Helene Galek is a supremely accomplished actor, casting director, and author based in NYC, U.S. She has also been an associate producer of the web series, “That Reminds Me” and Won “Best Supporting Actor” at the Rome Web Festival. Her projects include short films, trailers, web series, documentary voice over, legit theater and musicals. Helene began her casting at Manhattantheatersource (a theater company) and consulted on some of their main-stage productions as well. Some of her most recent projects include: “The Wrong Box” part of the Dream Up Festival in NYC, “Tech Bettys”, a web series, the short films, “Out to Dry” and “Out of the Ash” and feature film, “Chasing Banksy”.

We got a chance to have a conversation with her. Read the full interview:

RajniVohra: What are some of the biggest challenges faced to become a film casting director/producer?What strategies can women employ to break into the highly competitive field of film directing?

Helene Galek: With casting, there are slightly more women in this profession than men- 58.8% according to reports.With film directors, it is a different story- only 28.2% of all directors are female. Big studios and CEO’s are still mainly men and old habits die hard. But it is encouraging to see more female directors with major films and documentaries. I know several female directors in the independent film level and it is a matter of not taking NO for an answer and pushing forward and upward. And the more and more it happens, than the “trust” that Hollywood has that is geared towards white men will begin to shift as we see with more Black and Asian directors as well.

RajniVohra: How can women who have experienced trauma or abuse find healing and support through sisterhood?

Helene Galek: Some women tend to judge other women who have gone through trauma quite harshly or at best, act in a non-supportive way. That is because of fear that the same thing could happen to them so “blaming the victim” is their way of protecting themselves and their fear. For example, when it comes to rape or incest, it’s hard for some to conceive of this happening and there must be a “reason” so that the victim and their behavior tends to be the focus and not the perpetrator. Women need to start looking at the women who have suffered abuse not solely as victims but as whole human beings who were not responsible for the perpetrators’ behavior. Not believing women or needing proof from say, 20 of them, to prosecute one man is what adds further trauma. Women sticking together, supporting those who are afraid to speak up, going forward with them as they speak the truth and get the courage to leave their situation and assisting them to erase any feelings of guilt and responsibility and obtaining professional help and guidance to heal.

RajniVohra:The concept of sisterhood varies across different cultures and communities. What are some strategies for building and strengthening bonds among women, especially in diverse and multicultural settings?

Helene Galek:I find that my talking and expressing thoughts out loud and finding common ground can unite women from different cultures and backgrounds. One always thinks they are the only going through this and no one could possibly understand. Whether it’s cramps or children or friendships or men or even the shared love of a book or film or family history- that is a first step. Women can share affirmations. philosophies, meditations as well so that individual women can become self-actualized even before bonding with other women and joining groups.

RajniVohra: How can women challenge ageist stereotypes and cultural expectations around aging and beauty, how can they celebrate their unique qualities and strengths as they age, and can cultivate a sense of gratitude and appreciation for the blessings and opportunities that come with each new year of life? 

Helene Galek: The challenge of the aging and value credit has to start from the inside as well. I tell women to be aware of the self-deprecating statements they say about themselves, the mental photo of themselves to be a certain way because of a number. I believe by not giving in to stereotypes, much like breaking into a male dominated business, and sticking with what makes you feel good and powerful and expressing that in all ways, fights the aging and sex bias. There will always be haters and that usually means your power and self pride and happiness is pushing their buttons. I just read a meme which said, “As to the people who talk behind your back, they are behind you for a reason.”  Concentrate on the confidence and wisdom and freedom you obtain as you get older. Rejoice on the choices you get to make now. And don’t isolate yourself from other age groups. We can all teach each other something. Stop glamorizing youth to yourself and others- it wasn’t all that great then, either, if you remember correctly! And if you actually made a list of what you accomplished or some of the things that your friends acknowledged you for, you will feel grateful for so much of your life and that each day is a blessing!

RajniVohra: What is your biggest learning in life?

Helene Galek: My biggest learning is that each day, there is something to learn and something to teach!

RajniVohra: Thank you for sharing your perspective and time

Women & the World

Virginija Langbakk dons many hats -the First Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality, Former Deputy- director at Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Former Gender expert, programme director at Swedish Institute for Public Administration & Former Project manager, gender expert at The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions. Virginija Langbakk has been mentoring and advising managers and politicians, in particular, young women. She loves structure, but also, out of the box thinking. She enjoys communicating and public speaking and would always find a visual link to the audience.

Read an excerpt of Talk with Virginija Langbakk

Rajni Vohra: According to EIGE, Gender Equality Index shows signs of a worsening situation for women in many areas of work and home life. Despite so many efforts on the ground level by government and private agencies to solve gender related issues, what possible reasons do you think can be attributed to such state of affairs ?

Virginija Langbakk: I cannot miss highlighting a few unique for EIGE’s Gender Equality Index, elements. Before its existence none of composite indicators of a similar nature enabled the analysis and aggregation of such a broad scale of indicators into one general score. The report of the first edition of the Index (2013) gives an extensive picture of similarities and differences between EIGE’s Index and other regularly used indices (e.g., World Economic Forum or United Nations).
EIGE has an advantage of regularly updated and fully comparable data for all EU-27 (and to some extent, the Candidate countries) and the common political framework of the European union that makes a unified monitoring of the progress (or negative development) possible and comparable.
Since 2013, when the first scores were published, it proved to be the trend in each policy area that makes the most exciting aspect to follow. As noted, the indicators, indeed, demonstrate a negative or a stalled development in several policy areas. The reasons are numerous, but stereotypes and slowly changing attitudes about the gender roles in the society are the main culprits of such a backlash. The domain of Work shows visible signs of indirect, and sometimes, even direct, discrimination of women in regards to career opportunities; you will also notice that gender-segregation hampers a more gender-equal pay, and you will be shocked by the largest pay gap of all, which is found in the overall earnings gap (domain of Money). The domain of Education signals that stereotypes sustain gendered choices of professions, which results in large pension gaps, etc. And finally, violence faced by women and girls also has its roots in stereotypes, where the society not only tolerates it, but also, blames the victim for the act of crime they were subjected to.
Unfortunately, stereotypes and society beliefs are difficult to measure, combating them needs long-term commitment and comprehensive measures, therefore, as long as gender mainstreaming is just a word called for in an isolated context, we will see a progress taking a snail’s pace forward.

Rajni Vohra: You have been very instrumental in helping and supporting refugees coming from Ukraine to settle down in European region- finding livelihood and accommodation in EU for their families, women and men. How challenging has it been so far?

Virginija Langbakk: The Russian aggression proved one thing- that not only geographically, but also, historically and culturally Ukraine is belongs with Europe, and this might be one of the reasons that the
refugees did not face the same attitudes, as the ones from other regions of the World did. One of explanations could be that majority of Ukrainian refugees were and still are women and children, in contrast to the start of the refugee crisis, when most of refugees were young men. It suggests that the European society feels more at ease to open their homes to mothers with children, help soothe their traumatic experience and share the toys with the children. High level of education in a similar academic system is another aspect that is typical for this group of refugees, and there is no doubt, that having the right education does help Ukrainian women getting a faster employment. A third very important factor is the common culture, which is grounded on the values that are similar to those we cherish in the EU. Beyond any doubt, the process met many challenges, in particular, in the functioning of formalised support and aid structures. If such centres and shelters did their share of giving the first relief, they are hardly the same efficient in ensuring a social integration. Having access to schooling helps the children to re-start a sort of ‘usual’ rhythm of everyday life and mixing the refugee and local children boosts their chances to learn the language and the culture. In a similar vein, some Member states employed Ukrainian women to the public sector and the private sector made necessary adjustments to their internal work cultures to accommodate
the new colleagues.
The establishment of a social or emotional tie between the refugees and the local community is the most subtle but most desired element; it needs to be valued and fuelled by the society itself, it needs the hearts and souls ready to embrace the ‘stranger’ and introduce her or him to their world and their network. It facilitates the understanding and agreeing on common values and opening one’s home to a person who flees from a conflict area or war.

Rajni Vohra: War and conflicts have far deeper scar & worse impact on women than men. Ukraine conflict compounds the vulnerability of women and girl child. What plan EU has to protect them from any sort of violence and bring them into the mainstream?
Virginija Langbakk: Vulnerability of women and girls in conflict zones has a defined and repeated pattern.
However, in case of Ukrainian families the pattern is a bit different. First, they did not have to travel for months following the smugglers and expecting sexual or other type of violence at every corner. Secondly, refugee centres, established at the EU borders, did not have to detain them at the first point of registration, and they were moving freely within the EU. It would be wrong to believe that the risk of violence or sexual violence was completely absent, and some groups, such as unaccompanied children and young women were more exposed to the danger of being trafficked. It is important to note, that despite the existence of a common policy, it is the government of each Member State, that decided how they deal with the practical implementation of the refugee support, and it seems, the approach differs quite much. Now when the topic of violence against women and girls has gained political momentum in Brussels, the chances that refugee or migrant women will be covered by legislative framework are much stronger than a year ago.

Rajni Vohra: As a woman leader, what is your message to other women?
Virginija Langbakk: First of all, build on your strong sides and let the world know what you can do! Make friends with women and people with different interests and skills than you have and tap on their knowledge. Find friends you can trust and get their advice and never give you your goal!

Rajni Vohra:Thank you for taking the time to talk to WahWoman.

Women & the World

Delfina is a Delicate Activist who designs educational and social innovation journeys. She is the initiator of Iniciativa Murmullo, which is born from the joint need of a community of professionals who considers their practice as the path of development, learning and growth. This community works steadily towards the inner life of social organizations to generate practical, reflective and collaborative practices, thus creating conditions conducive to life. She works for Vivir Agradecidos designing and facilitating an Evolutionary Learning Ecosystem with a team of colleagues. Her previous work was to design the content and train facilitators of learning communities in a School Climate and Emotional Education Program led by the provincial government of Buenos Aires for 2000 public schools. Delfina’s strategy is to hold sustainability of the viable spaces within organizations to generate systemic well-being. Communities of practice represent the container where synergy occurs in such a way that regenerates the social tissue of the system. She believes that we can work as a community to become the community we want to see in the world.

Rajni Vohra– Delicate activism is a newer and more radical term. How would delineate to those who are unversed with it? 

Delfina –To understand more about the necessities of these times, to learn individually and collectively to respond wisely, we need to dive within ourselves to learn how to navigate and hold a complex, uncertain and ambiguous world with others. As a community, an institution or an organization learning to adapt to these particular times is an invaluable skill. We can do this by acting with the same mindset that has created the problems and the results we are having today or we can generate the awareness we need to become more resonant with life. 

Delicate activism is a phenomenological approach to change, as their authors, Sue Davidoff and Allan Kaplan, wrote “it is truly radical in that it is aware of itself, and understands that its way of seeing is the change it wants to see”.  Delicate activism is an invitation to realize how we are approaching activism, how we are approaching our practice and our work in the world. Is to understand that if our approach lies in a fixed theory we will be making meaning of the world as it is emerging only through that lens and we will be missing every other possibility there.

We can start, in these indelicate times, with our practice of observation that can play a healing role in the world. We need to make sense of the world experience to shed light on our responsibilities as humans.  It is important not to look for a management or controlling response,  opening up to become conscious of ourselves because that awareness is the generative force for transformation.

 Rajni Vohra– You are a social-emotional learning specialist who creates and holds safe spaces within organizations to generate systemic well-being. Let us know more about it.      

 Delfina– I do work mostly with educational institutions, NGO’s and software organizations. Each organization is an expression and part of a larger system. It is of fundamental importance to understand the larger system, the organization itself and the team or individual participating. What is their purpose, how are relationships, processes and structures in place playing out. What are the symptoms that are coming up because of the inner dynamic of the organization, what are the current practices that are nurturing and unleashing potentialities within the organization, what are those habits or narratives that must go in order to create a safe environment for growth, what are those practices that sustain an organizational culture infused with wellbeing.  All of these aspects show mainly the invisible forces that shape culture, capabilities and at the end of the day the results of an organization. If the organization makes space to learn from itself, to become aware of these dynamic forces playing out, it allows to create coherence between what the organization’s purpose is and the strategic actions they use to achieve it. This is a new way of attending to our potentialities as a collective, a way of designing the future.

Of course it starts from the individual, if leaders are available to change and take the responsibility to create relationships based on trust and respect, understanding that instant solutions ignited by fear are detrimental to the health of the organization at the medium and long run then the culture that starts unraveling is one infused with wellbeing. It becomes a positive cycle process,  by working together with these deep human values at the center of the team or community allows coherent answers to emerge for collective questions. Once this starts to happen the organization becomes the author of its own future by developing new practices and evolving with new demands.

 Rajni Vohra– We are currently living in times where a lot more is going through massive transition and turmoil that in turn leading to the emergence of a new set of unfamiliar challenges. How do you view the process of diversity , equality and inclusion in light of this current reality?  

Delfina– I think great opportunities come when we become conscious of what we have excluded, othered and ignored as individuals, as communities, as larger systems. This goes for ourselves in our inner movements such as emotions, needs , impulses and so on, but works as well when we expand to the groups we belong to, the organizations and societies.  

In my work I always imagine the organization or institution like a living organism that belongs to an evolutionary learning ecosystem and at the same time they are one as well. Where all beings involved in that ecosystem benefit by creating powerful and meaningful relationships with one another. Thriveability fundations for any ecosystem is the integration of the experience and mutual learning of all beings.

This biological concept applies to the social realm. The success of a community or organization lies in its capacity to learn and adapt. If there are participants of the organization that are being excluded, othered or ignored then the learning capacity of the organization is low. If an organization members are only like-minded people then its learning capacity is low. If the organization can not integrate its unseen or unheard its capacity for learning is low. All these aspects diminish the lifespan of an organization. Diversity is life, it is rich in itself and sets the nurturing soil for creativity, innovation , intelligence and adaptability. I am very much in favor of DEI practices that nourish any community or organization.      

Rajni Vohra– How do gauge the impact of your work at the fundamental level?                                                                                

Delfina-This is an interesting question, Heidegger wrote “ to let that which shows itself be seen from itself in the very way in which it shows itself from itself” I love this quote because it brings me back to what’s important. Thoughts and emotions, relational dynamics and so on are invisible, so then how do you measure them? If I try to measure that which is invisible with the same parameter of our analytic mind then I will miss the true impact of my work.

I have always struggled to measure my work for thus its impact is an effect not a result. Carol Sandford defines effects as “ truly indirect products of an action and can show up in systemic changes and will be invisible to anyone who hasn’t developed the capacity to look for them”. So I write about my work, I work a lot with phenomenology, with grounded theory, interviews, etc. I look for different ways to assess what really matters to me, what I want to show the world.

Rajni Vohra– Your learning from life…

Delfina– Wow this is a big question! I am learning from life to be patient, to allow life to guide me instead of pushing my own agenda. This learning has accompanied me throughout my life. I am very active and energetic, I see how I can get mixed up and become my own limitation. Today, I try to trust the process and be confident that life will present itself to guide me, if I manage to listen deeply, towards what she needs me the most.

Rajni Vohra -Thank you for talking to us!

Women & The World

Ankurita Pathak is a writer, occasional poet, TEDx speaker, a certified Life Coach& Trainer and a seasoned communications professional with 16 years of experience. A former journalist, she is currently working with
FICCI as Joint Director. A proud alumna of Cotton College, Guwahati, she is also a postgraduate in English from Delhi University.
Born in a quaint little town called Golaghat in Assam, her tryst with writing began as a 11-year-old, when her first poetry was published in the Northeast times. She has been regularly writing articles, poems,travelogues and short stories for newspapers, magazines, portals, and blogs. She, along with her brother has recently co-authored a coffee table book titled “Black Coffee & Metamorphosis”, which has been listed in the 10+ Hoppingo curated coffee table books alongside ‘Masterpieces of Indian Art by Alka Pandey’ and ‘National Geographic Rarely Seen’. She has co-
authored several books – Concerns & Voices, Dafodils, Pristine Scars, Dreams, GLOmag, to name a few.
A TEDx speaker, she has also been invited as an anchor, moderator, and keynote speaker by various organizations. Ankurita is also an Indian Achievers Forum Awardee.  She has also received special recognition for External PR from Toastmasters International and Leadership Excellence Award by KSLC.
A travel enthusiast and a perennial explorer, she loves food, fashion, people, and poetry. A momo lover and a coffee addict, she is a sucker for South Indian masala flicks and Korean dramas.
“Perfection is an Illusion, Striving for Progress in Life”- is her motto in life

Women & The World

Women & The World

Angele Bučyte, (PhD), has been working at the European Commission and European Parliament, she is the reserve civil servant of EU institutions and Country chair Ecocivilisation Lithuania.
Recently, she works with her own consultancy European Technology Policy, preparing the Horizon Europe project proposal for EU Green Deal, and in consulting the Lithuanian Government on the green transition.
Angele is the pro-bono Pro-Rector of the Brussels Academy of Justice, working for bringing the Western democracies to the countries of the Eastern Partnership, in particular to South Caucasus.

Prof. Angele Bucytec

Rajni Vohra : What is the current major issue that remains unaddressed and can have a massive turnaround in the World if addressed?

Angele Bucytec :The major current issue relates to the core of the recent economic system, to the so-called neoliberal approach to economics, providing for a profit-first versus people-first approach, leading to unjustified asymmetries in wealth, the connection of business with politics, social and economic injustice, other asymmetries, including women rights and true equality between men and women, over-exploitation of nature and the climate change. The neoliberal approach to economics, established by the so-called Washington consensus of 1970, also led to the erosion of human-to-human connection, while putting stress on self-interest and individuality, and the erosion of empathy, and kindness, which are very core of every human being. The erosion of the human dimension has been called one of the major major global risks by many international organizations, e.g., the World Economic Forum, and the World Bank. We blame the recent economic system for the climate crisis. Several thinkers agree that without changing the fundamentals of recent capitalism, we will not be able to become carbon neutral, because the profit and lobby are stronger the nature. Without changing the economic system, we will not be able to become fully peaceful, to ensure the true cooperation of differences, e.g. of different economic and political systems. It will be a never-ending battle for influence and for profit, leading us to see others as the competitors-enemies. The need for change has been well understood after the 2008-2009 crisis, with the Wall Street movements, and with the rise of other grass-root initiatives. Pope Francis has also called for a change in its encyclics Laudato Si and All Brothers. The need is here, as shown also by the survey related to Laudato Si encyclical, I did for my research, showing that more than 80 percent of the world’s population would welcome the Capitalism 2 model of the economy, with nature, social justice, people-first approach, basic income and development needs to be at the core of it. Another research, I did, for Europa 2020 strategy, has demonstrated that the reduction of poverty is one of the most powerful sources of economic growth, equal to innovations. It should be a major economic event, like the post-war Bretton Woods conference, which would define the parameters of the new economic system, be it Capitalisms or other, which is applicable for the realities of 21st-century societies to prosper and to progress. Many economic notions and paradigms shall be reconsidered, including drivers of economic growth, human development indicators, and others.

Rajni Vohra : In your experience, what is the best way to empower women in developing nations?

Angele Bucytec : The best way to empower women in the developing world is education -education for all, for women and for men; and the provision of means of empowerment., e.g. employment, capital, support, and mentoring. Each human being aspires for the realization of their potential, women, as they are more sensitive and feel deeper. The Government and the umbrella policy support are important, nothing will change without this. The publicity is important, as the more we speak, the more it happens. However, along with this, the realization on the ground makes all the difference, and this is the most difficult part to do, as we must go down of the stage, of tribunes, of speeches and oats, and do the work with very concrete examples, with women, who maybe have few resources, feel yet abused and scared, traumatized, not that joyful, but who need to be smartly guided and mentored. The Big Brother/Big Sister approach works here.

Rajni Vohra : Where do you see your current role in helping society?

Angele Bucytec : In my spare time, I do a lot of volunteering. Recently, I do help Ugandan NGO Teyapi4Peace to decrease the poverty, especially of women, in Easter Uganda, to collect funds for girls’ education at schools, training them in advanced farming, etc. I also volunteer as the country chair for Ecocivilisation movement of G100 Chair Violeta Bulc. Being a certified Laudato Si animator, I do another affordable helping, as people come along. Apart from this, I work for a Lithuanian environmental agency to make societies CO2 emissions-free, and run Transatlantic Club Climate Alfa, aiming at advanced climate analytics, where we generously welcome women from the developing world to be part of our Club.

Rajni Vohra : What impact do you envisage and aim for through your work?

Angele Bucytec : I would envisage that my impact is for societies to be more justful and peaceful in all respects, more respectful and involving, braver and speaking up. Because, one person can do a lot, due to a good example, the role model spreads along while leaving a legacy and memories for generations. I have read that one peaceful thought can peacefully impact 100+ people around. Thus, I would encourage other single fighters, not to be shy, but go and change the world for the better.

Rajni Vohra : Thank you for talking to us.

Women & The World

Martina Puc is a curator of Ecocivilisation Wing Beings in Slovenia taking her call to communicate the richness of interconnectivity of all beings and interdependency with environment. She upgraded her knowledge gained with Bachelor degree in Pharmacy with masters in science and additional specialisation in quality control of medicines, followed by MBA. Her career started at the University with an assistant position in laboratory practice. She worked a couple of years in wholesales of medicines, but left a significant contribution afterwards at the national office for the registration of medicines and medical devices. After a decade in a national regulatory body she was attracted by international scene in IT industry. She is an entrepreneur, leading her own consultancy company, a founder of COVIRIAS academia for community pharmacy, an author of P3 Professional© system for Food Supplements and an author of the Holistic community pharmacy© concept. She is also a head of Institute for Research and Development of Quality.

Read an excerpt from the conversation with Martina Puc

Q1. What is the revolutionary concept of holistic community pharmacy?

The concept of Holistic community pharmacy© is based on its purpose to improve health of every visitor. The shift of acknowledgment that people coming to the Holistic community pharmacy© are visitors and not patients leads to a different communication, where one is not an object but a subject in a consultation process. It means for example that a holistic consultant is taking into account not only the lifestyle of a person, but also their preference for a healing approach. We can mention for example would they like to go into direction of allopathic medicine or would accept also Ayurveda or Homeopathy. Nevertheless the structured consultancy developed to enable the Holistic community pharmacy© concept always starts with a lifestyle of a person, including for example sleeping habits, physical activity and a diet. The wholeness is further supported with a recommendation of all the products that can help improve the health status of a person and other interventions regarding lifestyle. Recommendation can include for example hygiene steps or change in a diet. One of the important roles of a holistic consultant is to evaluate the health status and recommend a visit of a doctor if necessary. Implementation of the Holistic community pharmacy© concept leads to its role of a health information hub with assistance of highly educated personnel.

Q2. According to you, what steps can be taken by the Pharma industry to make medicines & treatment accessible in developing nations?

With support of the Holistic community pharmacy© concept the use of medicines would be even more rationalised and would gain more trust. Many health conditions need nutritional care first which would improve health results.

Q3. Where do you see your current role in helping society?

Thriving society is a healthy society on many levels, where humanity is a foundation. Personal approach to all human beings is possible only on a local level, so we have to improve local sovereignty of health care professionals and institutions. Community pharmacist competences are and should be broader than just dispensing medicines. Every step in the direction of the Holistic community pharmacy© concept is therefore a step to a healthier society and I would like to encourage it with clarifications of a vision on our roles how to help people with respect to them as humans as wholes.

Q4. What impact do you envisage and aim for through your work?

In Slovenia we managed already to implement the concept in a few existing community pharmacies to a level of proof of concept. As a result among other things we received for one of the implementations the Feniks award for the best consultancy project of the year 2019 from Chamber of Commerce in Slovenia, National Association for Management Consulting. Now we are building foundations for the educational program to enable more community pharmacies to join the concept. With all these activities it is demonstrated that the concept is first of all improving health status of people using the services of Holistic community pharmacy©. Even more, we have first calculations, showing the positive impact of the concept on health funds. In addition, medical doctors are relived of a lot of unnecessary visits. And last, but not least, community pharmacists have more job satisfaction with a very positive contribution to a local society. Humanity in health services is one of the bases for a better society.