Puriben Waghabhai of Patan district in Gujarat is happy at the thought of meeting Hillary Clinton for the third time on Saturday.
Puriben Waghabhai of Patan district in Gujarat is happy at the thought of meeting Hillary Clinton for the third time on Saturday.
“I met her for the first time in Ahmedabad in 1995, and again in Washington,” the 46-year-old said in broken Hindi. “She comes across as a warm human being and feels closely for women empowerment.”
Waghabai is in the board of directors of Self Employed Women’s Association (Sewa) — the single largest women’s body in India with artisans, weavers, farmers, construction labourers, potters, kite makers and workers of other home-based industries as members.
Clinton, the US secretary of state in the Obama administration, arrived in the city on Friday. She will meet shareholders as well as managers of Sewa at their retail outlet, Hansiba Creations, in Malabar Hill at eleven on Saturday morning.
Waghabai and several others have arrived in the city from Gujarat to meet Clinton and share their tales of liberation. “My trip to Washington about seven years ago changed my status in my family and my village,” she said. Clinton is known for her keen interest in issues of women empowerment.
Even Raniben Nagdanbhai from Jakhotra in Gujarat is excited about meeting Clinton. And she has brought her daughter too. “Our daughters will be the next generation shareholders. So, I thought she should meet a powerful personality and a global leader,” she said.
Nagdanbhai was busy giving finishing touches to some designs that would be exhibited at the centre in Malabar Hill. The Hansiba brand was launched last year to give rural art a platform to compete in the global market.
“The objective of Sewa is to highlight women’s efforts and link them to the world market,” Reema Nanavati, the director of Sewa, said. Clinton’s association with Sewa was more to do with encouragement than helping out with funds, she said.
Ranilaben Rohit from Anand district was making last minute preparations and trying to talk with fellow workers through a webcam using internet service. “We will organise a video conference with Clinton and our people in Ahmedabad,” she said.
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