Women We Love: Exclusive Chat With Dr. Harbeen Arora, Global Chairperson and Founder of WEF – The World’s Largest Women’s Network
Interview by Ebun Feludu.
Dr.Harbeen Arora is the Founder and Global Chairperson of the ALL Ladies League (ALL) and Women Economic Forum (WEF). With a network of 100,000 inspiring women and 800+ chapters worldwide, ALL & WEF are among the largest women’s networks with the widest outreach, empowering women’s entrepreneurship and leadership at all levels. WEF is held annually in India and regionally in different parts of the world.
Ahead of the forthcoming 25th WEF meeting in April, Dr Harbeen Arora shares the vision of WEF with TW and the benefits of a partnership between Nigeria and India in this exclusive interview.
tw:
When was the All Ladies League founded and what inspired you to set it up?
HB:
ALL Ladies League or ALL as we refer to it, was articulated as a result of my continuing engagement with girls’ education. I have seen at our Rai University that I led as Chancellor, the incredible impact the scholarships have had on girls’ empowerment and their vivid transformation through greater confidence, esteem, ideas, and talents unleashed.
We soon realized the need to have further support systems, especially for mentoring, connections, exchange and collaboration toward building sustainability in personal, professional and business growth. Therefore we started creating circles of sisterhood in local communities that would become enabling structures and inspired spaces of sisterhood where women could express, engage and derive support on social, emotional levels.
tw:
Your background is so diverse, from Economics to Dramatic arts-why the focus on women?
HB:
Diversity is the best University. The Acronym ALL is itself so inclusive and diverse and so are Women.
ALL gives us our eponymous ethos of connecting ALL women and creating on-ramps for ALL to access opportunities, networks, learning material, and manifest one’s latent potential and leadership, individually and collectively. Together, aligned, collaborating, we can really do it ALL. For us this ethos or spirit of ALL continues to be most sacrosanct. We always say “spirit before the size.” We knew from the start that we didn’t want another “club”. While in pursuit of excellence, we didn’t want to reduce ourselves to an elite few. We wanted to constantly reach out, include, and be always chasing inspiration and new learning. It’s the best antidote to entropy and stagnation that risk stymieing one’s growth.
tw:
Which childhood experiences inform your view of women and their role in the world?
HB:
We were two siblings, my brother and I. Our parents raised us as equals. Both of them were working, and we always saw them share the load of work and responsibilities at home most naturally. So we were blessed to be raised in a very equal household with sharing and support. That fine example has surely groomed our values and vision of a gender-equal world, and where we can celebrate one another in mutual respect and togetherness.
tw:
For those who don’t know, can you share with us how far reaching the All Ladies League and WEF are in India and across the world?
HB:
It has exceeded ALL expectations. We over 800 ALL chapters or circles of sisterhood worldwide, 100,000+ members and connections across continents, countries and cultures. We aim to reach a million by 2022. Member profiles include entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, businesswomen, professionals, educators, corporate leaders and women interested in a variety of fields like arts, health, sports, homemakers, all age groups. We make an effort to include both young and old.
tw:
There are so many women’s groups how is the All Ladies League different and what does WEF hope to bring to the women’s empowerment discourse that is different from other groups?
HB:
The simple thumb rule that runs across our Code of Conduct is a persuasion to Be Positive and Bring Positive Energy, everything else is derived from that need to foster positive energy and inspiration in our midst. By extension, we insist on no negativity and no arguments on divisive topics, like religion or politics as we understand them today. Sadly, these two fields that could have been pivotal in bringing people together, have created the greatest schisms and also pushed out the worst in the human spirit instead of the best. We wanted to focus on encouraging the best with each and ALL from a creative standpoint. Thus ALL is non political, non religious and non dogmatic. Ultimately, whatever we value becomes our ‘values.’ And we value helpfulness, exchange, encouragement and inspiration; all of which build trust and community.
tw:
The Nigerian delegation is looking forward to much talked about WEF experience and the trade visits. How are you preparing for them?
HB :
We are delighted to receive 20+ business and youth delegations for Annual WEF 2019 from different countries, chambers, associations, universities and chapters. We are greatly looking forward to welcome our sisters from Nigeria to India and strengthen our bilateral as well as multilateral bonds.
tw:
There is a long history between Nigeria and India. Nigeria is host to Indian families that go back up to four generations. Even as host the two nationals are largely fundamentally separate, yet there is a great opportunity for a mutually beneficial relationship. How do you think we can make this happen through WEF?
HB:
Many lifelong connections have been made at WEF events, which have stimulated new businesses, new partnerships, new ideas, new realizations, and renewed understanding of oneself and one’s calling. India and Nigeria have great possibilities of partnership, especially in the fields of education, agriculture, entrepreneurship and movies and entertainment. At our event, there is a substantial participation of Indian leaders from the private and government sectors, who come in with an understanding of the importance of engaging with women entrepreneurs.
