We know what Fuzia means to us, but what does it mean to people outside our community? This was a major question posed by The Flip N’ Shift’s Julie Walz. So, Fuzia’s co-founder, Shraddha Varma, got onto her podcast to answer this (and many other) questions about women’s place and role in society, Fuzia’s inception and goals, and a lot more.
Let’s take a look at some of the highlight moments from the podcast.
“We live in a patriarchal society even today and a lot of the things have been influenced that way. […] This mindset is still something that dates back to centuries, where women feel that there are certain types of work only men should do, there are only certain kinds of work that only women should do, and there are certain kinds of work that women are not supposed to do…”
https://youtu.be/CK17BucQUTc?t=478
The podcast kicks off with a truth bomb. That’s a reality most of us have not only seen but experienced in our lives. This patriarchal mindset is something that has affected not only Indian women but also those across the globe.
As Varma points out in the podcast, only 2% of the CEOs in India are women — this is just one of the many numbers that highlight the reality of women living under patriarchy.
These women often tend to have low confidence levels or hesitancy to do what they want and express their voices. This is the crux of the problem.
And the solution is something that Fuzia (and all of us) are working towards.
“Girls, in general, are hesitant to come up on their own, speak up for themselves. This is exactly what Riya posed a question, and we thought, why not, let’s create something so girls are able to influence each other through their creative pursuits.”
https://youtu.be/CK17BucQUTc?t=725
In this segment, Varma elaborates on how Fuzia was conceptualised to solve this very issue — of letting women express themselves and inspire others around them.
Founder Riya Sinha & Co-Founder Shraddha Varma
In a serendipitous moment, Varma got together with Riya in 2012 to start the Fuzia Writing Club. And what started as a writing club was launched to the world in 2015, and within a year, it was a million members strong.
“My vision of Fuzia is to make the platform a happy place for women, for individuals to grow and empower each other.”
https://youtu.be/CK17BucQUTc?t=1554
Fuzia isn’t like other online communities; it is different. This is what Varma further goes on to elaborate on. Instead of having a platform that criticizes, puts down, or judges its members’ creative pursuits, Fuzia wants to be an open space for women to showcase themselves, listen to each other, and inspire.
What’s the point of the community if it does not grow itself and others? That’s why Fuzia is here. To be women’s space to be themselves without feeling overwhelmed, hesitant, or judged.
The Fuzia concept has come from the heart and it has stayed true to itself. This is why women of Fuzia are not only becoming better artists but are also growing professionally. Fuzia has become a talent-hunt platform for many businesses and entrepreneurs!
“We are nurturing these talents. They get better at their skill sets, they utilize these skill sets by working on live projects with businesses and entrepreneurs.”
https://youtu.be/CK17BucQUTc?t=1894In this segment, Varma further discusses the mission of Fuzia and its women. It is not simply to get together and discuss poetry, it is to break the cycle. It is to inspire others to become better women, better artists, better professionals. And help others — 5% of our proceeds do go to NGOs we have tied up with.
Suffice to say, our platform is not meant to teach how to create art, but to become more empowered women and inspire others. The art will come on its own. It’s the difference between giving someone a fish and teaching someone how to catch a fish.
The podcast is quite eye-opening as it drops some truths about women in our society, the role creative pursuits can play in women’s empowerment, and where Fuzia stands in this equation.
If you want to listen to the entire podcast, tune in to Flip N’ Shift’s Expert Series Shraddha Varma EPS 17.
Fuzia is a global online women’s networking community and a talent showcase platform for creativity where women empower women and help discover their best through Fuzia world. Sign-Up to explore your creativity https://www.fuzia.com/signin.