International Women’s Day

Sunday 8th March is International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to honoring the achievements of women throughout history and all across the globe, and is typically a day for women from all different backgrounds and cultures to come together to fight for gender parity and women’s rights.

This year’s theme is #EachforEqual  – the following explanation of the theme has been taken from the IWD website

“An equal world is an enabled world.

Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day.

We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women’s achievements.

Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world.

Let’s all be #EachforEqual”

So, What is International Women’s Day?

International Women’s Day (IWD) is dedicated to celebrating women’s achievements in the social, economic, cultural, and political spheres. The day, collectively founded by women, also brings attention to gender parity and women’s rights.

Of course, the global celebration of International Women’s Day is a time for reflection of how far women have come, advocacy for what is still needed, and action to continue breaking down barriers. With over a century of history, IWD is a growing movement centered around unity and strength.

Tea India supporting International Women’s Day

Harris Freeman & Co. Inc, the parent company of Tea India, has set up a charity which will be providing funds to support 900 girls in rural Indian communities in Jharkhand and Bihar to continue their secondary education through Action Village India’s partner Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK).

The areas that will be supported are amongst the poorest in India and see a huge increase in girls dropping out of their studies between the ages of 12-17 years. Not only is this due to severe poverty but also because of the general low status women and girls have in India. From a very early age girls carry the burden of child-rearing and domestic duties which results in them leaving school to start up a life at home.

Tea India will work with Action Village India to improve this and give back to the communities where they source their tea.

To raise awareness of Action Village India and the collaboration, it will be communicated across Tea India’s Masala Chai blend that is available in stores across the UK from April 2020. In addition to this, Tea India will be collaborating with a range of British Asian influencers across social media for International Women’s Day to discuss the importance of supporting girls education in remote and less developed areas in India to improve equality and to give girls a greater chance of escaping poverty, build their confidence to overcome the barriers inhibiting their empowerment and set them on a path to healthier and more productive lives.

“Tea India is proud to be part of an organisation which supports such valuable projects. We are also excited about sharing the girls’ progress through their academic year with the Tea India community. Our tea is rooted in India using a traditional family recipe from our Master blender’s family, so it is important to support a project from the blend’s Motherland,” comments Lisa Worthington, Head of Marketing.

‘‘Educating a girl is educating a whole family. It is essential to the progressive development of families, communities and countries. However, education is still a distant dream for most girls in villages in Jharkhand and Bihar. Thanks to the support of Tea India and the Harris Freeman Foundation, we can get a step closer to make some of these dreams into a reality.’’ – Esther Trienekens, International Partnerships Director, Action Village India

Back in the UK we are working with some incredible women from the British Asian community including:

British Bindi 

“British Bindi is a platform which discusses and shares what it’s like to be a young, contemporary British Asian.”

How it all started…

We were all post-uni newbies and moving back to our hometown, readjusting back into our Asian family life. Amongst our jobs, socialising, gym, travelling and recreational-ing, there was something missing…

One day in the sweaty treadmill section in our local Pure Gym (I know…the glamour is unbearable), an idea began.

British Bindi Begins

We wanted to create an honest space where we could express ourselves and build a community, not just for us, but for everyone to share. Something creative, fun, informative and curious.

A place where we could share what it’s like being a contemporary British Asian, leaving no stone unturned, highlighting the good, the bad and the ugly.

British Bindi is best described as a mix of personal stories, news, tips, problems, and culture. It’s a blog that aims to connect our two cultures with the past, present and future.

Who are we? – Four best friends

Join our conversation

Be part of our journey as we unpack all sorts of stories and features about the fusion of two vibrant cultures. We know that to get a real sense of the British Asian landscape, we’re going to have to talk (a lot) and collaborate with all sorts of wonderful people.

Feel free to get in touch with us with any thoughts and opinions by emailing us at hello@britishbindi.com.

Seetal Savla

Seetal Savla, aka SavlaFaire, is a former French translator-turned-digital marketeer. She currently spends her weekdays planning and executing exciting social media and PR strategies for a wide range of clients, from household food brands to global real estate companies. When she’s not in the office, she can be found exploring the London dining scene, interviewing accomplished British and international chefs for her ‘Spotlight on Chefs’ series or sharing her emotional experience of infertility, all of which is enthusiastically documented on her food and lifestyle blog SavlaFaire and social media channels. She has recently written for HuffPost, NetMums and the Fertility Help Hub, as well as featuring on BBC radio and several food and fertility podcasts (Cheftimony and To Baby or Not To Baby (Part 1 and Part 2).

Chintal Kakaya

Chintal Kakaya has been a Tea India soulmate for some time, she strongly believes in creating great quality products, free from artificial additives and preservatives. Handmade with love, and fresh to order in small batches so you get to enjoy it at its best. From sourcing ingredients to creating the product there is no compromise on taste, quality or texture. Being creative with spices, she has revived the classic Nankhatai with a variety of classic and modern flavours. Perfect for those who enjoy unique and creative flavours in their bakes.

Originally from Mombasa, Kenya, Chintal was surrounded by a close-knit community where food was prepared and shared on many occasions. This love affair with food started from a very young age watching her mum and grandmother prepare delicious traditional Gujarati and International dishes. This passion fueled even further when she would observe her mum creating fabulous cakes, treats and desserts for special occasions, being completely “wowed” by how simple ingredients turned into wonderful creations. Her passion for experimenting with flavours and spices to create a unique twist on classic recipes is how Chinskitchen was born.

This story of inspiring the next generation to create and experiment with flavours, reflects the story of Tea India and is why we feel so connected to Chintal. Our very own master blender grew up on the banks of the Brahmaputra River, where he lived among the tea gardens of Assam and learned to love the evocative aroma of freshly made Chai.

Chin’s delicious range of cakes and Nankhatai are the perfect accompaniment for a heart warming cup of chai, but if you fancy a caffeine free afternoon tea, choose a Tea India Ayurvedic blend and a ‘Great Taste Award’ winning Almond and Pistachio Nankhatai, delicious!