This week has been a turning point for me during my LiA programme. But not directly in regards to the CraftHER programme itself…

On the first day of our week consulting at Archana Women’s Centre, we had the pleasure of meeting the founder, Sister Thresiamma Mathew. Her vivacity and warmth drew me to be in instant awe of her, even from the first introduction. And during the presentation that she gave regarding her motivations for founding AWC in 1989, I found myself hanging onto her every word. 

This was due to the passion that she displayed for the cause that she believed in: women can and should have the opportunity to do anything and everything that they want to do in life. It was her fervent belief in this principle which had led her to found an organisation which trained women in non-traditional skills - such as carpentry, masonry, plumbing, welding and more. 

The road was not easy; the women partaking in the training faced prejudice from men, one of whom claimed that any tool a woman had touched was unclean and another that any building constructed by women would fall down. However, the women persisted, supported not just practically and financially by Archana, who covered the costs of the training with a stipend to support their own and their family’s livelihood whilst it was being undertaken, but also emotionally. Consistently, the women were reminded that, despite what others, especially men, were telling them, they had both the ability and the right to do it. The physical manifestation of Archana’s redefinition of what women can do, is its head office in Ettumanoor; a building built in its entirety by women.

As part of the Oxford Character Project, we received a session on ‘Leading with Transcendence’. A dictionary definition of transcendence is “the state of excelling or surpassing usual limits”. By setting up a non-profit organisation which had to break down ideological, economic and practical boundaries to achieve its mission, I believe that Thresiamma Mathew stands out as a perfect embodiment of the concept of ‘Leading with Transcendence’. In this way, my theoretical understanding of how this virtue could constitute good leadership manifested itself practically in the person and actions of Thresiamma. 

It would be difficult to overstate the impact that meeting Thresiamma this week has had on me. Her incredible passion and genuine care for the fulfillment, happiness and well-being of every woman within AWC’s purview is so inspiring. As is the fact that this has translated into tangible and significant positive changes to the lives of so many women in Kerala: AWC has trained a staggering 5000 women in non-traditional skills and funds many other trailblazing initiatives including all-women entrepreneurial groups. 

During the course of my LiA, I have been inspired by so many different women. The unifying factor has always been the courage that they display in defying boundaries and challenging the expectations set for them by society. Yet, of all the incredible women I have met so far, Sister Thresiamma alone has had the effect not only of reminding me how passionately I feel about women’s rights and how happy it makes me to witness promotion of them, but she has also inspired me to act on these feelings, be an active advocate for feminism, and hopefully achieve my desire to make a career of this. 

Each week here comes with a new element of self-discovery and this one hasn't been an exception. I'm looking forward to what next week holds in store!

p.s. If you're reading this and want to know more about AWC or any of the other organisations that we've been consulting at over the last three weeks, make sure to check them out and follow them on Instagram - they would be grateful for any and all support :)