Living on her terms
By Rajni Padaruth
Published on 13th June, 2008
Aansa Bedacee is a young, dynamic girl with multiple talents. She has been a model, TV presenter, painter, columnist, a PR Director and is presently PR & Events Leader.
She believes that women should achieve professional success without putting heir dignity at stake.
Aansa says: “The present Mauritian society is working towards building equality between both sexes. Unfortunately, a lot of work needs to be done. In general, men in our society like working women. However, there are many at the clerical level or in lower posts who don’t like women as superiors. Very few of the male population believe in women’s professional capabilities. I think great effort is required to change the mindset of ‘chauvinist/macho’ men to accept to be led in the professional world by a woman. Usually, high calibre women who are courageous enough to confront the professional world, mostly dominated by men, often find themselves being victims of sexual, verbal, moral harassment at their workplace.”
Aansa looks like one who enjoys collecting diplomas and degrees. She holds three Post Graduate degrees - a Master of Arts in French, in 2002, from the University of Mauritius (UOM) and won a Gold Medal and a Post Graduate research Prize; a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) in French from UOM, in 2004; a Diploma in Mass Communication and Journalism in 2006 from the Indira Gandhi National Open University.(IGNOU). She has just completed her PhD in French. And this is not all.
Rich career path
She learnt painting and Kathak (Indian Dance), Salsa (Latino-American Dance) and Belly Dancing (Egyptian Dance) for three years. She says: “ These dancing activities equally teach me how to move through my life with grace and spirit, to flow with the melody line and to be stress-free. I have chosen belly dance for cultural experience, self-expression, and self-discovery and as a movement therapy. I enjoy reading a lot. Reading books is not only entertaining, but it evokes beautiful emotions, helps me to widen my knowledge, discover new horizons,” she adds.
She says, “My career path is very rich and I am thankful and feel blessed for getting opportunities easily. At the age of 21, I got the post of PR Director and at 23 , I was already the Corporate Communications Manager of a Multi National Company. However, my professional achievements taught me that power and money do not necessarily bring happiness. I learnt from my experience that ultimately, it is love that is important. I have brought certain changes to my career path to establish equilibrium between my professional and personal life. I need to meet the people I love, people who make a difference to my life in order to make my life worth living.”
Aansa upholds that her professional success is rooted in her hard work. “As a teenager, I already had strong convictions. When my friends were enjoying themselves, I was busy working on women’s issues at international level. I was only 16 when I represented the Mauritian women and youths at the Pre-conference of Beijing held in Senegal. On my return, I made speeches on behalf of the Ministry of Women to sensitize the population about the need to empower women.”
Aansa rates her life as different from others: “I do not lead a conditioned life. I live life on my own terms, according to my values, my beliefs and my heart’s desires… This is the real meaning of success… Always be true to yourself!”
Aansa says: “The present Mauritian society is working towards building equality between both sexes. Unfortunately, a lot of work needs to be done. In general, men in our society like working women. However, there are many at the clerical level or in lower posts who don’t like women as superiors. Very few of the male population believe in women’s professional capabilities. I think great effort is required to change the mindset of ‘chauvinist/macho’ men to accept to be led in the professional world by a woman. Usually, high calibre women who are courageous enough to confront the professional world, mostly dominated by men, often find themselves being victims of sexual, verbal, moral harassment at their workplace.”
Aansa looks like one who enjoys collecting diplomas and degrees. She holds three Post Graduate degrees - a Master of Arts in French, in 2002, from the University of Mauritius (UOM) and won a Gold Medal and a Post Graduate research Prize; a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) in French from UOM, in 2004; a Diploma in Mass Communication and Journalism in 2006 from the Indira Gandhi National Open University.(IGNOU). She has just completed her PhD in French. And this is not all.
Rich career path
She learnt painting and Kathak (Indian Dance), Salsa (Latino-American Dance) and Belly Dancing (Egyptian Dance) for three years. She says: “ These dancing activities equally teach me how to move through my life with grace and spirit, to flow with the melody line and to be stress-free. I have chosen belly dance for cultural experience, self-expression, and self-discovery and as a movement therapy. I enjoy reading a lot. Reading books is not only entertaining, but it evokes beautiful emotions, helps me to widen my knowledge, discover new horizons,” she adds.
She says, “My career path is very rich and I am thankful and feel blessed for getting opportunities easily. At the age of 21, I got the post of PR Director and at 23 , I was already the Corporate Communications Manager of a Multi National Company. However, my professional achievements taught me that power and money do not necessarily bring happiness. I learnt from my experience that ultimately, it is love that is important. I have brought certain changes to my career path to establish equilibrium between my professional and personal life. I need to meet the people I love, people who make a difference to my life in order to make my life worth living.”
Aansa upholds that her professional success is rooted in her hard work. “As a teenager, I already had strong convictions. When my friends were enjoying themselves, I was busy working on women’s issues at international level. I was only 16 when I represented the Mauritian women and youths at the Pre-conference of Beijing held in Senegal. On my return, I made speeches on behalf of the Ministry of Women to sensitize the population about the need to empower women.”
Aansa rates her life as different from others: “I do not lead a conditioned life. I live life on my own terms, according to my values, my beliefs and my heart’s desires… This is the real meaning of success… Always be true to yourself!”