightmare scenario involves all three parties pressuring me at once and that can be very stressful.
Err, that's not exactly what I meant. What about nightmare scenarios? You probably have to deal with all kinds of crazy situations right? Ton:Now that I am in a managerial position it is not that bad. I have a steady schedule where I get proper weekends like everyone else. I wouldn't say I have any nightmare scenarios but dealing with tabloids talking about your stars dating can become quite a chore. Does Thailand have any cases of the American diva syndrome? Has a Thai celebrity ever demanded that they have an entire bathtub filled up with ice cream cones heated to exactly 38.5 Celsius, for example?Pupe:At a recent project, Tata Young requested that she use her own microphone. Wow, thats hardcore! Was it a one-of-a-kind gold-plated microphone? Pupe:I think she just wanted her own microphone because it sounded better than the available one, but that was about it. She even shared her dressing room with her dancers.Usually we just try our best to make our stars feel comfortable before a performance and it doesn't involve the levels you see in the American entertainment industry.Ton:I can't really think of any situations like that. Our artists usually request refreshments and food for their dressing rooms but no one has ever asked for something out of the ordinary. Refreshments? What like million dollar bottles of Cristal champagne to spray on all the naked groupies?Ton:Oh no, we don't allow our stars to have alcohol at events. From these interviews we can conclude that Thai celebrities are nowhere near as insane as their American counterparts. This can be attributed to two possible factors:1) Our celebrities simply don't possess as much of the insanity gene; or 2) Maids are cheap to hire in Thailand. Here, just about anyone with a reasonable income - celebrity or not - can already live like Mariah Carey by hiring legal immigrants and paying them - at least minimum wage.
While American celebrities are like five-year-olds that have discovered their father's platinum card, thanks to their straight talking PAs we can see that Thai dara are infinitely more human than we could have imagined. Who would have thought it?
Friday, August 28, 2009
THE "IT" GIRL WHO ISN'T?
Chitpas 'Tant' Bhirombhakdi combines her role as attache to the prime minister's secretariat with that of brand manager for FIJI water. She also recently became ambassador for "Women Build,"a division of Habitat for Humanity International.
HOWDO YOU JUGGLE YOUR WORK?
My schedule at Government House is not really fixed, as it depends on the schedule of the PM, such as whether he has a meeting to attend. On weekends, I often have to phone my business team. In the evenings or when I'm free, I have to try to come into the office whenever I can.
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR WOMEN BUILD?
Habitat for Humanity builds homes for the International.underprivileged, and Women Build focus on impoverished families with daughters. In commemoration of His Majesty the King's 82nd Birthday, former US president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, will be presiding over our bid to topple a world record in November by building 82 houses in five days. We invite all of you to join us in Chiang Mai.
WHAT DRAWS YOU TO CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS?
I've always believed in the concept of social responsibility, so I seized on this project when they invited me. It's all about opportunity; plenty of people want to do something good and give back to society but rarely does an opportunity arise. It's easy to donate money but to volunteer, it really means much more.With Habitat you get the chance to actually perform the tasks, while those that were intended to benefit from your efforts really do benefit. It's also open for everyone to volunteer. You don't have to be rich, so long as you really want to help, to take part.
WHAT'S YOUR LONG-TERM GOAL?
My main goal is to become the first female prime minister of Thailand. The only thing that is certain in the future is uncertainty so I think it is right to aim high and be prepared to work hard in trying to reach your goals.
CAN YOU SHARE SOME EXPERIENCES FROM WORKING CLOSELY WITH TWO PRIME MINISTERS?
I've learnt that I have a very long way to go before I get there [laughs]. PM Abhisit is an excellent role model who represents a new breed of politicians. To be in that position you have to make immense personal sacrifices out of patriotism and love of the country.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO YOUNG WOMENWHO
BELIEVE THEY ARE NOT CUT OUT FOR POLITICS OR
VOLUNTARY WORK?
First of all, they should erase that frame of mind. If they think that this is a man's world, they will always be in the same spot and won't achieve any kind of fulfilling success. I want to
encourage them that they too can make an impact on the world.For example, Women Build is an open organisation which offers the opportunity for every woman to actively perform charitable deeds.
YOU ONCE DECLARED THAT IF YOU BECAME PM,
YOU'D MAKE THE WHOLE OF THAILAND PINK.WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT COLOURFUL VISION?
My friends made that up a long time ago [laughs]! It's just that I'm a girl and I was typically obsessed
with the colour pink! Even so it's a lovely
colour and represents love. Especially
with all the division in the country, it
would be nice to see Thai people
loving each other again.
HOWDO YOU JUGGLE YOUR WORK?
My schedule at Government House is not really fixed, as it depends on the schedule of the PM, such as whether he has a meeting to attend. On weekends, I often have to phone my business team. In the evenings or when I'm free, I have to try to come into the office whenever I can.
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR WOMEN BUILD?
Habitat for Humanity builds homes for the International.underprivileged, and Women Build focus on impoverished families with daughters. In commemoration of His Majesty the King's 82nd Birthday, former US president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, will be presiding over our bid to topple a world record in November by building 82 houses in five days. We invite all of you to join us in Chiang Mai.
WHAT DRAWS YOU TO CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS?
I've always believed in the concept of social responsibility, so I seized on this project when they invited me. It's all about opportunity; plenty of people want to do something good and give back to society but rarely does an opportunity arise. It's easy to donate money but to volunteer, it really means much more.With Habitat you get the chance to actually perform the tasks, while those that were intended to benefit from your efforts really do benefit. It's also open for everyone to volunteer. You don't have to be rich, so long as you really want to help, to take part.
WHAT'S YOUR LONG-TERM GOAL?
My main goal is to become the first female prime minister of Thailand. The only thing that is certain in the future is uncertainty so I think it is right to aim high and be prepared to work hard in trying to reach your goals.
CAN YOU SHARE SOME EXPERIENCES FROM WORKING CLOSELY WITH TWO PRIME MINISTERS?
I've learnt that I have a very long way to go before I get there [laughs]. PM Abhisit is an excellent role model who represents a new breed of politicians. To be in that position you have to make immense personal sacrifices out of patriotism and love of the country.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO YOUNG WOMENWHO
BELIEVE THEY ARE NOT CUT OUT FOR POLITICS OR
VOLUNTARY WORK?
First of all, they should erase that frame of mind. If they think that this is a man's world, they will always be in the same spot and won't achieve any kind of fulfilling success. I want to
encourage them that they too can make an impact on the world.For example, Women Build is an open organisation which offers the opportunity for every woman to actively perform charitable deeds.
YOU ONCE DECLARED THAT IF YOU BECAME PM,
YOU'D MAKE THE WHOLE OF THAILAND PINK.WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT COLOURFUL VISION?
My friends made that up a long time ago [laughs]! It's just that I'm a girl and I was typically obsessed
with the colour pink! Even so it's a lovely
colour and represents love. Especially
with all the division in the country, it
would be nice to see Thai people
loving each other again.
Prostitutes take to catwalk for one-night fashion show
Prostitutes became models for a night in Rio as they paraded the latest collection of their Daspu brand,founded four years ago to fight discrimination against their profession in Brazil.
The voluptuous mannequins cheerfully exhibited the colourful wear during a nighttime catwalk of sorts, showing off the summer 2010 collection -"Farofa (fried manioc flour) caviar!"- inspired by bar and nightclub culture.
They swaggered, hips jutting forward,on a red carpet laid in the middle of Tiradentes Square, in the heart of a decaying historic neighbourhood where about 300 prostitutes still work.
"When my hooker girlfriends parade pretty and proud, they are speaking about themselves and become revolutionaries,"said Gabriela Leite,57, after the show.
The former prostitute launched the Daspu label - a play of words on das putas (for the whores) and the posh Daslu department store in Sao Paulo.She also heads Davida, a nongovernmental group for Aids prevention and the protection of prostitutes' rights.
The new collection, created in collaboration with designers from the southeastern Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte,sought to show that prostitutes feast on farofa - a dish popular among the poorer classes - but also caviar, champagne and cachaca, a sugar cane liquor.
The clothes sported inscriptions like "Daspu a la carte","Whore serving" or "Puta libre", a reference to the Cuba libre rum cocktail.
This year, the fashion show closed an event organised by the city to "celebrate health and citizenship" that was supported by artists and circus dancers.
Daspu was launched in 2005 as a way for prostitutes to gain regular income while also fighting preconceptions of people affected with Aids. Sales revenues are reinvested into initiatives combating sexually transmitted diseases.
The voluptuous mannequins cheerfully exhibited the colourful wear during a nighttime catwalk of sorts, showing off the summer 2010 collection -"Farofa (fried manioc flour) caviar!"- inspired by bar and nightclub culture.
They swaggered, hips jutting forward,on a red carpet laid in the middle of Tiradentes Square, in the heart of a decaying historic neighbourhood where about 300 prostitutes still work.
"When my hooker girlfriends parade pretty and proud, they are speaking about themselves and become revolutionaries,"said Gabriela Leite,57, after the show.
The former prostitute launched the Daspu label - a play of words on das putas (for the whores) and the posh Daslu department store in Sao Paulo.She also heads Davida, a nongovernmental group for Aids prevention and the protection of prostitutes' rights.
The new collection, created in collaboration with designers from the southeastern Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte,sought to show that prostitutes feast on farofa - a dish popular among the poorer classes - but also caviar, champagne and cachaca, a sugar cane liquor.
The clothes sported inscriptions like "Daspu a la carte","Whore serving" or "Puta libre", a reference to the Cuba libre rum cocktail.
This year, the fashion show closed an event organised by the city to "celebrate health and citizenship" that was supported by artists and circus dancers.
Daspu was launched in 2005 as a way for prostitutes to gain regular income while also fighting preconceptions of people affected with Aids. Sales revenues are reinvested into initiatives combating sexually transmitted diseases.
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