Celebrating Women’s Day Is To Build A Better Future With Love.
Celebrating women’s day, celebrating their existence and their success! An interview with the Dr. Susanne E. Jalbert, Global Activist and gender equity advocate.
As we gear up to celebrate International Women’s Day event on the 9th of March, this year (because it is Saturday) or else the actual day to celebrate is 8th of March. We were discussing in our group, who we should invite, who we should talk to. Everyone mentioned some remarkable women in our community for people to listen, for them to watch, to hear their incredible stories, many names came up we were in dilemma who are we going to choose! March is Women’s History Month. No doubt there will be countless stories written about famous women, great women that have done amazing things. Women like Susan B. Anthony or Amelia Earhart.
The thing is, throughout history, women have been quietly doing amazing things each and every day without fanfare. Today, I thought I’d celebrate one of them, one strong, wise woman who despite any and all odds against them, were legendary in their own right and in one way or another, inspired us that we as a women can do much more. She has a special relationship with my home country Nepal, the place where I was born and raised! Please read some exclusive excerpts of her interview:
- Please tell us more about your journey towards global activism.
I grew up the daughter of a farmer. My journey started from our Nebraska Great Plains farm. That’s where I developed a love of reading. Picture a beat-up turquoise van converted into bookmobile waddling down a dusty gravel road. That van delivered a global world to me. When I left Nebraska, I really wanted to go to New York, but my mom was forcefully against it. I
was encouraged to go to California since we had family there. My great-aunt was super supportive and invited me to live with her and my uncle while I settled. Her special love for my mom was shared with me as she helped me find an apartment, look for work, and learn about San Jose, California. She told all of her friends about my adventure and suddenly all kinds of things showed up for my first apartment — plates, glasses, silverware, pots, pans, storage bins — you name it and stuff magically appeared.
I met and married Bill in California. We worked hard to build our careers in the Bay Area. Bill in banking and me in accounting. Evenings were reserved for college for me and weekends for studying. I did all my degrees by working days and attending college nights. With Bill’s career we moved 11 times in 20 years, which brought us to Colorado. Then Colorado State University intensely inculcated a deep desire to grow and explore that
global world. I gathered two more degrees from CSU. Colorado also grounded me with its exquisite nature, which healed me from each intensive international development project. Work factors prominently in my life. I have always loved working. What I lacked in natural ability, I knew I could make up with effort. Farm life was hard physical labor. Economic development is intellectual effort laced with a heightened listening ability. There has never been a question that I could work harder and longer than anyone, any age. My will is immense to put in more hours, do more research, and weave it together with concern, care, and coordination. Visual restraints of amblyopia, right eye blindness, no peripheral or depth vision signified early on in grade school that I would need to work differently and harder to pass one grade to the next. If I got it wrong, then I started over. It was most always an error of the way I ‘saw’
something. Vision restrictions contributed to the feeling that I wasn’t smart, but I knew how to out-work everyone. So, I did what I do best — I worked, worked, worked. Bottom line? A willingness to work hard, consistently, and methodically is my superpower. I’ve always hungered to learn and grow. Where I am now is on the continuum. Books, work,
and travel revealed solemn equity issues right here in our own backyard and spread across our complex world. Entrenched societal gendered imbalances alongside implicit bias yield inequity. By accepting challenging international assignments, my passionate commitment to diversity and
inclusivity clarified. Taking the time to learn about cultures, races, religions, conflicts, and backgrounds enlarges my spirit. There is space in my soul to absorb other’s suffering, and then translate it into pushing toward renewal. Travel inside each country is crucial for my work and is
also alive in every activist pursuit I engage with in Colorado. It seems like a long journey, right, from Nebraska farm to a Colorado mountain and across the globe. It is. My personal transitions have been profound, rewarding, and simply amazing.
2. As a veteran global activist, women’s rights political strategist why did
you choose this field?
Most kids who grow up on farms in smalltown Nebraska don’t dream of building a multi-faceted career that leads to decades of work helping women around the world achieve success. The desire to help people, that’s embedded in your DNA — you follow it because you can’t not follow it. The big piece is not being afraid to put your foot forward. When I was getting started in business in the 1970s, I couldn’t get a loan, I couldn’t get a credit card, and I couldn’t belong to the Chamber of Commerce because I am a woman. I wondered, ‘If I can experience that kind of deep gendered bias in the U.S., what are women in other countries experiencing? What can I do to help them not go through what I did?’ Those questions propelled me to over 50 countries, and to utilize economic development as an essential tool in creating a more equitable life for women.
3. As a changemaker, what types of social problems do you work on?
Right now, I have three international campaigns that are in play. The first is 16 days to End Gender-Based Violence, second is to STOP Human Trafficking, and third is advocating for women, peace, and security (WPS). Stay tuned for a fourth passion project as I reprise my advocacy for Afghan women. On the first point, an important lesson from my travels is that gender-based violence transcends borders and cultures. Violence threatens lives, undermines families and communities, and impedes the progress of nations. One day Kalima came to work with stitches over both eyes. It wasn’t the first time she arrived at the office bruised or badly battered. This
incident was worse than others. She could hardly walk, let alone work. We sat in the staff sanctuary room, and I listened as her story tumbled out. Her husband was out of the country trying to earn money. He put her in the care of his brother, an out-of-work drunk. In the middle of the night, he would enter her room, grab her by the hair, drag her out of bed, and beat her. This time was so bad that the family had to take her to the emergency room. Kalima’s safe place was our secured office. We put a plan in place to assign her for work for a long period in a different provincial office. This helped break the cycle of violence, encouraged healing, and started her thoughts for how to change her life. Stories like Kalima are why I turn my attention to the annual 16 days campaign in November and December. During the campaign, I raise the voices of women in the country I am based.
We know the benefits of economic development are not equally shared. UNDP data confirm that 1 in 3 women, or about 736 million, around the world have been subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or non-partner, indicating that levels of violence against
women and girls remain disturbingly high and undermine economic contributions. In the case of women and girls with disabilities, studies indicate they are at least three times more likely to experience physical violence, sexual violence, and emotional violence. For this past campaign,
I selected Iraqi women who have transcended violence by becoming economically stable. These bright lights represented the seven provinces that DCEO/Tahfeez works in. Women rights are a keystone of U.S. foreign policy further upheld by the Women Peace and Security Act. During this last 16 Days Campaign, we chose the color purple to call attention to what women can do to end the cycle of violence. The purple banner theme originated from the
Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the United Kingdom in 1908. Purple signifies justice and dignity. The campaign not only galvanizes awareness but is also inspirational. Through our project’s support here in Iraq, stories are abundant of how women overcome economic obstacles caused by ISIS. They are my “S”heroes. Whether the “S”hero is a Yazidi
from the Khanki IDP camp, a Baghdad soap company, or a Basra woman-owned construction company, I stand in awe of their achievements. One woman said, “My family was hiding in different places. If ISIS found us, we would not survive. There was nowhere safe to hide. I just want to be safe from violence and my business gives me that freedom.
During the 16 Days of Activism campaign, we offer the voices and achievements of women worldwide. The ultimate goal is to encourage explicit economic steps so that no one is left behind as we work to stop the cycle of violence against women and girls. Secondly, because I was Chief of Party in 2005 for the USAID-Moldova Anti-Trafficking Initiative, I became deeply absorbed in the global effort to stop human trafficking. Every
January a public awareness campaign is launched to bring attention to this egregious global issue, to call out the root causes, to highlight resources for trafficked persons, and to identify better prevention mechanisms.
Identifying the root causes of human trafficking is the first line of defense in prevention. Therefore, raising awareness of the following base causes is crucial in preventing it. Push factors are domestic violence, mass displacement, conflict, extreme poverty, lack of access to education and job opportunities, community violence, and harmful social norms like child marriage. Push factors that force high-risk vulnerable individuals into desperate situations of being trafficked. Attacking root causes, such as poverty, with economic development tools moves vulnerable
populations toward a safer life. At individual, community and national levels, economic growth is an effective pull factor for poverty reduction and keeping people in the homes they love. How to promote economic opportunity is one key ‘preventive’ measure. The ‘how to’ questions are
raised of what practices best support economic growth. Answering these questions in terms of person and place is essential for formulating effective poverty reduction strategies. The analysis given is not new. Macroeconomic policies — such as openness to international trade, sound
monetary and fiscal policies, a well-developed financial system, and a moderately sized government — are strongly conducive to economic growth. Education and economics are important as are institutional factors such as rule of law and absence of corruption. The key to coalesce macro and micro is international development in-country work. Through my
project work, we help to create a better, brighter future. We convene participatory community problem-solving dialogues, implement solutions to resolve conflict drivers, empower community leadership, and deliver tailored assistance to vulnerable groups to sustain livelihoods. One
specific example is based on conflict dynamics identified through community dialogue. Our project implements interactive participatory solutions, such as the Basra early marriage awareness campaign designed to build community cohesion. Another example is the building of business management skills, opening door for access to finance, and restoring communal assets that facilitate economic activity and contribute to recovery, resilience, and stability. Thirdly, is the women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda. Not long ago I wrote an article for NATO. I was adamant that IF WPS business continues as usual, THEN it will remain a dream. In this published article, I pointed out how badly the Afghan peace processes failed. Afghans, activists, and I watched heartbroken as we saw our women’s rights work in Afghanistan utterly evaporate overnight. I had optimistically hoped that if the peace process provided strategic and
political support to women, then in 10 years women would be among Afghanistan’s main players in all national affairs. It didn’t happen. August 15, 2020, Taliban rolled back all women’s rights to work, to education, to health care, to transportation, and to an equitable life. Nothing has changed for women since then. Empirical evidence confirms that when women are at the peace table actively engaged in the negotiation process, peace lasts longer resulting in agreements that are 35% more likely to last
at least 15 years. Did you know that most agreements are upheld five years or less? Why would men not want women at the table? Yes, I know this is a rhetorical question. But why? Why would they not want peace and security for their children? Why? Alongside my current position in Iraq, I use my evening hours continuing to support Afghan women. I remain in close touch with activists from the Afghan diaspora, my former staff, interns,
and in-country activists spread across Afghanistan’s 34 provinces including their the Provincial. Women’s Network, plus the Women’s Regional Network founded by Patricia Cooper, and a like-minded cohort of strong Colorado activists.
4. You have also worked in Nepal, tell me some of your experiences in Nepal. Our community people will be happy to hear about it
Most definitely! What a story! A large piece of my heart dwells in Nepal. Of the 50 countries I have been in, it is Nepal that I return most frequently. This story represents one tangible local/global connection literally through woven threads. As you know Binisha, Tewa is a Nepali word that means ‘support.’ By now, I think just about everyone who crossed a Tewa Tea
threshold knows the story of Dhaka and Tewa. Here’s a brief synopsis. Rita Thapa and I have been friends since 1987, my first trek in Nepal. I
have witnessed her deep commitment to Nepal’s development and to women. Established in 1996, Tewa, is a non-governmental organization. It inculcates an institutional dedication to Nepal’s democratic, social, and economic development. In 1995 in the confusion, excitement, and enchantment of China’s 4th United Nations Conference on Women, Rita and I miraculously found each other amid 30,000 women. Flying from Beijing to Kathmandu, Rita shared her visionary feminist philanthropic Tewa concept with me. I was hooked on the Tewa scheme to support women from that first moment “Feminism isn’t about making women stronger. Women are already strong, it’s about changing
the way the world perceives that strength. ~ G.D. Anderson
The Tewa Foundation, based in Lalitpur (a suburb really of Kathmandu), has taken this approach, and supported 558 organizations across 71 of the 77 districts in Nepal over the past 25 years. This dedicated effort has resulted in the distribution of 869 grants in total 2 . See:
CASE STUDY — Tewa; Shifting from ‘giving’ to ‘sharing’
For the US market, a fundraising idea that appealed to us was to sell Dhaka Weaves. Dhaka Weaves (P) Ltd. is a Kathmandu non-governmental organization (NGO). Weavers are from nearby villages, some are handicapped, some have been abused. All are marginalized by poverty and illiteracy. All are talented and fervently producing exquisite, brilliantly colored textiles produced with a detailed eye to exceed the highest quality international standards. In Denver, CO June 1996 Carolyn Fineran inaugurated the first USA Tewa Tea gathering. December 1996 Trudy Fowler, a local TV icon on Rocky Mountain PBS, offered an opportunity
for a second Denver venue. Trudy continued her annual pattern for over 20 years to showcase her functional pottery complimented by the intricate textiles called Dhaka. Carolyn and Trudy inspired friends across Denver and across the USA to open their homes and hearts to introduce more friends to finely woven cotton textiles. Amazingly, the teas happened whether I was stateside or not and still do. Today the textiles are in Oregon for their debut. A Tewa Tea is still a crowd-pleasing fund-raising sensation.
Binisha, you have good timing asking this question. I was just writing an update about the six organizations that we’ve been supporting. Here are a few updates on the Nepalese organizations we (the Jalberts and the Tewa Angels) have supported these past years. As you may already know from Carolyn Fineran’s Facebook posts, we hosted a Tewa Tea to sell Dhaka Weaves textiles late December 2023. The proceeds from these sales were applied to our new Inter-Generational Feminist Forum fund. The Jalberts and Tewa Angels have supported these past years. Tewa Angels are people who have attended and purchased textiles over the past 30 years. Preceding each update, I indicate my number of years of support.
Dhaka Weaves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz7OFgQ2N7E) is devoted to women learning how to help themselves through entrepreneurship and leadership and that women of Nepal inherited an age-old tradition of rare textile creation and quality craftsmanship. It was so exciting to share with you these exquisitely rich world-class textiles
hand-woven in brilliant colors of natural cotton, Pashmina, and silk.
Tewa — Philanthropy for Equitable Justice and Peace
At our Tewa Tea, I shared the story of a long history and how deeply connected we are via invisible threads. Carolyn, Rita, and I were all at the 1995 4 th U. N. Conference on Women in Beijing. Rita’s vision for a women’s philanthropic foundation was firmly seeded there. Her vision launched in early 1996 as Tewa, which means support in Nepali. BTW, Carolyn was our first Tewa Tea hostess. Tewa’s (https://tewa.org.np/) philosophy is to
develop modern philanthropy, both in terms of minimizing social costs incurred in rapid transition, for self-reliant development that is not donor dependent, and for the empowerment of emerging groups of rural women in Nepal.
With the equitable empowerment philosophy in mind, Tewa fundraises locally, gives grants to women’s groups from all over Nepal, and strengthens the human resources. Efforts include incubating new organizations such as Nagarik Aawaz (https://nagarikaawaz.org.np), a non-governmental organization that practices the live experiences, grounded values of peacebuilding to create agency for peace. Mechanisms evolve in the forms of peacebuilding organizations, ambassadors, facilitators, and
volunteers. All the while leaders keep a sharp eye on an era of growing insecurities and an unaddressed past.
The newest initiative being incubated under the feminist umbrella of Tewa is the Inter- Generational Feminist Forum (https://igffnepal.org/). IGFF is an informal group of feminists. It is formed to enable and move forward the feminist agenda and disseminate information about the women’s movement throughout Nepal, uniting all feminist/s through an inclusive approach. For now, IGFF remains under Tewa’s well established 30-year
experience with legal and fiscal oversight. Rita shared a little more context in her email this morning. Further, Rita said, “We expect the women’s movement led by the Inter- Generational Feminist Forum will rock current politics by the next elections scheduled for November 2027.” Here is a portion of their forward-leaning strategy:
2023 — prepare seven province-level consultations, membership expansion, and creation of the women’s empowerment fund
2024 — sing feminist songs and bus through the entirety of Nepal
2025 — hold mass meetings and pressure parties demonstrating sheer strength and voice
2026 — pressure every political party from the center to the smallest level
2027 — pressure the election commission, monitor them, and support women to get a ticket for the election and financially support and campaign with them
Two More NGOs — Although I’m one of the early concept founders of the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal (WEAN), which is now a Federation, and the Nepal Association of University Women, I have not been active with these two groups; thus no update on them. WEAN has a robust Facebook presence if you want to see their activity.
Book — Tewa Angels are the first Americans to be introduced to the history of Nagarik Aawaz in their newly published book Sowing Hope. The book will be available for sale Spring 2024 for $20.
Podcast — Lastly, I would like to share our podcast. It is live. Our conversation holds decades of experience, friendship, love, leadership, and advocacy. Featured are Susanne E. Jalbert, Ph.D. and Ms. Rita Thapa, founder of Dhaka Weaves, Tewa, Nagarik Awaz, and the Inter-Generational Feminist Forum. Title: Leadership in Peacebuilding. For most all of my contributions to Nepal over the past 30 years, I have partnered with Ms.
Rita Thapa. We both highly appreciate and acknowledge that the role that the Tewa Angels play with the purchase of exquisite Nepali textiles. It is such a true example of local/global cooperation.
5. On this women’s day what kind of advice would you like to give for aspiring young women in our community?
I thought long and hard about this question. These five words resonate with me: joy, gratitude, curiosity, failure, and support.
Start with joy. What motivates you? What is your personal passion? Joy is that unique combination of knowing who you are and what your own unique purpose in life is or will be. Fold in gratitude practice. Gratitude is the ability to appreciate that everyone, without exception, has something to contribute. Add a HUGE amount of curiosity to learn every day about
something new, different. When curiosity is genuine and authentic, it will help you to overcome obstacles in your path and open doors to incredible opportunities. Let curiosity motivate you toward life-long learning. Invite failure. I’ve learned that failure is an opportunity packaged as a lesson. Be open to learning and growing from so-called failures. Pull it all together with the support you desire. Perhaps most importantly, pace yourself, enjoy the journey with encouraging mentors, family, and friends.
#celebratingwomensday #inspireinclusion #womentowatch #nepal #women
