INDIRA GANDHI

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Hindi: इंदिरा प्रियदर्शिनी गांधी Indirā Priyadarśinī Gāndhī; née: Nehru; (19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was the Prime Minister of the Republic of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in 1984, a total of fifteen years. She was India's first and, to date, only female Prime Minister.

Born in the politically influential Nehru Family, she grew up in an intensely political atmosphere. Her grandfather, Motilal Nehru, was a prominent Indian nationalist leader. Her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, was a pivotal figure in the Indian independence movement and the first Prime Minister of Independent India. Returning to India from Oxford in 1941, she became involved in the Indian Independence movement. In the 1950s, she served her father unofficially as a personal assistant during his tenure as the first Prime Minister of India. After her father's death in 1964, she was appointed as a member of the Rajya Sabha by the President of India and became a member of Lal Bahadur Shastri's cabinet as Minister of Information and Broadcasting.[1]

The then Congress Party President K. Kamaraj was instrumental in making Indira Gandhi the Prime Minister after the sudden demise of Shastri. Gandhi soon showed an ability to win elections and outmaneuver opponents. She introduced more left-wing economic policies and promoted agricultural productivity. She led the nation as Prime Minister during the decisive victory in the 1971 war with Pakistan and creation of an independent Bangladesh. A period of instability led her to impose a state of emergency in 1975. Due to the alleged authoritarian excesses during the period of emergency, the Congress Party and Indira Gandhi herself lost the next general election for the first time in 1977. Indira Gandhi led the Congress back to victory in 1980 elections and Gandhi resumed the office of the Prime Minister. In June 1984, under Gandhi's order, the Indian army forcefully entered the Golden Temple, the most sacred Sikh shrine, to remove armed insurgents present inside the temple. She was assassinated on October 31, 1984 in retaliation to this operation

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WIT [Women In technology] AWARD WINNERS 2009

WINNER: Mining Industry Skills Centre

WiT | Employer of Choice Award Sponsored by the Office for Women

Formerly known as the Queensland Mining Industry Training Advisory Body (QMITAB) the organisation was relaunched in 2006 as a centre for excellence and renamed the Mining Industry Skills Centre Incorporated.

The Mining Industry Skills Centre is a Queensland based, not-for-profit organisation that partners with industry and informs government to maximise the skills of workers in the resources industry to assist in the sustainability of the industry.

The judges awarded this prize to this organization based on the following observations:

Demonstrated achievement/successes in challenging stereotypes in a male dominated industry.
Approach is based on merit, capability and the value women bring to the Mining Industry Skills Center.
Creating an environment of support and reassurance that allows women 'to fly'.
Nurturing and mentoring future generations of senior female executives.




WINNER: Dr Yvonne Buckley






WiT | Biotech Research Award Sponsored by UQ

Yvonne works jointly in the School of Integrative Biology at UQ and CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems and is interested in various aspects of applied theoretical ecology. In particular she works on the population dynamics, species interactions and management of invasive plants. She recently moved from the UK where she did her undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford and PhD at Imperial College London, and spent time as a post-doc at the NERC Centre for Population Biology at Imperial.

Yvonne's current research projects include: disturbance ecology and weed management, the effects in invasive plants, dispersal of Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), dispersal and spread of exotic pines in New Zealand, decision making for weed control on a landscape scale, herbivory and biocontrol, frugivory and seed dispersal in fragmented landscapes of the Australian Northern Tropics, plant population syndromes and restoration ecology of native communities.

Yvonne is involved in the Australian Weed Management CRC with collaborative projects on unpalatable grasses, woody weeds and weed dispersal. She has active collaborations with researchers in Oxford University (UK), Imperial College London (UK), University of Sheffield (UK), Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (Germany), CAB International (Switzerland), Landcare Research (NZ), Stockholm University (Sweden) and ENSIS (NZ).








WINNER: Sonja Bernhardt





WiT | ICT Outstanding Achievement Award Sponsored by Optus

Sonja is passionate about her industry and since 1997 has consistently encouraged others to either take up a career in technology or adopt technology in their daily use through a multitude of career, role model, mentoring and board readiness programs . In addition she is the innovator of some high profile, high impact non traditional girl and women in technology activities.

Sonja has several degrees and is a Certified Developer of Enterprise (CDE) and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. She was the first Australian inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame (Silicon Valley 2005).

Sonja was Founder of WiT and AWISE and has held and continues to hold a string of impressive board and executive appointments locally, nationally and internationally. She has founded several start-up companies including her current venture, award-winning Thoughtware.

She is known for her obvious enthusiasm, visionary leadership, intelligent rational thinking and business acumen. The Australian IT industry and her peers recognise her as an action oriented results achieving role model who consistently delivers benefits through her innovation, leadership, pioneering achievement and collaborative contribution to the development of the technology industries.







WINNER: Barbara Tobin


WiT| Executive Award Sponsored by 3W

Barbara Tobin has held a range of senior positions in the ICT industry, and has a proven record in the difficult field of sales (including growing the revenue of an IT Distribution Company from $7 million to $38 million in seven years).

While committed to her busy professional career and the demands of her extended family, Barbara has found time to make extensive commitments to the community, including as immediate past-president of WiT and AWISE, and currently as Vice-President of the Queensland Youth Orchestra. She was the founding project manager for the first WiT Board Readiness program, and a driver behind the development of many other WiT 'products'.

Barbara has been a role model and a mentor for countless men and women in the technology industry. She has contributed to the operations of a number of industry peak bodies, government working groups and voluntary programs and organisations. She has made an enormous contribution to the technology industry both via her work as a successful executive and through these voluntary activities.



WINNER: Katherine Dann



WiT | ICT Professional Award Sponsored by UNISYS


Katherine's knowledge and experience of enterprise technology is both broad and deep. She holds a Masters of Commerce, majoring in Information Systems, and has contributed 15 strong years in the ICT industry working for government. The judging panel felt that Katherine's 'hands-on' approach, technical experience, and aspirations for the future, provide an excellent grounding for a very successful career in ICT.






WINNER: Hannah Cullup



WiT| Biotech Rising Star Award Sponsored by IHBI



Marie Curie Fellowship recipient, Dr Hannah Cullup arrived in Brisbane in August last year to undertake a post-doctoral role within MMRI's Dendritic Cell Antigen Team, where she is pursuing research into graft versus host disease.

GVHD is a serious complication following bone marrow transplantation, occurring in 40-70% of patients. GVHD is caused by the new transplanted immune system recognising the patient's body as foreign, attacking the skin, liver and GI tract. Dr Cullup hopes to determine whether depleting dendritic cells, (a specialised white blood cell which controls the body's immune responses), could play a major role in preventing GVHD.

The research will use an in vitro model of GVHD that she has brought with her from the UK, and a chimeric human/mouse model of GVHD to evaluate the novel antibodies generated by the MMRI. This could potentially be a new preventative therapy for patient's undergoing bone marrow transplantation.

When she's not investigating alternate treatment options for patients, Dr Cullup is getting to know the world beyond the lab. "Brisbane's constant sunshine suits me just fine," she said.








WINNER: Professor Zee Upton










WiT | Biotech Outstanding Achievement Award Sponsored by QCTN


Professor Zee Upton is a biochemist, inventor, tissue engineer and dedicated developer of new Intellectual Property opportunities. Her research outcomes have resulted in traditional scientific/academic outputs and commercialisation outcomes. She is an inaugural Smart State Senior Fellow, a Professor in Life Sciences and Leader of the Tissue Repair and Regeneration Program in the QUT Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation.

She is also technical founder and Consulting Chief Scientific Officer for Tissue Therapies Limited. Her diverse expertise in growth factor protein, molecular and cellular technologies underpinned her discovery of VitroGro®, a growth factor/extracellular matrix protein complex that stimulates cells to grow and migrate.

Since the award of her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Adelaide in 1994 Prof Upton has developed a significant record of innovative high quality scientific research that has yielded: $11+ million in research funding from competitive grant schemes and industry; 60+ publications; establishment of several new innovative collaborative research projects; successful development and mentoring of many early career researchers and research students; and 8 patents/pending applications.

Her knowledge, skills and creativity have been recognised by several awards, including the Qld Government 2004 "Smart Women - Smart State Award" and sponsored invitations to describe her research to 17 international and 21 national forums over the last 4 years.













WINNER: Therese Seldon



WiT | PhD Career Start Award Sponsored by Griffith

Currently Therese is PhD student at the Mater Medical ResearchInstitute in the field of Biotechnology and a part-time business student completing a Graduate Certificate in Technology and Innovation Management. Ms Seldon is hoping to develop therapeutic DC antibodies to treat or prevent GVHD as well as develop antibodies for DC vaccination of patients against leukaemia and other cancers. She is using antibodies already developed at The Mater Medical Research Institute that recognise DC.
Therese has enthusiastically adopted a number of new technologies as well as unfamiliar existing technologies. She manages all this whilst making a strong contribution to institute and the community. She has a promising future in the development of new diagnostics and therapies that will bring health and other benefits to all.

Great scientific achievements by women in history

September 7, 2009 | By Anthill Magazine


The fields of science and technology are undeniably dominated by men. However, the contributions of women in these areas has...
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The fields of science and technology are undeniably dominated by men. However, the contributions of women in these areas has been overlooked and underestimated throughout history. At the recent 2009 Women in Technology (WiT) Awards presentation, WiT President and i.lab CEO Anne-Marie Birkill delivered a keynote address in which she lauded the little-known achievements of female scientists and technologists, and called for greater acknowledgement and support for women today.

Here is an edited extract from Birkill’s speech.


This year I would like to take a look into the past at the experiences of some accomplished women in science and technology and allow their stories to persuade you why these Awards are so critical.

We have, of course, a lot to thank the great historical figures of the science and technology industries for. Yet, while most of us can name one or two famous female scientists - such as Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1903 - few of us know how much of our current knowledge and how many of the things we now take for granted were founded on the intellect of women.

By way of example, Lise Meitner was a Jewish physicist living in Germany studying radioactive substances when she was forced to flee Germany in WWII. Meitner was lauded by her friend Albert Eisntein as “our Marie Curie”. In Sweden, in 1939, she proposed an experiment to her colleague Otto Hahn that resulted in nuclear fission. In 1946, Hahn was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for his research into fission, but Meitner was ignored.

In 1953, Rosalind Franklin took the x-ray crystallography image that led to the discovery of DNA. Her three male colleagues - Watson, Crick and Wilkins - used her now-famous “photograph 51″ to publish the discovery of DNA and they later won the Nobel Prize. Rosalind was not so fortunate - her ‘prize’ was to die from cancer and controversy still surrounds her role in the discovery of the structure that has revolutionised our understanding of the human condition.

In 1959, Grace Murray Hopper laid the groundwork for modern software development by creating the compiler, the intermediate program that translates English language instructions into the language of the target computer. Without her accomplishment, many contemporary computing applications may not exist, but how many of us acknowledge Grace when we log onto the net?

One of the first software patents ever issued was to Erna Schneider in 1954, who invented a computerised switching system for telephone traffic while engaged as a researcher at Bell Laboratories. Few know that the principles embodied in her patent are still used today.

My not so subtle point is, of course, that there are many incredible, accomplished women who did not receive the appropriate recognition for their achievements. We cannot, we must not, allow history to repeat itself - and this is why the WiT Awards are so critically important - because they provide an opportunity to recognise today the women who will fill the history books of tomorrow.

Sitting among you is:

A woman who is investigating ways to improve the efficacy of cancer treatments
A woman who has lead the development of software that is now sold to Boeing and a host of defence industry contractors
A woman who has developed models to ensure the survival of our native ecosystems
A woman who has invented technology to improve wound healing
A woman who has represented the Australian IT industry at APEC and the United Nations
Another who has recently been awarded a prestigious National Fellowship to help her develop a new class of antibacterial drugs
Several women who are in the process of launching technology businesses from their spare bedrooms or kitchen tables
And dozens of other accomplished women in technology.
Tonight we are gathered to recognise some of their achievements, because we want history to record their accomplishments and our community to recognise their contributions. Not for them the relative anonymity of Grace Hopper or Rosalind Franklin - at least tonight, and at least in this room, our Award Winners are the rock stars (or perhaps I should say the Jazz stars!), the heroines of our technology industry.

Tonight we celebrate their achievements and, in doing so, we also acknowledge the important role played by the men and women employers, educators and mentors that have helped them achieve their goals.

Quotation

Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, "She doesn't have what it takes." They will say, "Women don't have what it takes." ~Clare Boothe Luce

Point to be NOTED

IAS TOPPERS OF 2009

The point which has to be noted is.......in this year's IAS examinations...all the TOP THREE RANKS have been grabbed by GIRLS.....Girls proved it again......Girls Rule!!!!



Miss Shubhra Saxena (Roll No.159306), has topped the Examination. She has done B.Tech from IIT, Roorkeee. The second ranker is Miss Sharandeep Kaur Brar (Roll No.307085). She has done M.A. from Punjab University.

AIWF - Arab International Women's Forum

http://www.aiwfonline.co.uk/

The Arab International Women’s Forum stands unique as the first and only non-profit organisation set up in London to link Arab business and professional women with each other and with their counterparts in the international community. To date AIWF has attracted members from 22 Arab countries and as many as 15 countries world wide -- including those in Europe, North and South America, Australia, Japan, and South Africa. Managed by a volunteer Board of Trustees, this unique network gives members and their business activities greater international exposure and success in the global market place.

Through AIWF, members have the opportunity to facilitate key contacts and friendships, foster co-operation and work closely to create peace and understanding, and to further progress and prosperity in our societies. AIWF was established in the strong belief that women should play their rightful role in the economy and society.

GIRL POWER

WOMEN

With all her rich cultural antiquity, diversity and heritage, India has also been a country that has suppressed her women. It is ironic to say the least, because Indians have always worshipped their country as a “janani” or mother. On the one hand they worship this mother, and on the other they disregard their sisters, daughters, mothers, and wives.





A Woman’s Day in a Man’s Year
by Wazhma Frogh

In a bright busy day in the office, my cell phone rang constantly and after answering the phone, I got that it was a friend of mine excitingly telling me about the plans for the coming 8th March celebrations. “hey you know what the president is going to be there along with other high society officials, lets bring again those three crazy women whom we gave those tailoring machines for the project on women empowerment and we can show them as examples during the gathering that we helped women get self-reliant and empowered” if we succeed we will get the new project with more money.” I really want to do a world tour now.

I felt my heart chocked once the monologue was over. Why these women who get the chance to help some other women, deteriorate the lives of many other vulnerable women? I really feel that there is a big blunder with the word’s comprehension; do we know what does empowerment mean for a widow with five dependants? Are we really serious when we empower women by giving them tailoring machines in the rapid globalization that even garments from USA are available locally at reasonable prices? Is the 8th March another day of betraying women with “never fulfilled promises”? Again a number of elites and famous faces will gather for a Chet-chat on the ongoing fashion for the new clothes in town and we will call it 8 March, Women’s day celebrations?

Let’s analyze the roots of this day! Is it the day to celebrate womanhood or the day to celebrate the human rights that are given and enjoyed by women generously? Are you sure?

I do believe that a lot of struggles took place for women emancipation many years back and those hit backs resulted in a lot of achievement for women’s rights. But it doesn’t mean that all those struggles transform into fiery speeches and empty promises by women themselves even.

Women activists need to be honest with their speeches in public and truly bring fundamental changes to the lives of those living with misery under ignorance about their self being. So far, a lot of people think that these activists with their speeches are the gate-keepers for women’s rights and have been the one’s that massacred women’s rights under the feet of their personal interests with different empowerment claims. If this situation continues I am sure women will also lose the chance of having ONE DAY in a Year of 365 DAYS.

Saina Nehwal

Saina victory effect: Success means sweating it out



The Pullela Gopi Chand Academy at Gachibowli seemed to light up in a warm victory glow after Saina Nehwal’s fantastic performance at the Indonesian Super Series on Monday. “Saina didi has done it in style. We always believed she could beat the Chinese players and win a Super Series title. We have to learn a lot from her, particularly her dedication, her work ethics and discipline. She is a role model for many young players like me, said 17-year-old Sikki Reddy, the Junior National Champion.
Even as the academy was celebrating Saina’s stupendous show, they had another reason to celebrate. The shuttlers from the academy cornered glory in the South Zone tournaments at Chennai, Kochi and Bangalore. They won as many as 18 titles in these three tournaments. Was it the Saina Nehwal effect? “I firmly believe so. Many of the young players want to emulate Saina. She has infused confidence into many young players. The parents also believe that if you work hard, success is bound to follow. With all the facilities available, parents are willing to back their child to the hilt now. I think the Gopi Chand Academy’s reputation and Saina’s success will bring more children into badminton,” said Venkat, who himself is a coach at Nandyal with the Nandi Pipe Academy.
Gopi Chand thinks that AP could well be named the nursery for Indian badminton players. “If you see the results in the last few years, the State has made tremendous impact in various national tournaments. It is wonderful to have so much talent. It makes me happy,” said Gopi Chand, after a four-hour session at the academy. Gopi Chand leads by example as he sweats it out with all passion.
PV Sindhu, who is touted as the next big player, says of Gopi and Saina. “They are like God to us. When they practice for long hours with lot of devotion, we also feel that we should slog it on the court. That kind of passion rubs off on any young player,” says Sindhu, daughter of former international volleyball player PV Ramana.
Sikki Reddy, the runners-up in Junior Commonwealth Championship, won the under-19 singles title at Bangalore and double titles in Chennai and Kochi. Gopi says Sikki is on the right track. “She is aggressive and a focused player. Watch out for her.”
The tall Sindhu is only 14 but she has already impressed many with her game. She won the under-16 titles, both singles and doubles (with Manisha), at Chennai, Kochi and Bangalore. She is another player who is already being talked as a bright future prospect. “She is a fantastic player. She is of a good height. She is a hard-working girl and has talent. We are working on her game,” said Gopi Chand.
Gopi Chand is also happy with the way Sumeet Reddy, Sai Praneeth and Pranav Chopra are progressing. Sumeet won the boys under-19 title at Chennai, Sai Praneet won the Kochi under-19 title and Pronav emerged champions in the same category at Bangalore. Apart from that, Sai and Pronav triumphed in the doubles at Chennai, Kochi and Bangalore. “Sumeet is a strong player and very consistent. Sai is talented and smart. Watching them makes me feel like working harder,” said Gopi Chand.