"As I look around this room all I see are smart and resilient and tenacious Asian women, stunningly beautiful, fabulous Asian women… all achieving in so many different worlds and landscapes! How proud I feel to be standing here amongst you all!” remarked Jasmine Dotiwala in her acceptance speech. She was one of the 13 winners of the Asian Women of Achievement Awards presented at a glittering ceremony at the London Hilton Bankside Hotel on June 6, 2024. A television executive, with over 25 years of experience as head of department, manager, broadcaster, producer, director, inclusion leader at brands like Netflix UK, Media Trust, Channel 4 News, MTV, Dotiwala won the Award in the media category.
Jasmine Dotiwala (l) and Sheherazad Kapadia
Currently in their 25th year, these Awards were founded to "celebrate multicultural Britain and the contribution of diverse cultures and talents to UK society. We put on a platform the phenomenal Asian women across the UK and across industries who are making a valuable and important contribution to British life. The Awards play a key role in redefining the contribution of Asian women; and informing a new, positive, pro-diversity debate,” notes their website.
The second Zoroastrian to be conferred an Award this year was occupational therapist Sheherazad Kapadia in the Young Achiever category. Kapadia, who was co-chair of the World Zoroastrian Youth Congress in London last year, serves as patient engagement lead at Croydon Health Services. Her co-winner was Crystelle Pereira, a chef, author and broadcaster.
The other women from Pan-Asian backgrounds to be recognized with these Awards were from the fields of business, arts and culture, technology and digital, public service, media, sports, professions, science, social and humanitarian service. The Awards functions are "not simply a night of recognition but an opportunity for candidates to meet like-minded women and build business contacts,” reminds their website.
The selections required "each nominee to meet with judges a month ahead of the Awards night and answer questions about our job and journey and future ambitions,” stated Dotiwala in response to queries from Parsiana. As she had commented at the Awards function, "Asian women are such a confusing brand. The world thinks that we are submissive, obedient and apologetic. In workspaces we can feel invisible. We are always stereotyped in TV story lines and in movies where we are seen as ‘the women who come from the world of arranged marriages, and rejection because our parents apparently all favored boys!’”