dundee international women’s centre

#WomenOfDundee: How her father’s support helped Narinder to become a lawyer

25 April 2017 by diwc-admin Leave a Comment

Growing up in a male-dominated environment, Narinder achieved something others would not have thought possible – becoming the first female lawyer in her village in 1968. But she couldn’t have done any of this without the support and sacrifices of her father. Read her amazing story here.

Born into a male favoured society

“The community where I grew up was very backward. Ladies did not go to school at that time. In 1935 my cousin was the only one in the family who was educated. Those days having a girl was a liability. My father told me that the moment the family finds out they are having a girl they would kill the baby when she was born. My father was against it and started preaching that if anyone does this in the village, then they wouldn’t be allowed to stay in the village.

My mother was a very beautiful lady, but I look more like my father. I was born with dark skin. At that time beauty was described as having fair skin. My Massi (mother’s sister) who visited my parents immediately after my birth, said to my parents what will they do with a dark skin girl like me? She suggested to my parents to kill me, but my father was furious and banned my massi from coming home. My father feared for my life.

Getting a good education

He cared for me and my sisters with lots of love and brought us up very well. He encouraged us to study and get an education. Society at that time was really backward and girls didn’t get an education, so we were very blessed to have this support from my father. I was really keen to study, so I started going to a district school where I travelled a long journey (on a horse) but only for a few days of the week. I was the first one to go to school and get an education in my family.

My father will remain my biggest inspiration in my life… and I will forever be grateful to him.

I completed my 10th grade in 1947 in Pakistan. During that time the partition between India and Pakistan happened. My family then moved to India. My father wanted me to become a doctor but getting into medicine then was really tough – there were no colleges or school where we lived; we didn’t even have any roads built yet!

Becoming the first female lawyer in my village

After a few years of moving to India, I got married. I always wanted to study. I was adamant that I want to get further education and get a qualification. My husband also encouraged me a lot to study further. So I did my BA (Bachelor of Arts) in 1954 and then LLB (Bachelor of Law) and became a lawyer. My husband was very helpful during this process.

I was the first lady in my district to become a lawyer and continued in this profession. During those days only men would become lawyers. But I took a challenge upon myself and I was determined to change this. When I went to court I was even addressed as “Advocate Saab” (Advocate Sir) which is how men are greeted, as there was no word to greet lady lawyers at that time and most professions were dominated by men.

My father – an amazing man

My father gave lots of sacrifice for the independence of India and during British Rule became an MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly). He is the reason I have achieved so much in my life and I will forever be grateful to him. He had a lot of stamina and was very intelligent despite limited education. He will remain my biggest inspiration in my life. I would have loved to write a book about him.”

Narinder Kaur #womenofdundee

DIWC celebrates International Women’s Day with a ‘Herstory and Heritage’ theme

27 March 2017 by diwc-admin Leave a Comment

DIWC celebrates International Women's Week with a 'Herstory and Heritage' theme

International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8th March each year, a date that has been recognised since the early 20^th Century. And this year DIWC also celebrated this day along with the Dundee Women’s Festival – to a theme of “Herstory and Heritage.”

History of the day

The earliest recorded date for the observance of International Women’s Day was 28th February 1909 in New York and was organised by the Socialist Party of America. From 1909 to 1913 it was celebrated on various different days/months but in 1914 settled on 8th March (possibly because that day was a Sunday), and now it is always held on this date in all countries.

Since that time events, marches and festivals are held internationally celebrating and recognising women’s equality. Organisations such as the United Nations join in, and their official theme this year was “Be Bold for Change”, aimed at increasing female representation in the workplace to 50%.

Exploring other cultures at DIWC

Since 1969 Dundee International Women’s Centre addresses the needs of women by providing a space for women to socialise, learn and come together.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, an exhibition was put together by English for Life Class which explored the native cultures of women and their interpretations of the Scottish culture.

The centre also hosted sewing classes and a challenging Henna workshop.

There were Arabic cooking classes and an Indian banquet which offered a mastery of Indian cuisine (and some recipe cards if you needed more practice).

The attendees of the classes believe that women should be appreciated every day. Workshops organised in the centre were helpful as it enabled social integration in a relaxed environment. This can lead to the empowerment of women and help improve mental health and increase in self-confidence.

One of the workshop attendees said, “this has been a wonderful experience, I feel more confident and happy.”

Sharing stories and experiences

DIWC focuses on the black and ethnic minority population of Dundee. Recently, we have been celebrating our staff, learners and volunteers as part of our ‘Women of Dundee’ campaign. This gives women the opportunity to share their experiences, stories and journeys in life.

These stories do not shy away from the difficulties women face. They talk about the isolation they face in their daily life and the reality of their experiences.

DIWC’s International Women’s Week highlighted the work which we do every day. During this week social media and magazines were filled with articles respecting the achievements of great women past and present: Parks, Pankhurst, Yousafzai, Curie.

On behalf of DIWC, as part of International Women’s Week, we would like to celebrate our great women. This week was dedicated to you. International Women’s Day was about you, our learners, staff, and volunteers.

Keep sharing.

Keep Learning.

Let us keep celebrating each other and ourselves.

#WomenOfDundee: Delivering employability training to women of DIWC

27 March 2017 by diwc-admin Leave a Comment

#WomenOfDundee: Delivering employability training to the women of Dundee

Alison Tsosh shares her background and family life, and how she came to work with the DIWC as the Employability & Accredited Training Officer, helping women from all cultures and backgrounds settle into working life within Dundee. She is responsible for delivering employability training to the women, which includes CV applications, interview skills, placements/work experience and much more.

My early years

“I was born and brought up in Dundee. I went to Whitfield Primary School and finished my education at Kirkton High School. Having grown up in Whitfield until I was ten, I then moved to Kirkton and lived in the Clepington Road area most of my adult life.

I have a daughter who is 25 – we have a really close relationship and she still lives at home with me. Her father and I split up when she was 2 so I brought her up as a single parent. I am very proud of her and her achievements. I also have a partner now – we have been together for four years.

Of my two sisters, my older sister passed away and my younger sister lives in Fife. Our mum died when I was just 10, so I grew up with my father and stepmother. I have step brothers and sisters as well – in total, there is seven of us!

How I ended up in an administration role

When I first left school I wanted to do hospitality and catering. However, that course didn’t begin until September and I had left school in May. So, I needed something to do during the summer months. The only course that was running at that time in the college was a secretarial course, so I thought “I will do that in the short term”.

My first placement was in the office of a Weavers Mill, in Dundee. It was all administrative tasks and I really enjoyed it. I had hated administration at school but I found that I really enjoyed this placement. My next placement was at a wheelchair factory and I started there when I was about 19. I then moved into the training sector and ever since I have worked in training and employability.

I worked with a company called Rathbone for 12 years then moved to work at Claverhouse where I worked for 16 years. I thought I would be there until I retired, however, they went into liquidation in 2015. That was a total shock. I suddenly found my self without a job – I had never been unemployed in my life – it was a total panic.

Offering employability training to women at the DIWC

That was in the May of 2015 but then an advertisement for a DIWC pilot employability project came to my attention. I needed to do something as I hated being out of work, so I came to the centre. I had heard of the centre before, I knew it existed and I also knew something of its history, but I didn’t really know what happened here.

While here for the 14 weeks position, I learned so much. The women would tell me how much they learned from me, but I learn just as much from them. I always thought it was only for Muslim women, but it is women from all over the world and women from Dundee too.

The funding for the project was only available until September so I had to leave DIWC and found a position with Learn Direct for six months. That company was connected to my old employers so it was familiar ground.

DIWC eventually secured funding for a longer period of time for the employability class so I was able to come back and have been here since.

The job I do now is very similar to the job I used to do, but before I worked with mandatory clients; people who had to look for work or have benefits sanctioned, whereas the women I work with now are here because they want to be – so it’s really rewarding.

In my free time, I like to go out socialising, eating, cooking and going to the movies. I used to do cake decorating, but I don’t have much time for hobbies now – I don’t know how I ever did!

In the future, I like to think I will ideally be here or somewhere really similar until I retire – watching people succeed. I have always gotten satisfaction from watching people succeed. I would like to retire… I always used to say after I turned 40 I would go part-time but it never happened.

Every day something interesting happens. I hope to work with the centre for as long as I can.”

Alison Tsosh #womenofdundee

#WomenOfDundee: Shona Robinson, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing & Sport

20 March 2017 by diwc-admin Leave a Comment

Shona Robinson is the current Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing & Sport within the Scottish Government and here she shares her story about how she got into politics and what it means to her as a woman:

Listening to conversations about politics as a child

“I never thought I’d end up a politician. When I was growing up, politics was the last thing on my mind, but when I think about it, it’s not so surprising; mum and dad always talked politics in the house and were politically active themselves. I was always interested in their conversations about various issues around the world and they always talked to me about the idea of justice for all and what’s right and wrong.

Among my earliest memories of these discussions was about the Chilean refugee crisis of the 70’s. I guess that’s where I can trace my political roots to.

My working background

I started work as a Community Worker in Glasgow. At that time they were restructuring the services and I got involved in other management roles, eventually becoming a Home Care organiser, which was a huge transition! I loved that job though, it was very focused on practical outcomes and I felt that I was really making a change in people’s lives. I also enjoyed the challenges of managing a

At that time they were restructuring the services and I got involved in other management roles, eventually becoming a Home Care organiser, which was a huge transition! I loved that job though, it was very focused on practical outcomes and I felt that I was really making a change in people’s lives. I also enjoyed the challenges of managing a

I also enjoyed the challenges of managing a multi-million-pound budget and hundreds of staff. That job gave me a great foundation for my current role the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sports.

Having first-hand experience as a social worker and a home care organiser gives me a better perspective in understanding the issues relating to social care.

Women in politics – entering into the ‘political arena’

I joined the SNP in 1988. At that time it wasn’t a party you joined to become a hotshot politician, you joined because you believed in Independence. We didn’t know there was going to be a Scottish Parliament or even if there were going to be an opportunity to run for office. So it’s kind of been an evolution of opportunities and I’ve put myself forward every chance I got. I feel lucky and honoured to have had the opportunity to implement ideas and the things I believe in and put them into practice.

I think the journey for female politicians can be very different than that of men. For instance, when a woman expresses strong views she is called aggressive but when a man does the same, it’s labelled as being robust. Another example is how the media frequently focuses on what a woman wears and what she looks like; they would never subject that same degree of scrutiny to a male politician’s attire.

Having said that, it’s a lot better than what it used to be. The numbers show there is now a critical mass of female politicians, which can be role models to others. We have a female First Minister and Prime Minister! That sends out a very strong message to girls and female politicians – that this is a job for them and if they want to be in politics, they can go right to the very top.

Juggling work commitments and family life

It’s hard being a mum and having a fulltime job. My daughter Morag was born in 2003 and my parents were instrumental in helping me cope. Sometimes I came to work feeling sad that I left my daughter at home. It’s hard for any working mum to balance the needs of their children and demands of the job. I am very lucky that I always have my family to support me.

What I value most in my life is my family and friends. Of course, the job is a huge part of my life but if I had to order them, my family and friends are always going to come first. That can be difficult to manage even with the best planning; there have been many instances when I had to prioritise work.

Morag has grown up with my job being a very big part of our lives and she has, shall we say ‘expressed her dissatisfaction’ more than once. But over the years I’ve gotten better at my job and I have been able to manage my time better. I have learnt to prioritise my responsibilities and I have managed to find a much better work-life balance.

What does the future have in store?

Looking to the future, there’s still so much more I want to achieve. I’d like to see some of the things we’ve started come to fruition. I would also like to see some fundamental changes in the way we deliver our health and care services. It’s still a work in progress, but we are moving in the right direction.

When I retire I want to travel, I want to see parts of the world I’ve not seen and to just do all the things that I’ve not had the chance to do. Although I turned 50 this year, I still feel young (relatively) and blessed with good health and I want to make sure I stay healthy enough to enjoy doing all these things!”

Shona Robison #womenofdundee

#WomenOfDundee: Creative working at DIWC

20 March 2017 by diwc-admin 1 Comment

#WomenOfDundee: How working at DIWC has given Laura the freedom to pursue her dream

Read how Laura took a part-time role at DIWC to allow her to continue to pursue her ambition to be an illustrator and about how the women she has met at the Centre have been an inspiration to her.

From the peace of a country setting to the bustle of a city

“I grew up in a farm cottage near Earlston, a village in the Scottish Borders. I loved it and as a child, I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

When I went to stay with my Grandma and Grandpa in Edinburgh I found it hard to sleep with the orange glare of the street lights, so my Grandma got me tapes from the library to listen to; Hancock’s Half Hour and Roald Dahl stories.

I’m in my thirties now and I still listen to stories every night.

Finding my feet in the world

I went to Edinburgh College of Art when I was 18, to do a BA (Hons) in Visual Communication. I’ve always wanted to be an illustrator – someone who tells stories and draws pictures and I loved immersing myself in that environment.

When I graduated, however, I realised quickly how ill-prepared I was for the ‘real world’, I wasn’t qualified for anything and competition for freelance work was fierce. I had a list of jobs I would like to do, in order of preference – at the bottom of that list was written ‘anything but retail’. I ended up working in retail for six years!

Finding a job that inspired me

I joined DIWC as a receptionist in 2014. I had just completed an MA in Illustration and was looking for a part-time job I could do alongside my freelance practice. But the Centre has given me so much more than I could ever have anticipated. I have met so many wonderful, passionate, funny, intelligent women and am constantly inspired.

Having worked in places where everything is target-driven and people aren’t valued, it’s fantastic to be part of an organisation that truly values every individual’s skills and personality – it makes me want to do more.

Opportunities and achievements

In 2016, I submitted a design to the Oor Wullie’s Bucket Trail and worked with the Art Class and other learners to decorate the sculpture. Our design raised £8,000 for The Archie Foundation and is on permanent display in Dundee House.

I hope to continue working at DIWC whilst developing my practice as a freelance illustrator/artist-educator. I have a solo exhibition planned for Summer 2018 at Verdant Works, which will feature illustrations inspired by women I have met here.”

#lauradarling #womenofdundee

You can visit DIWC’s Oor Wullie Women of the World, which is on permanent display in Dundee House.

If you would like to see Laura’s illustration work visit: www.darlingbyname.com