Smita is the founder of HEMLATA, an organisation that advocates tertiary quality education for girls, focusing on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030 #4 - Quality Education and #5 - Gender Equality.

Thanks to her organisation HEMLATA, we have the opportunity to see the powerful film, shot in the highly patriarchal state of Haryana in India, which will be unveiled by the United Nations to celebrate International Women's Day on 8 March 2021.

SON RISE is a path-breaking documentary by multi-award winning film director Vibha Bakshi, who opens our eyes to gender inequality and gender justice around the world.

The fact that there are still countries where girls are not even allowed to be born because they are not equal to boys left a deep impression on me. Therefore, it is not surprising that the negative effects were only recognised too late. Smita, who grew up in India, founded HEMLATA in 2002. As a new member, and to support International Women’s Day, bwomen is supporting HEMLATA to screen the film SON RISE. With the film you support the organisation, which she tells you more about in her member profile.

You can register for the film and receive the link to watch the 45-minutes documentary anytime between 20 February and 8 March 2021.

Who is Smita Suchde Grütter? 
I grew up in India, studied Economics and Political Science, then went on to study Law. An education in these fields would most certainly have meant that I pursue international relations or the field of Law.
But having been raised in a traditional family it was impossible for me as a woman to practise or go to court. Education was one thing but working when you did not need to make ends meet, was another.

And so, I thought, fine, I’ll start my own business - First in high-end jewellery and then in fashion, leading me to a further education at Parson’s school of fashion in New York.
While embarking on my entrepreneurship journey, I learnt to speak German, leading to new opportunities as a Buyer of Luxury lifestyle products, designing the strategic branding and marketing for a Swiss water company, and the creation of my own Event management company in Zürich.

Parallel to my work, I continued my education, graduating with an EMBA from IMD in Lausanne and from THNK school of creative leadership, simultaneously pursuing my passion, at HEMLATA, to empower the now and the next generation of young girls.

After two decades of work in the social sector, in 2018, I designed the HEMLATA 100 Initiative, based on the SDGs of 2030.

In India, years of patriarchy has resulted in the passing on the advantage to the male child, over the female, resulting in an imbalance in the opportunities available to girls. HEMLATA’s H100 Initiative seeks to address this imbalance through an innovative all-round approach by providing a young girl, from the lowest socio-economic strata, the opportunity to quality education in an accredited college in India, supported by the pillars of Mentorship, Lifeskills, and interdisciplinary learning.

Who or what has strongly influenced your professional career?
Without a doubt, my mother, HEMLATA. My mother empowered me what I call – #thefreedomofchoice - to choose to study further and go to college or to get married. This freedom of my choice has since, defined my life, creating opportunities that would allow me to not just pursue my education but also my work, both in India and abroad.

Why are you a member of bwomen?
Many of my friends are members of this organization. As the founder of a non-profit empowering girls to act as change-makers in their communities, being part of an all- women’s organization, just seems right. I am sincerely looking forward to connecting with the other members and interacting on community expertise.

On which topics can other members contact you and where?
Branding, Strategic marketing, Public Speaking, and India.

Contact me at: smitasuchde@gmail.com