Tomorrow is International Women’s Day. To mark the occasion, Kara has joined forces with eight remarkable women in the region who are breaking boundaries in their respective industries on a rousing campaign entitled “The Kara Women of Substance”. The campaign features Marc Jacobs Beauty Ambassador Rhea Jacobs, Head of Ayyam Gallery Minna Joseph, Dubai’s first female criminology graduate Omaira Farooq, television presenter Amal Al Jabry, Dubai’s first plus-sized blogger Luanne Dsouza, celebrity fitness trainer Anjali Chandiramani, one of the few female rappers in the region N1yah, and co-founder of Dubai-based PR company Samah Elwagie. Each of the women designed their own outfit in collaboration with the Dubai-based fashion label founded by Kanchan Kulkarni, which they wear in the brand’s campaign images and accompanying video. Below, the leading ladies share what being a woman means to them, the highlights of the campaign, and how they will be celebrating Women’s Day.
Rhea Jacobs
Rhea Jacobs for “The Kara Women of Substance” campaign.
“Being a woman means that I have an equal right to an education, a career path, and to always have a significant voice. We live in a time where as women we are aware, we are educated, and we won’t step back when it comes to our rights. With the rise in awareness through social media and other portals, we as women now understand in uniting together and helping each other grow. We are bolder, confident, and know what we want. Feminism is a simple word that expresses the right for equality amongst the sexes. An equal right towards an education, a career path, and equality in the work environment— a few to begin with. I’ll be celebrating Women’s Day by spending my time with the two women, my grandmother and my mother, who taught me what it means to be an empowered, confident, and independent woman who isn’t afraid to follow her dreams alongside her responsibilities.”
Minna Joseph
Minna Joseph for “The Kara Women of Substance” campaign.
“Being a woman means that I am strong and confident. I play multiple roles and wear many hats, as a wife, a mother, a daughter, and more. It also means that I am responsible for creating my own happiness, both personally and professionally. Movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp have bought recent attention to something that’s been going on for centuries. In today’s world, women should feel secure, confident, and equal to their peers, and these campaigns bridge the way to more empowerment for women. The campaign was a great opportunity to meet women from all walks of life who were all making a difference in their own way. Being part of this project alongside these amazing women was my highlight. I plan to celebrate tomorrow just the way I celebrate each and every day, through empowering and supporting women, and most of all spreading kindness.”
Omaira Farooq
Omaira Farooq for “The Kara Women of Substance” campaign.
“Being a woman is the greatest gift in the world. Women are by far stronger, resilient, versatile, and sympathetic as ever. As a mother of three girls I feel women supporting women and educating women can lead to a better future. I’m proud of the many females that are taking the stand and coming out against violence. However I hope that it doesn’t go down the path where we are disappointed with men. There are some very good men out there. This Women’s Day, I am speaking at an IBM conference on women empowerment and how I feel that if we all stick together, wonderful things can happen.”
Luanne Dsouza
Luanne Dsouza for “The Kara Women of Substance” campaign.
“To me, being a woman means strength. We endure so much in our lives and keep coming out on top. It’s always amazing to see women supporting women and this campaign was a fantastic example. Everyone at the shoot was so thoughtful, genuinely curious about each other’s passion projects and constantly encouraging. Whether it was as simple as complimenting each other’s outfits or pep talks before we had to go in front of the camera. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy just remembering that day. When I was designing my outfit, I wanted something beyond just looking pretty, I wanted to feel powerful— like I could kick butt and also be feminine. Overall, I think my outfit was just that. I felt very empowered wearing my jumpsuit and I’m so grateful to be a part of the Kara story. I haven’t made a Women’s Day plan yet, but I think it would be a good day to be appreciative of all the amazing women in my life and the ones who have contributed to my growth and success. It’s also a good day to recognize how lucky I am to have grown up here in Dubai while some women from my country are still struggling to attain their basic rights.”
N1yah
N1yah for “The Kara Women of Substance” campaign.
“Being a woman is the art of versatility whilst seemingly and effortlessly multi-tasking. We bring lives and we lead lives which is very empowering. I once wrote ‘A man wakes up to the world yet the world wakes up to a woman’. The current state of the world has majorly improved in comparison to the way it was before as women now have found their voice, are being heard, are aware of their rights, and have joined forces by creating movements to show that they will not be silenced. The highlight of this experience was being in a room full of influential women and being able to get a read on who they are through the pieces they have created for themselves with Kara. Having the ability to express is powerful in any form, and with fashion it becomes a very personal form of expression therefore it is definitely empowering as we all can dress to what we want to become. We all know how confident we feel when we are in our favorite pieces.”
Samah Elwagie
Samah Elwagie for “The Kara Women of Substance” campaign.
“Being a woman means being strong. I believe that as women we are constantly looking to find the strength to be unapologetically ourselves while facing the daily hurdles life throws on us. We’re strong when we bring life into this world, we’re strong when we can walk down the road knowing we’ll have eyes judging us, and we’re strong when we’re in the boardroom filled with men who may not think we’re worthy of having a seat there. We’re strong because regardless of what life throws at us, we’re emotionally capable to express how we truly feel and are not ashamed of it. It saddens me that it has taken us this long to really highlight situations that have been a daily struggle to many of us and to think about the number of women who have gone and are still going struggling. At the same time I’m thrilled that we have finally all come together to stand and say that we will no longer stay quiet. It’s an exciting time to use our voices and truly stand up together and say enough is enough. We’re all human and regardless of our age, culture, religion, we all deserve to be treated with the love, compassion and respect. For Women’s Day, I’ll be heading to Abu Dhabi to spend it with the two women in my life who have molded me into the woman I am today – my mother and my sister. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about the struggles they had to go through in male-dominated fields to truly prove their worth.”
Anjali Chandiramani
Anjali Chandiramani for “The Kara Women of Substance” campaign.
“For me, being a woman means making sure I’m visible wherever I go. This means making sure I believe in equality and making sure I perform as a wife, a mother, and entrepreneur. It means I allow myself to be me. Today, women are making the noise they deserve and supporting each other, which is creating a worldwide awareness that is responsible for change. Being surrounded by so many beautiful and inspiring multicultural women that came together for this campaign was a complete blast. This women’s day I’m going to thank and acknowledge every woman that has made [my boutique fitness lounge] A-Tone a success, including myself.”
