Excerpts from an interview Ajay GHosh had with Simi Ahuja,SAWLF Founder

"Simi Ahuja."

Ajay: Can you explain the reasons for launching SAWLF.

Simi: I started SAWLF in response to a void I saw in the community. When I moved to New York seven years ago, I was impressed by the South Asian women professionals that I met but concerned that they lacked the visibility, mobility and ample resources required for professional advancement and leadership development. At the time I started SAWLF, I, too, required a professional network - - one I could draw from in order to jumpstart my new marketing firm. I found other women had a similar need.

Ajay: What has been the greatest achievement since it was launched 5 years ago.

Simi: When our members tells us how they, through their participation in SAWLF, have identified the resources to start their own business; find a new job opportunity; or have decided to mentor another South Asian woman. Others, perhaps, less familiar with organizations such as ours, tell us that SAWLF offers a comfortable environment where they feel welcome and can begin to build basic networking skills.
Looking ahead, we hope to continue to build upon the current platform by developing new leadership and educational programs for South Asian girls.

Ajay: Some of the challenges you face in putting together the Congress each year.

Simi: We are fortunate to have the support of leading corporations including PricewaterhouseCoopers; Pfizer; Booz Allen Hamilton and JPMorgan Chase. In order to meet the increasing demand for our programs and resources, as a not-for-profit-organization, we will need to raise additional monies in order to underwrite the costs of our programs and initiatives.

Ajay: You call it a South Asian Forum but, majority of women leaders are from India!

Simi: I disagree. During our opening keynote session, which addressed the topic of global leadership, several examples were cited of women in leadership roles including the countries of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. At SAWLF, we strive to identify speakers and participants which represent the diversity of the South Asian community.

Ajay: Has SAWLF contributed in any to the emancipation of women living in South Asia.

Simi: I hope that women in South Asia will find SAWLF a helpful resource. We hope they will access our content by visiting our blog, SAWLF Talk, and through our You Tube channel which we plan to unveil later this year. SAWLF plans to expand its programming to South Asia by 2009.

Ajay: What has been the response of the Forum by men. Is it considered a Rival Group?

Simi: Actually, no. Each year a small number of men participate in Congress – an even larger number of men support the event through other means including sponsorship. This year, for example, designer Naeem Khan donated a couture dress (with a value of $7,000) for our silent auction. Our male constituents recognize the value in a forum such as ours, and as husbands, fathers, sons and employers want to see SAWLF and its membership thrive.

Ajay: Any other (personal) thoughts you want to share with our readers.

Simi: The diversity of our membership is one of our key attributes. Our members represent Media, Healthcare and Consulting as well as the Non-Profit, Government and Arts communities. Our members tell us how much the diversity of the SAWLF network contributes to their overall exposure and education.
We also offer specialized networks, through our Vertical SAWLF program, which provides peer-mentoring for women in specific industries including Law, Finance, Technology and Business, designed for women members who aspire to start their businesses or consulting practices of their own.
SAWLF@NYU, a new initiative, in conjunction with New York University, offers mentoring and leadership development for undergraduate women students.

Ajay: Anything else you want to inform our readers.

Simi: We invite them to participate in SAWLF and contribute to development of this invaluable network for the next generation of South Asian women and girls. SAWLF is actively seeking individuals and organizations who can share their expertise with our members. We hope others will consider supporting our program initiatives with their financial – or in-kind – contributions.

South Asian Women's Congress 2008 Highlights