"Future wars will be fought over water,” stated Dr Rashneh Pardiwala who, along with Kitayun Rustom, received the 2023 Woman of the Year Award from Zonta International’s Bombay III chapter on April 25, 2023 at the West End Hotel. The two are joint founders of the Centre for Environmental Research and Education (CERE), a pioneer in the field of corporate sustainability and carbon management systems (see "Greening the environment,” Parsiana, March 7-20, 2023). Encouragement awards were given to Umelaslma Asharfi and Mantasha Shaikh, hearing impaired trainees at a beautician’s course conducted by an associate of the Zonta Club.
Kitayun Rustom and Dr Rashneh Pardiwala (2nd and 3rd from l) felicitated by office bearers of Zonta Club III
Pardiwala pointed to the dispute over the waters of the Cauvery river between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and over the waters of the Brahmaputra between China and India, to illustrate her point. Rustom said that community service with Gandhian principles should be made compulsory in schools. She said "that will make children realize the gravity of the situation and they will be the future protectors of Earth.” A note on the event was sent to Parsiana by Mahazaver Dalal, past Club president.
"This award is particularly special for both Kitayun and me since our organization CERE recently completed 20 years in December 2022… It is wonderful to be recognized by a global organization like Zonta and I hope more and more women come to the fore to conserve the environment in the face of climate change,” Pardiwala told Parsiana after the event.
Chief guest of the evening, Raksha Mehta, president of Kushtarog Nivaran Samiti that works with leprosy patients in the villages in Panvel taluka near Bombay, observed "Gandhian principles built a better world for Adivasi children, women and communities of Shantivan.” The Club has undertaken a project to sponsor the education of 10 girl students of a tribal school in Shantivan. Their school now has solar panels thanks to CERE, noted Dalal.
Vice president Navaz Dhalla welcomed those present on behalf of president Jyoti Vora who was unwell. Greetings from their international body were conveyed by Errick Elavia who is the diversity committee chairman of Zonta International. Area I director Firuza Sena provided an overview of Zonta District 25 Club’s "End Early Marriage Project” which they jointly undertook with the Club in Dresden, Germany.
Past Area I director Freny Paghdiwala provided an overview of the service rendered by the Club, while past president Arnavaz Kapadia was the master of ceremonies; the vote of thanks was offered by director Prajakta Chaudhari.
Zonta International "stands for women’s rights… We advocate equality, education and an end to child marriage and gender-based violence,” states their website. Zonta Bombay III was set up in 1979. Zonta is an American-Indian word taken from the Sioux dialect meaning "honest and trustworthy.”