Day 4 of Mentor on Road, USA

The will is not free - it is a phenomenon bound by cause and effect - but there is something behind the will which is free.

-Swami Vivekananda

Day 4 of #mentoronroadusa started with the usual morning chores. We had a detailed interaction with Women Centre for Entrepreneurship Corporation supported by SBA (Small Business Administration). The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The core aim of SBA is to maintain and strengthen the US economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses and by assisting in the economic recovery of communities after disasters.

I shared the developments taking place in India on women empowerment such as the only women industrial park, Stand Up India etc.

Also, I shared the details of UN Women programs of Heforshe, Planet 50-50 by 2030 and the orange day program.

UN Women is a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women. The organization is governed by a multi-tiered intergovernmental governance structure in charge of providing normative and operational policy guidance for the betterment of women and girls globally.

HeForShe is a solidarity campaign for the advancement of women initiated by UN Women. Its goal is to engage men and boys as agents of change by encouraging them to take action against negative inequalities faced by women and girls. Grounded in the idea that gender equality is an issue that affects all people socially, economically and politically it seeks to actively involve men and boys in a movement that was originally conceived as "a struggle for women by women".

UN's "Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality" asks governments to make national commitments to address the challenges that are holding women and girls back from reaching their full potential.

The 25th of every month has been designated as “Orange Day” by the UN Secretary-General’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women, to raise awareness and take action to end violence against women and girls. As a bright and optimistic colour, orange represents a future free from violence against women and girls for the UNiTE campaign.

We learnt about workforce issues of American women. The reasons behind the high involvement of women in the US workforce are:

1. Higher ratio of educated women

2. High standards of living compelling both husband and wife to work

3. Higher divorce rates in the last 30 years across US has driven women to work in order to sustain their families

American women have been striving to maintain a safe work environment, security in the city, suitable maternity leave rules, child care centers etc.

The flip side for women in US is the existing imbalance of pay across the work place. Also, the top political post of US, the position of President, has been alluding a woman to be at the post. Whereas in India we had a woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, way back in 1971.

We decided to connect the members of Women Centre for Entrepreneurship Corporation of SBA to businesses in India and also to invite them to the planned Indo-US business women conference in India.

Then we had the day off and had light lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. Mr. David M. Overton, the company's founder, opened the first Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, in 1978. The restaurant established the future chain's pattern of featuring an eclectic menu, large portions, and signature cheesecakes.

Then we proceeded to the Thomas Edison Museum where the history of the most prolific inventor of the world so far was displayed and, a tower in his memory has the bulb on too. Edison has 1200 patents in his name including the phonograph and the commercially viable bulb. Edison lived an amazing life in those times.

The World's Largest Light Bulb atop the Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower, Menlo Park, Edison, New Jersey - this light bulb was built in 1937, it's 13 feet tall, weighs eight tonnes, and is illuminated at night.

Then we proceeded to the Akshardham temple in New Jersey for a holy business meet with two humble souls. The Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey, U.S. is a spiritual-cultural complex. Future plans for the complex include the Swaminarayan Akshardham Mahamandir and a visitor’s center, which will house an exhibition on Indian history and culture.