Shabnam Samuel

Breaking through the wall of a culture that silences you. We as a society are reluctant to believe women and victims of sexual assault be it inside of the family or outside . In a lot of cases our society tolerates it and does not raise a voice is because we would rather not believe that evils like this exist.
Let’s add this to the mix of being South-Asian. As a South Asian you grow up with messages of conditional love, shame and the need to hide. The need to hide taboo subjects like divorce, abandonment, mental and physical abuse and mental health issues. Issues like this do not meet a standard for social acceptability. This correlates to the fear of rejection and loss of family and community support. South Asians have a collective culture as opposed to the West, where culture is individualistic.

My talk and my vision fits in with the conference theme “ Reimagining Societies: Reclaiming Humanity with Gender Equality”. No one in this world, should be marginalized because of their sex, race, color , religion or anything that divides this humanness that we should also possess.
In my book, which is a memoir, A Fractured Life, I have addressed most of these issues, with the hope that if I at 57 years of age, have had the courage to speak out, someone at 17 , 27 or 37, can do the same.
I have been giving interviews, speaking at events and writing about breaking through these silences.
It is my hope that the Annual Women Economic Forum 2019 , gives me a platform to talk about culture , equality and hope and the these issues that surround us.

Shabnam Samuel is a writer, coach, social media trainer and the founder of the Panchgani Writers’ Retreat (www.panchganiwritersretreat.com ) an international writing retreat based out of Panchgani, India. The retreat incorporates mindful living along with creativity and wellness following Ayurveda principles, with yoga, meditation and writing workshops.
As a writer, Shabnam has been writing ever since she can remember. Her essays have been published online in Brain, Child Magazine and Your Tango. Shabnam’s Memoir, A Fractured Life was published on September19th 2018, by Green Writers Press, based out of Vermont, USA.
https://www.brainchildmag.com/tag/shabnam-samuel-thakar/
http://www.yourtango.com/2016285537/what-its-like-when-your-fiance-leave-you-for-another-woman

Shabnam also hosts a local TV show called Dew Drops and Words that broadcasts to 6.1 million viewers on the WJAL LATV network in the Washington DC area. You can find her on YouTube under the name “Dew Drops and Words”
Shabnam is a business coach and social media trainer. She mentors with Empowered Women International, in Alexandria, VA that helps train low income, immigrant and refugee women on how to be a successful entrepreneurs.
Shabnam has called the suburbs of Washington DC her home for the last 30 years.