Women - a world of inspiration

Bani Dugal and Zena Sorabjee

What links a hugging saint, a ground-breaking scientist who took on the multinationals, a French Resistance heroine who took on the Gestapo, a judge who took on Saddam Hussein, a high flier who was educated by an elephant, a spiritual giantess who danced with Fred Astaire, the original Cosmopolitan Girl, a politician who lives with two Oscars, a Bollywood actress worshipped by millions, a Chinese entrepreneur immortalized on a postage stamp and a princess who is able to touch her nose with her toes?

Two Baha’i women were honoured last night at London’s National Portrait Gallery at the launch of a new book by Zerbanoo Gifford, Confessions to a Serial Womaniser - Secrets of the World’s Inspirational Women and an accompanying exhibition of 208 portraits of the women by artist Jeroo Roy. Bani Dugal, who is the Baha’i International Community’s principal UN representative, and Zena Sorabjee, formerly a Counsellor to the Baha’i communities in India and Asia, have both been included in the book and the exhibition for their contributions to human rights and building a better world.

The launch was an absolute scrum. There must have been two or three hundred people crammed into area where the information desks are at the NPG. There was a large board with the portraits on. I have to say I thought that this was a poster of the portraits and that the portraits would be in a gallery in the NPG. A friend and I wandered around looking for the portraits. When we asked one of the gallery attendants she directed us back to the room with the scrum and the large board.

The Duchess of York (aka Fergie) was there, chatting up the inspirational women.

A rather strange event - too many people, too much noise for my comfort. I did manage to chat to some friends from the inter-faith world and also to peace activist Eirwen Harbottle, an old friend.

After the launch, there was a reception across the road in South Africa House. I talked to a few people over there and then left about the same time as Bani, Zena, Shirin Fozdar and one or two others, who were going off for dinner. I dutifully went home to take part in my Local Spiritual Assembly meeting.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, women, Asha Foundation, human rights, peace

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