The first ever community for empowered Jain women

Read on to know why I think we should have one and how you can join it

Hi there,

I have wanted to do this for a super long time. The pandemic and some intense self-discovery have finally given me the right energy to get to this.

What’s this all about

“Ye aaj kal ki ladkiya…” we have all heard this phrase a million times (most times in a critical context). But our families, the men in our lives and the wider Jain community (no matter which specific samaj you belong to) don’t really know (and definitely don’t understand) what or who the modern Jain woman really is.

Educated, empowered, bold and confident– I can safely say we are the most privileged generation of women in the history of all Jain communities (we all know how our mothers’ lives are).

We are the first generation of women who are changing the rules of how our samaj thinks and operates. We are no longer confined to the walls of our house, and we are no longer scared to ask for what we want. We are no longer hiding our opinions– we are truly empowered.

But we are also majorly misunderstood.

Due to this, most of us are forced to choose between “being modern or being traditional”. But why should we have to pick a side?

Why can’t we have a healthy balance? We don’t have to entirely give up on our culture, religion, or values to have a career or be the next Kamala Harris.

In the last 10 years of trying to live the ultimate modern representation of the Jain woman, I learnt that our problems are super unique, and we lack a place to discuss and share them. We need each other more than we think.

The goal of this newsletter is to foster a community…

1. To help us grow, network and learn. We can support each other’s business professional goals, share our expertise, knowledge and even solutions to similar household stuff (since every Jain house has a similar culture), and so much more…

2. To create a safe space for us to share our woes, amplify our joys, inspire and support each other (need I say more about the power of good girlfriends?)

3. To bridge the generation gap, we have with the older men and women in our life (think mummy, MiL, etc.) and the community as a whole who has wholly misunderstood us and very quickly blame every household problem on “aaj kal ki ladkiya” (I’m sure you have heard that before) 

4. And most importantly, to bring a systemic change in how women in the Jain samaj are perceived especially since we are the first generation of women breaking barriers. This will also set the course right for future generations of women.

Is it a blog? An event?

The Modern Myna is a community of women who want to strike the balance between the modern and the traditional.

This is just the first step. This also says that it’s not just, I say, and you listen. This is a two-way street.

All I am doing is doing the heavy lifting of putting the first block in place. I will need a ton of your help to pave the road, and I shall share details as we go. 

Why is it not a WhatsApp group or yet another Instagram page? Because we are spending more time than needed on social media (I know, right!)

Besides, email is powerful. If there is one thing I have learned in my 8 different jobs, including the United Nations, working in 4 other countries and travelling to 26 countries (not bragging), email is still the best way to communicate. Email gets work done. And it gets us reading (I can’t stress how important this is).

But why such a name?

Myna is my fav fav fav Jain mythology character (her claim to fame is the Shripal Myna raas…. will share the story someday), so she is symbolic of womanhood. And Modern because the wider Jain samaj needs to know being modern is not all about speaking English and wearing western clothes (phew).

So what next?

If you think I’m making any sense and feel this community is much needed and will be helpful for us to grow and prosper, simply sign up. And share the link with as many like-minded Jain women as you know.

Join the community!

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I’m Mili Semlani and you can connect with me here and here.

Questions, ideas, suggestions or feedback? Make sure to put it in the comments box below.