Obaid-Chinoy has won two Academy Awards and six Emmy Awards for her films on issues highlighting women inequalities. Chatterjee is the global sales leader at IBM Security. Prior to joining IBM, she served as deputy director, Naval Design, Indian Navy.
Sakhi for South Asian Women (Sakhi) will honor Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Rashmy Chatterjee in its “Building Resilient Communities” Gala on Friday, which will be held at Cipriani 25 Broadway, New York. The event marks the 29th anniversary of the organization.
Obaid-Chinoy is a Pakistani filmmaker who has won several accolades for her thought-provoking documentaries on women inequalities. She is also the only Pakistani to have won two Oscars.
“Throughout my career – I have believed that film can be a vehicle for change it can amplify the voices of marginalized communities and impact legislation,” Obaid-Chinoy said in a press statement. “I am as much of a film maker as I am an activist pushing for a more just world for women.”
Chatterjee is a global sales leader at IBM Security. She has served in several management positions at IBM including chief marketing officer, IBM North America and vice president security systems division, IBM North America. Chatterjee completed her bachelor’s degree in technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India.
“We are in a unique moment in our community when, collectively, we have the opportunity to create long-term, sustainable impact that will build equity and equality for women across all sectors,” Chatterjee said. “As a fierce believer of women’s rights, opportunities and justice, it is an honor to be recognized at Sakhi for South Asian Women’s 2018 gala.”
Neha Rastogi will attend the event as a Special Guest. The former Apple employee made headlines in 2017 for her fight for justice after suffering 10 years of domestic violence at the hands of her ex-husband. “As survivor of and an advocate for addressing domestic violence in our community, I am grateful to have this platform to share my experience, as well as highlight the critical role that organization’s like Sakhi play in our community,” Rastogi said.
The Master of Ceremonies will be Shumita Basu who works as reporter, host, and producer at New York’s public radio station WNYC. The musical performances will be given by Sejal Kudadia and Eleanor Norton, Batala, and DJ Zeke.
Based in New York, Sakhi is working to end gender inequality and domestic violence against women. The organization acts as a platform to empower women and help victims to regain control of their lives.
“In our history, we have grown from being an organization that addresses domestic violence, to one that puts the conversation of intersectional feminism at the heart of our consciousness,” said Sakhi’s Executive Director Kavita Mehra. “Just as Sakhi has helped lay the foreground for South Asian American social justice movements, it is today, that we are seeing women, once again, who are bringing rise to the conversation of equity and gender justice in our community. Our community’s capacity to face adversity, while also forming linkages of unity, speaks to the resilience we are celebrating tonight. As we continue to grow and adapt to better serve and advocate for women and children, it is also necessary to pause in this moment to celebrate our past, as well as look ahead to our future, and the work that must be done in our community and beyond.”