DUBAI As New Year diaries and calendars hit the market, events group Woman2Woman is launching an initiative called Calendar Girls 2016 to promote a ‘positive image’ among residents.
Zareen Khan, founder of w2w, told XPRESS 14 role models were selected for the project whose theme revolves around fairytales. She said each woman, who represents a different fairytale character symbolising the super hero within her, also has an inspiring story to tell based on her experiences.
Different backgrounds
Ages 10 to 50, the models come from different professional backgrounds. They include students, businesswomen, chefs, artists and actors. From Komal, a plus size model in her 20s who has been fighting stereotypes on beauty to teenager Yasmina, an Eastern European who has defied all odds to become an actor/singer, each of the models has had her share of adversity. There are special needs models too like Mahek, a hearing impaired dancer, Bindiya, a cerebral palsy patient and Anita Menon who suffers from Down Syndrome (see box).
Khan said she came up with the idea of the calendar after she met Menon.
“She is the inspiration behind this project. When her mum told me about her desire to be a model and her ambition to work hard to achieve it, I knew her story had to be shared. All the Calendar Girls are symbols of strength, courage and inspiration. They are my real life heroes.”
She said the Calendar Girls will be launched at a special event at Gallery of Light, DUCTAC in the Mall of the Emirates on November 28. “We have roped in an expert panel of speakers, including Dina Taji, the woman’s body building champion, Mahima Mehta, owner of MAD – Mad About Dance institute and Kimberley Miranda, a fashion designer for disabled teens, to talk at the event,” added Khan.
A Calendar Girls documentary – shot and produced by filmmaker Kalyan Chakravarthy – will also be screened on the occasion.
The event is open to the public and entry is free. Complimentary calendars will be distributed among those present.
The Calendar Girls
Juri: A Filipina in her 20s who has been fighting stereotypes all her life
Komal: A plus size model in her early 20s
Dutchess: A gorgeous African American who loves her tanned skin
Yasmina: Eastern European actor/singer who has been fighting all odds to follow her dreams
Dilaxi: Sri Lankan real life beauty queen who believes beauty is more than just looks
Menaka: A young model who has a story of loss to share
Bindiya: A cerebral palsy patient who is a full-time writer
Anita: A Down Syndrome model who wants to change the world’s perception of beauty
Ritu: A woman in her 50s who says age is just a number
Kim: An air hostess and artist who broke the norms to follow her dreams
Rumali: A Sri Lankan student who celebrates everything different
Mahek: A hearing impaired professional dancer
Pooja: A bullied victim who is now a mum and symbol of strength
Piya: Pooja’s daughter with a story of courage