Lifestyle / Fashion / H&M collaborates with Beirut-based designer Sandra Mansour on empowering collection H&M collaborates with Beirut-based designer Sandra Mansour on empowering collection Its launch was postponed as a result of port explosion in Lebanon

Fashion powerhouse H&M releases its first-ever fashion collaboration with a Lebanese brand. Sandra Mansour, a designer known to weave dreamy silhouettes and figures into ultra feminine frocks, finally unveils her latest work. This will transport us into her world of modern coolness aptly entitled Fleur du Soleil after getting inspired with the way a sunflower follows the sun from day into night.

The first things you notice about Sandra Mansours designs are the dreamy qualities and sheer beauty, but then you get further drawn into the craftsmanship, the storytelling, and the modern youthfulness, says Maria stblom, head of design womenswear at H&M. Theres also something empowering about the femininity. Were proud to be collaborating with such a trailblazer, and we look forward to launching the collection worldwide.

The Sandra Mansour x H&M collection boasts of a feminine and strong range of dresses, blouses and skirts, a tailored blazer, and a printed T-shirt and hoodie. Fit-and-flare shapes and ruffled hems are mixed with volume and statement details in an earthy color palette of mushroom greys, ivory, and black.

Sewn with a message of empowerment and hope for the people of Beirut, the collection embodies the true beauty of nature as inspired by strong female artists such as Toyen, Dorothea Tanning, Lena Leclercq and Bibi Zogb. The inspiration for the H&M collaboration was nature and natural elements. Especially the sunflower, which represents the cycle of life as seen in its dependence on sunlight, says the designer. Poetry and painters inspired the selection of fabric the dark laces, jacquards, and embroidered organza. With the Fleur du Soleil collection, I want to talk to women around the world by sending a message of hope, something we really need right now.

Due to the devastating events in Beirut, the Sandra Mansour collection that was supposed to be launched on Aug. 6 was postponed. In the wake of the explosions, H&M has donated $100,000 to Red Cross Lebanon to help rebuild countless lives affected by the catastrophe.

The Sandra Mansour x H&M collection is available at SM Megamall, SM Makati, and Greenbelt 4 starting today.

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2020-08-27 13:48:36

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H&M collaborates with Beirut-based designer Sandra Mansour on empowering collection - Manila Bulletin

For the past few years, journalist and author Ziya Us Salam has been releasing books at a surprisingly rapid pace.

Seen from the perspective of commercial success, nine titles in some 24 months not counting the ones translated into several Indian languages would definitely be considered an enviable pace. But then this is no list of potboiler novels.

Salams works are not just topical but frequently searing: the rise of fundamentalism in India; chronicles of the shocking mob lynchings of defenceless citizens in the name of cow protection and championing of Hindutva; an analytical look at madrasas today and yesterday; the fraught issue of welcoming women worshippers into mosques; the scriptural and legal angles of instant triple talaq; and the topic of the book under review, nikah halala, a notorious practice.

Though written more from a journalistic than a scholarly angle, these books will likely be studied by historians when they trace Indias transformation as the 20th century lurched uncertainly into the 21st. What was once a diverse and highly flawed but vociferously vocal democracy, with fierce political debates common even among the illiterate, is today a country of polarised communities where disinformation has been sharpened to a degree of weaponisation and fear of political reprisal is a tangible deterrent to free speech. In this downward spiral, perhaps no group has been more relentlessly attacked, both metaphorically and literally, its very right to existence questioned, than Indias Muslim citizens.

So Salams impressive run of new releases, a few of them bestsellers, even as he holds down a full-time job as a journalist, has no doubt also been an intensely personal and troubling journey too, an aspect occasionally touched upon in his writing.

How can Indian politics today be anything but a deeply personal tumult for any of us, as our individual choices in clothes, food, entertainment, colours, in ways to pray and live are hauled up and judged under the ugly glare of a frenzied mob mentality? But information and knowledge counter the downward spiral, and Salams body of work is an inspiration to the resilient.

Also read: Review: In New Novel,Taslima Nasreen Tackles Religious Persecution in Contemporary India

Salam has a journalistic penchant for finding a story that needs telling along with a reverence for Islam, which he tirelessly strives to explain and decode for an array of readers both those belonging to other religions and those of the Muslim faith. His frank critique of traditions that have crept into the day-to-day practice of Islam, particularly in India and the rest of the subcontinent, ensures that the oversensitive sometimes take offence at his raking up of unsavoury topics, such as why so many mosques dont create facilities for female worshippers, when the faith is already at the receiving end of so much bad propaganda.

Ziya Us Salam Nikah Halala: Sleeping with a Stranger Bloomsbury India, 2020

But if this author is devoted to Islam, he is as devoted to saying what needs to be said, and perhaps it is his stature as a devout, practising Muslim I have come to know this after working with him for close to two decades that qualifies him to speak about the subject, with a more persuasive voice than a mere intellectual scholar or a more pragmatic modernist.

The somewhat provocative subtitle of Nikah Halala is emblematic of the authors scathing view of a practice that he explains has no sanction according to the Quran or the hadiths but is nevertheless prevalent throughout many parts of the subcontinent and is a gross distortion of womens rights in marriage. Through examples taken from both legal cases and personal interviews of men and women off the public radar, Salam shows how women are first convinced that they have been divorced by their husband, and then forced to literally sleep with a stranger to become eligible to reunite with the husband who is now repentant and hopes for a reconciliation.

Say a man divorces his wife (by saying talaq out loud three times), but he regrets his words in a day or two, and the two decide to reconcile. The couple is frequently told that the woman can no longer just carry on being his wife, nor can she even formally marry him again, until and unless she first marries another man, consummates the marriage and then gets a divorce from the second husband.

Such a marriage is arranged for the woman by helpful relatives, sometimes by a maulana, and often by the frustrated husband himself, in the misguided belief that this experience will serve as his chastisement for losing his temper. A temporary groom is found, merely for the sake of going through a sham nikah, followed by sexual intercourse. Thus, the woman who had become haram for her legally married husband, becomes halal for him once she has slept with another man.

The author, drawing a parallel to prostitution, describes how money is frequently a part of this transaction, the groom being generously compensated for his services. If all parties stick to their word, the procedure is over within a few days. But sometimes the new husband is loath to give up his new bride, leading to further anguish. The reason many women submit to this abuse of their right over their own body, with no legal safeguards, notes Salam, is that they may have children from the first marriage and be desperate to get back together with the father. Husbands, brought up to believe that a wife is a possession that can be stolen and retrieved, too may shudder through this grisly turn of events for the sake of future stability.

Also read: Marriage And Its Discontents and the Vocal Debate on Muslim Personal Law

Nikah Halala makes it amply clear through references to verses and interpretations of scholars that this procedure has no sanction in the Quran and is a distortion of the Prophets intention. In the third chapter, The Islamic Perspective, the author, referring to Surah Baqarah, verse 229, writes, The Quran says, Divorce can be pronounced twice: then, either honourable retention or kindly release should follow.

A shot of the holy Quran in a mosque in Cairo. Photo: Al Hussainy Mohamed/Flickr CC BY 2.0

Further on in the same chapter, we learn that these two pronouncements of divorce are to be separated by at least a month. The wifes menstrual cycle is taken into account when prescribing the times when the husband can pronounce divorce, presumably because, in Islam, a divorce cannot take place while she is pregnant.

Elsewhere, the author writes:

After the first divorce, if he realises his mistake, and his wife agrees, he can either annul his divorce through word or action or marry her again with a fresh nikah after the expiry of the iddah period; no third persons involvement is needed. It is the same if he divorces her for the second time. She does not need to marry anybody else and it can be a direct reunion of the erring couple.

If the intention to divorce is repeated a third time however, the divorce becomes irrevocable. In this case, the couple does not have the option of indulging a change of heart. The woman officially becomes haram for her former husband and is free to choose another partner. Should she marry again, and should she by chance become a widow or divorcee, she is once more a woman free to choose a husband. In such a scenario, the first husband is allowed to be a prospective suitor too, says the author. In these circumstances, she has become halal for him once more.

It is this provision regarding the possibility that the womans second marriage might end too, allowing the former husband to be a suitor, that has been grossly misinterpreted to force women into nikah halala in so many instances in India. Instead of being considered an incidental circumstance that may or indeed may not lead to a woman remarrying her former husband, nikah halala gets turned into a precondition for a marriage to the first husband!

Also read: Changing the Lens Through Which We View Islam

Knitted in with the sham marriage is the sham divorce. Once it is clear that a couple may get divorced twice and revoke it twice, but the third divorce is irrevocable, there seems no scope to accept that talaq pronounced thrice in the same sitting also signifies an irrevocable divorce. However, this is regularly happening due to ignorance. And is followed up by the equally erroneous and unfair demand for nikah halala. The author states on page 40, In fact, the misuse and distortion of the halala practice in the Indian subcontinent stems from the practice of instant triple talaq. Halala takes place after an instant triple talaq and ends with an instant triple talaq.

Even after the Supreme Court ruled instant triple talaq as unconstitutional, and the government followed up with the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act of 2019 with provisions for a jail sentence for men divorcing their wives in this way, the practice has not ended. This is simply because legislation often has little effect on entrenched traditions as in the case of dowry, as the author points out. What is needed is social awareness and genuine empowerment of women so that they cannot be cheated of their rights as wives and are able to avoid being coerced into a sham marriage for the sake of halala.

Salams easy prose is quick to carve into the hypocrisy of a situation where under-educated maulanas serve as interpreters of the scriptures for a gullible, even less informed public.

Understandably, when such clerics get down to interpreting the religious texts for the masses, the message is clear and always the same: the masses are teetering on the brink of hell! And when they are through with their fearmongering, they interpret the Quran to suit the convenience of men, he writes with characteristic candour. It is easy to recall he spent the early part of his career as a features journalist and cinema critic and headed the North India features editions of The Hindu for sixteen years.

The book is full of eye-openers. Some denial in the community notwithstanding, nikah halala is sadly prevalent around much of rural Bharat, if not so much urban India, as the author points out. He also introduces us to perspectives in Pakistan, the US, UK and countries of West Asia. Although there is some amount of repetition that actually confuses instead of enlightening the reader, it is a useful text.

Also read: At Shaheen Bagh, Muslim Women Take Their Place as Heroes of the Movement

Like Salams book on divorce, Till Talaq Do Us Part: Understanding Talaq, Triple Talaq and Khula (Penguin Random House), Nikah Halala too can help dispel many a fallacy regarding Islamic injunctions relating to marriage, divorce and womens rights. Its accessible prose can also serve to empower potential victims of misinformation.

The conclusion ends on a note of caution, reiterating that reform is essentially a social phenomenon. Expressing faith that the apex court, like the other courts when handling matters of divorce and inheritance in Islam, followed the letter and spirit of the Quran and hadiths, he conjures a possible scenario that could be overlooked: What if a woman genuinely wants to remarry her first husband after her second husband has either divorced her or died?

If she is not allowed to marry her first husband again, would it not be an infringement of the Muslim communitys fundamental rights, as protected by the same constitution?

The question is a reminder that there are no easy solutions.

See the article here:
'Nikah Halala' Review: A Scathing Indictment of a Practice That Has No Quranic Sanction - The Wire

Iraqi-Syrian artist Wafia has released a transfixing self-love EP Good Things. An ode to her personal experience with heartbreak, loss, and the cathartic freedom that followed, Wafia is a boss when it comes to creating upbeat danceable tracks that hold a personal message, with this EP being no different.

The RIAA Gold-certified artist lives up to her reputation in this sonically adventurous EP, sharing six ambient songs in which she mixes together high energy pop, expansive electronica, and soulful melodies. Exploring lost friendships, gut wrenching break ups, and moments of self-reflection, Good Things reminds us that after the storm the sun will shine again.

The sounds layered throughout Good Things are consistently liberating and atmospheric, amplified by Wafias undeniably stunning vocals. Hurricane is a reflective ballad with strumming guitars and an upbeat electronica tune that explores the fear of losing connections between friendships, while the lyrics in Pick Me are full of strong feminine empowerment, sharing the message to always put yourself first.With dancing electronic notes, bouncing beats, and warm atmospherics, its the self-love anthem we all need right now.

Performing the song earlier this month at the Lollapalooza virtual festival Butterflies is an electro-pop banger in which Wafia reflects on her past relationships, while the almost hypnotic quality of Flowers & Superpowers takes things to new heights with its addictive pop foundations. As for the title track, this song can only be described as high energy, with its punchy beat reminding us to focus on the brighter things in life. This song to me is a celebration of all the good that comes your way when you make the space for it, Wafia said about Good Things. How To Lose A Friend concludes the EP on an emotive and slow note with soft melodies and soulful vocals that explore the loss felt when you lose a close friend. This solemn track embodies the rawness of Wafias EP as it explores the deeply personal experiences in her life.

I shed a lot of heaviness in the last year, friendships and relationships that didnt serve me any longer. I grieved a lot and some days I still do but anything difficult comes with an opportunity for something better. This EP is about that, said Wafia in a statement about her EP.

As an EP of self-discovery, Wafia learns throughout each song how to handle loss, grief, and pain and turn it into something positive. Wafias Good Things EP embodies a personal message to all listeners that self-love is the most important love, and that sometimes the worst of times can bring out the best in a people.

Good Things is out now. Buy/stream here.

Words by Claudia Fallon Image by Drew Escriva

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KLLO, WAFIA, GORDON KOANG AND GINOLI: BEST SONGS OF THE WEEK BREAK-UPS HAVE NEVER SOUNDED BETTER THAN IN WAFIAS IM GOOD WAFIA DELIVERS STUNNING VIII EP THAT BLENDS THE PERSONAL AND POLITICAL

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Wafia's new EP 'Good Things' explores the loss and liberation of growing up and relationships - Purple Sneakers

The sub-title of John Zubrzyckis book is The Inside Story of Indias Most Glamorous Royal Family, so any reader could be forgiven for thinking it is yet another romance about royalty, fabulous wealth, beautiful people and the secrets of their personal lives, glamour and its dark side masquerading as history. House of Jaipur is a popular history in that it is extremely readable, except when the reader gets too entangled in the internecine litigation which has plagued the family for the last 40 years.

There are stories of colourful people told colourfully. There is wealth beyond the dream of Croesus too. But The House of Jaipur is not romantic its a serious history of one of the unique institutions, the Princely States, which enabled the British to hold India together. The Indian princes ruled over one-third of Indias population at the time of independence, therefore they played a crucial role in creating the nation which was partitioned at independence.

Zubrzycki undermines the myth that all the princes were feudal despots, rulers clinging to an outdated tradition of absolute monarchy with servile subjects bound to them by archaic religious ritualism. He brings out the extent to which the Jaipur Maharajas were bound to the British, yet at the same time had the freedom to govern the state as they would. He does write of the princes antediluvian mindset, yet he stresses how progressive the Maharaja of Baroda, Sayajirao Gaekwad III, was. His granddaughter Gayatri Devi, internationally renowned for her beauty, married the last member of the royal house of Jaipur to rule his state.

The Baroda Maharaja introduced numerous social reforms including banning untouchability, child marriage, bigamy and purdah, and making education for all school-age children compulsory. He sympathised with the independence movement and is renowned for turning his back on King Emperor George the Fifth at the 1911 Durbar, instead of stepping backwards after paying obeisance to him.

John Zubrzycki The House of Jaipur Juggernaut, 2020

The Jaipur family claims its history goes back to Kush, the son of Lord Ram, a genealogy Diya Kumari, the mother of the current Maharaja and a BJP MP, does not allow her constituents to forget. The Jaipur monarchy was rooted in Hinduism, yet Zubrzycki traces the rise of the family to their alliances with the Mughal rulers. Although this was an unequal relationship, the Jaipur rulers were allies. They were certainly not subservient, or as some portray them, slaves. Man Singh I became the commander-in-chief of Akbars army.

In the middle years of the 19th century, it was in part because the two rulers, Jai Singh I and Ram Singh II, managed to keep outside interference at bay, that Jaipur enjoyed a cultural flowering. Free of interference and minimising the internecine struggles which had plagued the family and would do so in the future, the two rulers devoted their energies to creating dreamlike palaces, forts and extraordinary cityscapes, and patronizing the arts.

Ram Singhs successor Madho Singh II chose to ingratiate himself with the British. As a result, he was one of the few princes invited to King Edward VIIs coronation. Zubrzycki describes in detail all the arrangements made for his voyage to avoid being polluted by crossing the kala pani. These included six separate kitchens, one for his deity Gopalji, installed in the newly commissioned ship he was to travel in. But for all his position as a favourite of the British, Madho Singh made no secret of his disapproval of their way of life and their culture, and he discouraged his nobles from having anything to do with them. He remained a staunch, orthodox Rajput Hindu.

Most historians dont pay much attention to the story of the princes in the independence movement. Zubrzycki says Gandhi and the Congress were not very interested in Rajasthan in the 1920s, but the British were. The anglicising of the House of Jaipur started when Madho Singh died without a son in 1922. His adopted heir Sawai Man Singh II, known in the family as Jai, was only ten years old so the British moved in to insure he grew up as they wanted him to grow up. They took a special interest in his sex life. His guardian recommended that to avoid repression and venereal diseases, from about the age of 15 Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II should associate with a healthy young girl, and that in moderation. But the pull of Rajput tradition proved too powerful and he was married to a princess from the Jodhpur Royal family at the age of 12. The British saw to it that they were not allowed to cohabit for several years.

The anglicising programme continued, with Jai being sent to Mayo College modelled on the British public school system. That was followed by a years military training in Britain. The British were so concerned about keeping Jai on their side, and being able to keep his people on their side too, that the Viceroy, Lord Irwin, presided over his investiture on the Jaipur throne.

Also read: The Maharanis Mercenaries and Family Disputes in the House of Jaipur

Zubrzycki considers Jais time undergoing military training in London as a turning point in his life. It was the time when released from the formalities and intrigues of Jaipur, he learnt to have fun. From then on, he led two separate existences. In Jaipur he was a Hindu monarch. On his annual extensive visits to Britain, he was welcomed into Londons high society preoccupied with parties and polo. The British authorities in India were worried that the Maharaja didnt take his Indian responsibilities sufficiently seriously. But they didnt have to worry about his politics. He remained unashamedly loyal to the King Emperor and joined the British army in the Second World War rather than the Indian army .

It was while having fun in Calcutta that Jai met Gayatri Devi, the daughter of the Maharaja of Cooch Behar. He was 19 and she just 12, but Zubrzycki says she developed a schoolgirl crush on him which grew into a full-blown romance. Ignoring warnings about Jais philandering, she became his third wife in 1940. The British disapproved of the marriage and refused to endorse it. Jais courtiers and the Rajput community opposed it too, because Gayatri Devi was not a Rajput.

In the end, the British divided and quit, leaving the princes who they had relied on to govern two-fifths of Indias land mass to the mercy of Sardar Patel and V.P. Menon. Zubrzycki describes their duplicitous dealings. They proposed that Jai should be the Rajpramukh or hereditary governor of Greater Rajasthan. But then they whittled down the offer removing the hereditary status and making Jai little more than any other governor. In 1956, Jawaharlal Nehru abolished the office altogether.

In 1970, Jai died playing polo in England. The vast crowds which turned out for his funeral showed that although he had been stripped of all power, he was still deeply respected by his people. His death was another turning point in the history of The House of Jaipur. One of the family friends quoted in the book had once told me, it all fell apart when Jai died. The family became embroiled in litigation over Jais property, with his widow Ayesha lined up against Jais son and successor, Bhawani Singh known as Bubbles. That was the beginning of seemingly never-ending litigation, which has kept more than 40 internecine cases still rumbling on in local courts.

Bhawani Singh, the last titular ruler of Jaipur. Photo: royaljaipur.in via Jaipur Royal Family

But the litigation has not been the end of The House of Jaipur. Although Bubbles attempt to establish a new role for a Maharaja in government failed when he was defeated as the Congress candidate for Jaipur in the 1989 general election, Ayesha had a successful political career with the Swatantra Party. She swept Jaipur in her first of three successful parliamentary elections and earned the wrath, and Zubrzycki suggests the jealousy, of Indira Gandhi. He quotes Kushwant Singh as saying, Indira couldnt stomach a woman more good-looking than herself. Indira insulted Gayatri Devi in parliament, set the taxmen on her and locked her up during the Emergency.

Gayatri Devis beauty was indeed legendary. Historian, restorer and hotelier Aman Nath described her beauty as angelic. Zubrzycki quotes the Economist describing her on her death as a princess, and a princess who could make Jackie Kennedy almost a frump.

After Jai died, Gayatri Devi suffered the tragedy of her only child, an alcoholic son, dying as a result of a binge in London. She faced a challenge to his will from the family which led to her two grandchildren falling out with her, but she was eventually reconciled to them. She became recognised in India and internationally as the brand ambassador of the House of Jaipur, working for the empowerment of women and for the promotion of arts and culture.

When Gayatri Devi died aged 80 in 2009, almost four decades had elapsed since the House of Jaipur was stripped of all royal powers, prerogatives and privileges. but Zubrzycki describes in detail the regal procession led by two elephants, the crowds and the cries of Maharani ki jai which accompanied Gayatri Devi to her cremation.

Zubrzycki maintains that even the death of Gayatri Devi has not marked the end of the House of Jaipur. He says they now manage their estates and assets professionally. Under their direction, the City Palace has become one of the finest museums in India. Padmanab Singh, the present Maharaja, plays polo for India and is an international fashion model. Bubbles daughter Diya Kumari is a BJP MP. So Zubrzycki concludes his history of the House with these words,

In politics, at the polo ground and even on the catwalk the House of Jaipur has begun to map out a new set of traditions, deftly harnessing their royal aura as they reinvent their roles and their relevance in twenty first century democratic India.

Mark Tully is a writer and columnist, and is the former India Bureau chief of the BBC.

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'The House of Jaipur' Maps the History, Glamour and Feuds of a Former Royal Family - The Wire

The world isnt standing still, and neither is Allstate. Were moving quickly, looking across our businesses and brands and taking bold steps to better serve customers evolving needs. Thats why now is an exciting time to join our team. As a leader in a corporation with 83,000 employees and agency force members, youll have a hand in transforming not only Allstate but a dynamic industry. Youll have opportunities to take risks, challenge the status quo and shape the future for the greater good.

Youll do all this in an environment of excellence and the highest ethical standards a place where values such as integrity, inclusive diversity and accountability are paramount. We empower every employee to lead, drive change and give back where they work and live. Our people are our greatest strength, and we work as one team in service of our customers and communities.

Everything we do at Allstate is driven by a shared purpose: to protect people from lifes uncertainties so they can realize their hopes and dreams. For 89 years weve thrived by staying a step ahead of whatevers coming next to give customers peace of mind no matter what changes they face. We acted with conviction to advocate for seat belts, air bags and graduated driving laws. We help give survivors of domestic violence a voice through financial empowerment. Weve been an industry leader in pricing sophistication, telematics, digital photo claims and, more recently, device and identity protection. We are the Good Hands. We dont follow the trends. We set them.

The People Analytics Leader Governance, Ethics, and Prioritization is accountable for the development, execution and enforcement of all aspect of the Governance, Ethics and Prioritization processes across the People Analytics function. This results-driven individual leads the prioritization of all people analytics work through coordinating effort across the full spectrum of the People Analytics team. Additionally, they will coordinate the People Analytics Governance Board and lead all ethics compliance work for people & HR data and analytics, in conjunction with stakeholders in Legal & D3.

The candidate(s) offered this position will be required to submit to a background investigation, which includes a drug screen.

As a Fortune 100 company and industry leader, we provide a competitive salary but thats just the beginning. Our Total Rewards package also offers benefits like tuition assistance, medical and dental insurance, as well as a robust pension and 401(k). Plus, youll have access to a wide variety of programs to help you balance your work and personal life -- including a generous paid time off policy.

Learn more about life at Allstate. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn or watch a video.

Effective July 1, 2014, under Indiana House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1242, it is against public policy of the State of Indiana and a discriminatory practice for an employer to discriminate against a prospective employee on the basis of status as a veteran by refusing to employ an applicant on the basis that they are a veteran of the armed forces of the United States, a member of the Indiana National Guard or a member of a reserve component.

For jobs in San Francisco, please click here for information regarding the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For jobs in Los Angeles, please click here for information regarding the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

To view the EEO is the Law poster click here. This poster provides information concerning the laws and procedures for filing complaints of violations of the laws with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs

To view the FMLA poster, click here. This poster summarizing the major provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and telling employees how to file a complaint.

It is the Companys policy to employ the best qualified individuals available for all jobs. Therefore, any discriminatory action taken on account of an employees ancestry, age, color, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual and reproductive health decision, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, race (include traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles), religion (including religious dress), sex, or sexual orientation that adversely affects an employee's terms or conditions of employment is prohibited. This policy applies to all aspects of the employment relationship, including, but not limited to, hiring, training, salary administration, promotion, job assignment, benefits, discipline, and separation of employment.

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People Analytics Leader - Governance, Ethics, and Prioritization at Allstate - Insurance Journal

The ASEAN Post Team

A woman talks on a phone next to the Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX) logo during the official listing ceremony of ACLEDA Bank Plc on the exchange in Phnom Penh. (AFP Photo)

Southeast Asia has a growing fintech ecosystem which provides innovative services such as loans and payment platforms. Fintech fosters a financial inclusion strategy that can reduce the growing wealth gapand provide the poor with critical resources.

A 2019 study by ValueChampion, a Singapore-based personal finance and consumer research brand, placed Singapore second after Australia as one of the Best countries for women in fintech in Asia-Pacific. The study ranked countries based on the climate opportunity for womens advancement, prioritising nations that have strong fintech markets but also closer to gender equality.

Malaysia ranks fourth, while Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam rank seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively. Each country was also ranked by subcategory of business climate, existing gender gap, womens safety and fintech salary, among others. The research company noted that the limited data available on women in fintech makes a thorough analysis difficult.

Climate Of Opportunity

Singapore is a hotbed for fintech innovation, with the highest number of fintech start-ups per capita. Ranked second, the city-state has a positive environment for women in general. Over the past few years, the gender gap has decreased, reflected in the unopposed election of the nation's first female president Halimah Yacob in 2017. However, Singapore's gender wage gap increased substantially in 2018, with the widest disparity recorded in the financial and insurance industries.

Malaysias moderately strong fintech market also provides some opportunities for female advancement in an affordable setting. In 2017, the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) initiative was launched by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) to grow the nation's internet economy and to facilitate cross-border e-commerce.

Malaysia also offers a reasonably supportive environment for women looking to succeed in their careers. Based on 2019 data compiled by Bloomberg, the ASEAN member state has the highest representation of women in top positions (33 percent) in the banking industry.

Over in Vietnam, efforts have been made to tap womens potential by improving the business environment and giving them control over their finances, such as the Mobile Banking Financial Inclusion and Economic Empowerment for Low-Income People and Women in Vietnam project launched by the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies.

There is an increasing number of women making inroads into fintech, but the growing fintech sector in the region is not always accessible to females seeking professional advancement. Fintech is still a difficult market for women to break into. According to the Ernst & Young ASEAN FinTech Census 2018, 86 percent of all fintech organisations still have all-male founders.

Support More Women

There is an emergence of prominent funds focused on supporting ventures by women in fintech globally. Last year, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) launched an Innovation Fund on digital solutions for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) in the Asia-Pacific region. The fund seeks to improve access to finance, removing barriers to scale and enhancing the operational efficiency of women-led MSMEs. The initiative is expected to benefit 20,000 women entrepreneurs in six countries across the region.

Women-owned micro, small and medium enterprises have the greatest potential to benefit from ICT as these technologies can help them overcome the typical barriers to expansion and growth, said Hongjoo Hahm, officer-in-charge of ESCAP.

Miss Kaya is a financial platform built by women for women, founded by entrepreneur, Gina Heng. The platform allows women to receive guidance on their savings and investments.

In 2018, Miss Kaya and LATTICE80 announced the launch of an accelerator programme for women entrepreneurs to support women-led businesses. Their collaboration led to the release of a list of the top 100 women in fintech around the world in 2019.

At Miss Kaya, we want to be there to encourage and support more women entrepreneurs to develop and grow their ideas. I know first-hand how challenging the process can be, but if we can create a supportive community and share resources and networks, the chances of success are higher. We are happy to partner with LATTICE80 to begin this journey, said Heng.

It should be noted that persistent gender biases, whether intentionally or unintentionally, still exist. Although the regions fintech industry is relatively strong, it doesnt mean its equally accessible to both genders. More needs to be done to ensure women are allowed to rise through the ranks, lead teams, start companies and decide on industry policy.

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More Women Tapping On Fintech? - The ASEAN Post

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., walks a fine line on technology issues: She represents Silicon Valley and has a track record of using data and technology to solve government problems. But at the same time, the first-term senator doesnt shy away from questioning technology practices that may risk consumer privacy or national security.

To understand the tech background of the vice presidential candidate, Nextgov took a look at her record in the Senate, past statements and her work as attorney general of California. Though Harris is not always the leader on hot topics such as rural broadband access or protecting intellectual property, the first-term senator is savvy when it comes to technology, according to experts.

Daniel Castro, who works on tech policy issues as director of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundations Center for Data Innovation, told Nextgov Harris could be a strong voice for using technology to improve government services in a potential Biden administration.

It seems like there's going to be someone who has that hands-on experience of actually using digital technologies for transformation of government, and to me that's actually an exciting idea, Castro said. We haven't had someone in government at that high a level that has that kind of experience or insight and I think that's a major asset to the ticket.

Transforming Government with Technology

Two key projects stick out in Harriss record for transforming government using technology: her OpenJustice initiative, which she spearheaded as Californias attorney general, and a bill she introduced in 2019 that sets aside funding for state and local governments to improve government services using technology.

Castro said Harris first came on the radar for technology issues when she rolled out the OpenJustice data project. OpenJustice takes the California Department of Justices statistical data and combines it with other public datasets to create a dashboard the public can use to track law enforcement interactions with the community.

When Harris was a U.S. Senate candidate in 2016, she told the San Diego Union Tribune the project is all about transparency and allowing experts access to data so that they can analyze it and explain whats going on with policing.

So I then talked to my friends, who are my colleagues in law enforcement and others and I say hey you know, those folks who are annoyed with Black Lives Matter should probably know that maybe perhaps with anecdote and maybe perhaps with emotion theyre telling us exactly what the data tells us, Harris told the Union Tribunes editorial board. There are in fact racial disparities in the system. So lets deal with that. Lets use the data so we can drive public policy in a way that is based on fact and metrics instead of ideology or emotion.

According to Castro, the OpenJustice project was one of the first of its kind, and has served as a model for other data transparency projects. He added governments in general are continuing to move in the direction of more data transparency.

More recently, Harris introduced a bill that would provide funding to state and local governments so that they can essentially build their own, localized versions of the U.S. Digital Service. The bill, called the Digital Service Act, would provide a $15 million pool of funding for local governments. It would also set aside an additional $50 million of funding per year for USDS.

We must do more to empower our state and local governments to tap into the power of technology to provide seamless, cost-effective services for the 21st century, Harris said in a statement. The Digital Service Act will help harness top talent for the government, save taxpayer dollars, and put the power of technology to work on behalf of the American people.

Harris has also sponsored legislation around data sharing within the federal government. For example, she introduced legislation in 2017 requiring the Homeland Security Department to facilitate increased information sharing about maritime-related cybersecurity risks. The bill required DHS to create a cybersecurity risk assessment model and develop plans to mitigate cybersecurity risks at the nations ports.

Regulation, Data Privacy and Equity

Harris is known for her tough prosecutorial style, and as a senator, she has showcased her precise questioning techniques on data privacy issues. In 2018, Harris took a stand on the importance of transparency when it comes to data privacy at a hearing probing the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal.

During the course of this hearing these past four hours, youve been asked several critical questions for which you dont have answers, Harris said to Facebook founder MarkZuckerberg. Those questions have included whether Facebook can track users browsing activity even after the user has logged off of Facebook, whether Facebook can track your activity across devices even when you arent logged into Facebook, who is Facebooks biggest competition, whether Facebook may store up to 96 categories of users information, and her list went on.

During Harriss questioning, Zuckerberg admitted his company made a mistake in failing to notify users regarding the Cambridge Analytica data breach. Facebook knew of the breach in 2015, three years prior to the hearing.

When asked by the New York Times in an interview as a presidential candidate whether the major tech companies like Facebook as well as Amazon and Google should be broken up, Harris wouldnt commit. Instead, she said her first priority was data privacy.

I believe that the tech companies have got to be regulated in a way that we can ensure and the American consumer can be certain that their privacy is not being compromised, she told the Times, adding that consumers should be empowered to make decisions about their personal information.

Harris has taken some criticism for her perceived relationships with Silicon Valley, especially in light of the fact that other presidential candidates running at the time such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called directly for Big Tech companies to be broken up.

A July Huffington Post piece asserts that Harris didnt do enough as attorney general to confront metastasizing threats to American consumers and American democracy from big tech. The article was based on a tranche of emails the Huffington Post obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests.

Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, a sociologist studying equity and technology at the Brookings Institution, said she doesnt view Harriss connections to technology companies as inherently problematic.

Clearly, she has had a cordial relationship with Big Tech by the nature of her representation in California, Turner Lee said. But that doesnt mean that I dont think shes going to be strong on enforcement of anti-competitive behavior.

Turner Lee said Harris membership in the Congressional Black Caucus may lead her to put more pressure on tech companies to adopt better diversity and inclusion practices, too. She added Harris niche may be finding ways to use government to enhance transparency around equity issues like she did with the OpenJustice project.

One example of an equity provision Harris sponsored is the Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act, which was introduced in 2019. The legislation requires the National Science Foundation to convene a working group composed of representatives of federal statistical agencies to develop questions on sexual harassment in STEM departments in order to gather national data on the prevalence, nature, and implications of such harassment in institutions of higher education.

Election Security

Another issue important to the Congressional Black Caucus that Harris has also focused on is election security. Harris has been a major player on election security legislation in the Senate, and Turner Lee said she expects that advocacy to continue, particularly in light of voter suppression issues arising due to COVID-19 and the gutting of U.S. Postal Service operations.

Harris has been involved with nearly every significant piece of legislation on election security during her tenure in the Senate. She sits on the intelligence committee, which conducted a major investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Her questioning of Facebooks data privacy and transparency practices in the 2018 hearing can also be understood as related to her advocacy for stronger protections against election interference.

Harris, along with Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., championed the 2017 Secure Elections Act, a bill that aimed to prevent foreign election interference by modernizing election cybersecurity. The legislation included enhancements to information-sharing practices between federal intelligence entities and state election agencies.

The bill ultimately failed in the Republican-controlled Senate, but Turner Lee said Harris is unlikely to lose sight of election security and foreign interference issues if she ascends to the vice presidency.

Clearly, election security, mail-in voting, voter suppression, are going to be key issues and in this election off the bat, Turner Lee said. And I dont see Kamala Harris backing away from those issues, nor do I see her giving a pass to companies that may in some way embolden that type of illegal activity just by the nature of being publicly available to share content.

The Big Picture

The Obama/Biden administration is widely viewed as the first tech administration. Beginning in the 2008 campaign, then-candidate Barack Obama harnessed technology and social media to reach voters in a way that had never been done before.

The U.S. Digital Service was also born during that administration, and Healthcare.gov, despite its problematic rollout, was an important milestone in the growth of digital technologies used for making government services more accessible.

But the ground has since shifted. Progressives within the Democratic party consistently push for greater regulation and intervention in Silicon Valley. Castro said the fact that Biden and Harris are trying to build a big tent coalition of support from the various wings of the party may mean adopting some of these stances.

As a senator, Harris has not shied away from speaking out on problems with the unregulated technology industry. Castro and Turner Lee both said she has been willing to go after anyone on important issues such as data privacy.

At the same time, Harris appears to have held on to the idea that technology can be harnessed to solve problems. Turner Lee said she wouldnt be surprised if Harris and Biden take on more projects similar to the OpenJustice initiative, and maybe even an effort to pass privacy legislation.

I do believe that there's going to be a lot of empowerment to the people when it comes to technology policy, Turner Lee said.

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The Tech Perspective Kamala Harris Could Bring to the Vice Presidency - Nextgov

The Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture on Wednesday continued with aviation-related evidence and probed the personal knowledge of Vuyisile Aaron Ndzeku, director of JM Aviation South Africa, a ground support equipment and aviation spares supplier, and Swissport, a provider of airport ground and cargo handling services.

Evidence leader Advocate Kate Hofmeyr questioned Ndzeku on the role he played at JM Aviation and Swissport, the payments he received, the payments JM Aviation received and paid out, the land deal with Nontsasa Memela (who was head of procurement at SAA), and the land deal with her mother, Ms Hlohlela, as well as his meetings/introductions/encounters with various role players in the aviation-related evidence.

Hofmeyr eventually obtained Ndzekus confirmation that the unsigned affidavit submitted to the commission by his attorneys was a true and fair recollection of his version of events.

Spoilers

Ndzeku admitted to receiving a salary of R35 000 a month from Swissport and R35 000 a month from JM Aviation, and conceded to having received other payments ranging from R50 000 to R100 000. But he wasnt able to explain to Judge Zondo what he did to earn a salary.

Read: Why did PwC not identify corruption atSAA?

SAA awarded a R1.5 billion, five-year ground-handling contract to Swissport on condition that 30% was paid to an empowerment company ostensibly belonging to Daluxolo Peter.

Soon thereafter, Swissport paid R28.5 million to JM Aviation SA.

JM Aviation SA then paid R20 million to Daluxolo Peters company, R2.5 million to BM Kolisi Attorneys, and R2.5 million into Ndzekus personal bank account.

BM Kolisi Attorneys then paid the R2.5 million towards the purchase of two sports cars for Lester Peter, head of SAA procurement.

Ndzeku denied knowledge of the R2.5 million sitting in his bank account, and denied knowledge of the payments.

Ndzeku also denied knowing that the R2.5 million he paid Memelas mother for purchasing her property (part of tribal land) in the Eastern Cape would be given to Memela to purchase a property. There are no title deeds for the land allegedly purchased, and a handwriting expert has concluded that the apparent signatures of Memelas mother are a forgery.

Daluxolo Peter alleged in his affidavit submitted to the commission that Ndzeku was the mastermind, and in fact set up the empowerment company.

JM Aviation made R6 million in a one-day trade on 12 ground power units that were purchased from SAA and on-sold to Swissport.

JM Aviation South Africa

Ndzeku was a director of JM Aviation, together with his daughters Vuyelwa Sokhulu and Natasha Van Louw, and one Julian Aires. Ndzekus wife, Miss Hendricks, is also an employee of JMSA. Ndzeku didnt know what her role was, and he couldnt remember when they got married. He couldnt even remember if she was employed at JM before they got married.

Ndzeku didnt see any conflict of interest in being a director of both Swissport and JM Aviation, as he wasnt involved in operations.

Financial assistance given to former head of SAA procurement

Ndzeku met Nontsasa Memela in 2015, at a compliance development workshop, and said he was not aware that she was head of SAA Technical procurement.

Ndzeku had acannabis-growing business in Lesotho and Swaziland, and was interested in purchasing land in the Eastern Cape. Memelas mother, Ms Hlohlela, just happened to own a piece of land in the Eastern Cape.

Ndzeku met with Hlohlela in 2015 in Johannesburg, and on another occasion at her home. He had shown her his companys document on the cannabis business. When Hofmeyr later informed him that said document had only been generated in 2018 he tried to change what he meant.

Hofmeyr submitted that Ndzeku had changed his version of events over the course of the day.

To summarise, Ndzeku purchased an indeterminate piece of tribal land next to the river, for which he would receive no title deeds.

Hofmeyr refers to an affidavit deposed by the forensic document examiner (a handwriting expert), which concludes that the apparent signatures of Hlohlela on the affidavit and the sale agreement are in fact a forgery.

Hofmeyr submitted to the commission that there was no agreement about any land whatsoever, there was only a payment of R2.5 million to be made to Memela.

Hofmeyr further explained how Memela benefitted JM Aviation: She agreed to sell 12 ground power units [GPUs] to your daughter for R3 million. On the same day, JM Aviation billed Swissport R9 million for the same GPUs. JM Aviation made R6 million in one day.

Hofmeyr continued, informing the commission that R4.3 million was paid into a forex trading company called Zanospark, and ended up being paid to Yakhe Kwinana, former chair of SAA Technical.

Hofmeyr informed the commission that Zanospark was only created in February 2016, and is not an authorised trader.

SAA ground handling contract

Hofmeyr probed Ndzeku on his interactions and meetings with Kwinana, including a meeting held with SAA in 2016.

At the meeting Kwinana demanded that Swissport pay 30% to SAAs designated empowerment company, and threatened to terminate the relationship with Swissport if they didnt agree to these terms.

Ndzeku admitted to having spoken with Kwinana a few times but said he didnt see it as a conflict of interest as he was not involved in operational matters. He admitted to having discussed the empowerment partner with Kwinana, but not the deal. Swissport was handling that, he said.

Bob Gurr from Swissport had taken notes at the meeting, which conflicted with Ndzekus evidence, and he recalled Ndzeku saying get the deal done.

Swissport did ultimately agree to bring Daluxolo Peters company in as the empowerment partner, and it was awarded the R1.5 billion contract for five years on March 15, 2016. Lester Peters, as SAA chief of procurement, and Ndzeku, signed as witnesses.

Hofmeyr tried to get to grips with the timeline of events in 2016: On 10 February the deal was off, but on March 15 they seem to find each other. Hofmeyr then referred to the service level agreement concluded between Swissport and JM Aviation on March 2, in terms of which R28.5 million would be paid to JM Aviation.

Agreement between Swissport and JM Aviation

The R28.5 million payment made by Swissport to JM Aviation was ostensibly paid in regard to a general service level agreement that was entered into in 2016. The agreement detailed the various services that would be provided.

JMs bank balance prior to the deposit of R28.5 million was only R1 000.

JM Aviation

Ndzeku was questioned on the payments made by JM Aviation to the empowerment partner (R20 million), BM Kolisi Attorneys (R2.5 million towards sports cars for Lester Peter), and R2.5 million to Ndzekus personal bank account.

Ndzeku couldnt recall the meetings he had had with Lester Peter, and denied any knowledge of Lester Peter being head of SAA procurement.

Even though he was a director of JM Aviation, and his daughter had sole signing powers to the bank account, he denied any knowledge of any deposits or payments. He couldnt explain why JM Aviation was used to make the R20 million payment to the empowerment partner.

Hofmeyr then dropped a bombshell.

The empowerment company played no role in the SAA ground handling contract. Daluxolo Peter, in his affidavit submitted to the commission, alleged that Ndzeku was the mastermind behind the whole deal, and that Ndzeku in fact put the empowerment company together, and put his daughter in as a director.

Daluxolo Peter further alleged that of the R20 million, he took R5 million for himself, paid BM Kolisi Attorneys R10 million, and withdrew cash in tranches of R500000 totalling R10 million, and paid this over to BM Kolisi Attorneys.

Read: The bankers, lawyers and liars who enabledstate capture

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The Zondo Commission, the dealmaker, and the botched evidence - Moneyweb

In an effort to support businesses and their employees during the economic downturn, First Horizon Bank is now offering on-demand Financial Wellness programs. These free classes, previously offered onsite, have been held virtually since April. With the addition of the on-demand option, First Horizon is making financial literacy even more convenient for people in Middle Tennessee.

200 companies are currently enrolled in the First Horizon Bank Financial Wellness Program. Through the program, these organizations provide their employees with access to classes focusing on personal finances and strategies for improving financial health. Free, confidential counseling sessions with First Horizon Bank financial representatives are also offered as part of the program.

Our business partners have shared that their employees need us now more than ever, said Carol Yochem, president of First Horizon Bank for the Middle Tennessee Region. Offering classes in a pre-recorded format is another way we are bringing financial wellness and empowerment to individuals during a time when many can benefit from professional counsel. Those enrolled in the program can listen when they have time, and we always invite them to schedule a one-on-one confidential financial counseling appointment at the end of each class.

Best practices from successful financial wellness programs indicate that classes addressing basic financial topics like how to build an emergency savings fund, how to budget and how to avoid costly debt may be the most relevant to peoples lives, regardless of their compensation. With these guidelines in mind, First Horizon currently offers classes on topics including:

Introduction to Financial Wellness

Importance of Financial Goals

5 Factors to Financial Wellness

Budgeting for Success

Understanding Credit

Boosting Your Score

Budgeting to Achieve Financial Goals

Understanding Fraud

Identity Protection

More Bang For Your Buck

Participating companies and employees do not have to be First Horizon Bank clients to take the classes or to consult with a First Horizon Bank Financial Wellness expert. To learn more about the program, classes and the financial counseling sessions, companies can email Donna Spears, First Horizon Bank Business Development Acquisition Specialist, at: [emailprotected]

About First Horizon

First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE:FHN), with $79 billion in assets, is a leading regional financial services company, dedicated to strengthening the lives of our associates, clients, shareholders, and communities. Headquartered in Memphis, TN, the banking subsidiary First Horizon Bank operates approximately 460 bank locations in 11 states across the Southeast. With more than 288 years of combined First Horizon Bank and IBERIABANK financial experience, the Company and its subsidiaries offer commercial, private banking, consumer, small business, wealth and trust management, retail brokerage, capital markets, fixed income, mortgage, and title insurance services. First Horizon is recognized as one of the nations best employers by Fortune and Forbes magazines and a Top 10 Most Reputable U.S. bank. More information is available at http://www.FirstHorizon.com

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First Horizon Bank Offers Financial Wellness Programs On Demand - rutherfordsource.com

Elizabeth Liz DiCarlo has been advocating for people on multiple fronts for more than 40 years. That statement of fact recently put DiCarlo in a special category of women from Massachusetts she was named as a Commonwealth Heroine by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.

Her name was advanced by State Representative Antonio Cabral of the 13thBristol District.

Noted in DiCarlos biography posted on Mass.gov, Cabral gave a long list of her service achievements such as working with populations from Central America, HIV/AIDS education for at-risk people, affordable-housing issues, and efforts to mitigate discrimination faced by LGBTQ people. She is without a doubt the ultimate people-person.

WhenThe Wanderercaught up with DiCarlo, she softly said of all the recognition she has been receiving, its a little embarrassing. Yet DiCarlo speaks strongly and very clearly when it comes to the issues she believes in fighting for, namely helping those who may be the last to receive services. And while she claims to be retired, it was quite clear her work is far from over.

Im working with the Democratic Town Committee, she said of her ongoing work on voter registration so that, people can vote for those who represent them and their interests.

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the 1970s, DiCarlo became a nurse working as a public health sector. She is originally from Newton but moved to the New Bedford area after graduating. Her family built a home in Mattapoisett around 1975. I was very happy about that! she said.

New Bedford became her base from which she began work organizing labor-union groups and immersing herself in multi-cultural neighborhoods. I love the richness, the diversity of cultures, she said. New Bedford has people from Cape Verde, the Caribbean, Latin America, Ireland, France there have been waves of immigration through the centuries. She said her work over the years has focused on identifying where need exists and then finding the ways and means to serve the people.

One need that DiCarlo identified as growing in urgency is affordable housing. The next generation cant afford to live in Mattapoisett, she stated and explained that the rising cost of owning or even renting properties is impacting young and old alike. Our seniors want to downsize and live in Mattapoisett, but where?

DiCarlo said it is time to think about different types of housing stock and shared her hope that Mattapoisetts updated Master Plan, currently under review by the Planning Board and other committees with the assistance of SRPEDD, will help in finding new ways to solve old problems keeping a roof over heads. She expressed concern that if Mattapoisett doesnt take a proactive approach to affordable housing, Someone will come in and do it.

Systems, process analysis, data collection, and assessment are some of the cornerstones of public nursing, and DiCarlo has thrown her talents to all of those through the years.

On Cape Cod, DiCarlo was hired as a consultant to bring together a network of agencies and community centers for a needs assessment of the 15 towns that comprise the peninsula. There are growing Latino, Caribbean, and Brazilian communities on the Cape, she said, the goal being to understand how well the people can access healthcare services. To her surprise, 1,000 households participated, not hesitating to share their data. She had deployed 200 volunteers in the effort. There were four languages to take into consideration, she said, The response was fabulous. The data from the surveys pointed to the need for culturally competent care and interpretation services.

With pride, DiCarlo said that this project inspired the development of dental services for immigrant populations throughout the Cape. We found that there was a major issue for these people in accessing dental care. The development of dental operatories, locations and services made available to those without insurance or the means to pay for services, bloomed. We developed partnerships with Cape Cod Regional Vocational High School in Harwich and Cape Cod Community College to provide oral health services. That program reached out across Buzzards Bay to Marthas Vineyard as well.

More recently, DiCarlos work has focused on getting out the vote. We want people to come out and vote their values. From a regional standpoint, she said a strong effort had been made in networking for social justice including LGBTQ platforms, but that it is important to increase the dialogue and understanding that voting matters. Having an up-to-date voter registration is critical.

DiCarlo has been involved in school-based, voter-registration drives and placing visual reminders around New Bedford and the surrounding area that display dates of elections. We need people to think about what is important to them; in the larger cities, you have to find ways of reaching people But this isnt new stuff, she added with a chuckle. Weve been doing this since the Rainbow Coalition, personal empowerment, and political empowerment.

HIV/AIDS, health education, and the role of public health nursing are also part of DiCarlos early work. We engaged with communities to assess their assets and identify their limitations to come up with opportunities, she said. We had candid discussions about how to be safe; its not just giving out information but in having those explicit conversations about sexual practices and drugs. She said providing health care was also part of the program, so people could get the care that they needed.

Given the current pandemic, DiCarlo believes, Its not enough to give education, systems have to be in place to help the victims. She said the Southcoast region has done a good job reaching businesses to ensure that distancing and face coverings are used in the workplace.

While talking about workers her thoughts turned to their homelives. Lots of family members may live in a small apartment. We need to educate the children, make sure food resources are readily available, and think about how they will care for one another to prevent the spread of COVID, she said. Half of New Bedford is Latino. They live in dense situations. If we are looking at the data, we need to make sure educational opportunities are there.

That whole-systems approach is the hallmark of a public health professional or, as DiCarlo framed it, All things are possible with honest collaboration, dignity and respect.

By Marilou Newell

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DiCarlo Shy upon Recognition, Relentless in Her Mission - Wanderer