I'm here to tell you not just my story but stories of exceptional women from India whom I've met. They continue to inspire me, teach me, guide me in my journey of my life. These are incredible women. They never had an opportunity to go to school, they had no degrees, no travel, no exposure. Ordinary women who did extraordinary things with the greatest of their courage, wisdom and humility. These are my teachers.
我來這裡,要跟大家 分享的不僅是我的故事, 還有我遇見的幾位 不凡的印度女性的故事。 在我人生的道路上, 這些故事一直鼓舞我、 教導我、引導我。 這些女人相當了不起。 她們從來沒有機會上學, 她們沒有學位, 沒有遊歷,沒有曝光。 平凡的女人做出不凡的事, 她們有最偉大的勇氣、 智慧,以及謙卑。 她們是我的老師。
For the last three decades, I've been working, staying and living in India and working with women in rural India. I was born and brought up in Mumbai. When I was in college, I met Jayaprakash Narayan, famous Gandhian leader who inspired youth to work in rural India. I went into the villages to work in rural India. I was part of land rights movement, farmers' movement and women's movement. On the same line, I ended up in a very small village, fell in love with a young, handsome, dynamic young farmer-leader who was not very educated, but he could pull the crowd. And so in the passion of youth, I married him and left Mumbai, and went to a small village which did not have running water and no toilet. Honestly, my family and friends were horrified.
在過去三十年, 我在印度工作、居留、生活, 和印度農村的女性合作。 我在孟買出生和長大。 我讀大學時, 我遇到了賈雅普拉卡什納拉揚, 他是著名的甘地主義領袖, 他鼓勵年輕人在印度農村工作。 為了在印度農村工作, 我進到村子裡。 我參與了地權運動、 農夫運動, 以及女性運動。 我一直用這樣的方式, 最後到了一個非常小的村子, 愛上了一個年輕英俊 且很有動能的年輕農夫領袖, 他沒有受過多少教育, 但他能夠帶動群眾。 出於年輕人的熱情, 我嫁給他了, 並離開了孟買, 到一個小村子去, 那裡沒有自來水,沒有廁所。 老實說,我的家人 和朋友都嚇壞了。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
I was staying with my family, with my three children in the village, and one day, a few years later one day, a woman called Kantabai came to me. Kantabai said, "I want to open a saving account. I want to save." I asked Kantabai: "You are doing business of blacksmith. Do you have enough money to save? You are staying on the street. Can you save?" Kantabai was insistent. She said, "I want to save because I want to buy a plastic sheet before the monsoons arrive. I want to save my family from rain." I went with Kantabai to the bank. Kantabai wanted to save 10 rupees a day -- less than 15 cents. Bank manager refused to open the account of Kantabai. He said Kantabai's amount is too small and it's not worth his time. Kantabai was not asking any loan from the bank. She was not asking any subsidy or grant from the government. What she was asking was to have a safe place to save her hard-earned money. And that was her right. And I went -- I said if banks are not opening the account of Kantabai, why not start the bank which will give an opportunity for women like Kantabai to save? And I applied for the banking license to Reserve Bank of India.
我和我的家人同住, 我和三個孩子同住在村子裡。 有一天, 幾年後的某一天, 一名叫做坎塔貝的女子來找我, 坎塔貝說:「我想開個儲蓄帳戶。 我想要存錢。」 我問坎塔貝: 「你在做鐵匠的工作。 你有足夠的錢可以存嗎? 你還住在街頭。 你能存錢嗎?」 坎塔貝很堅持。 她說:「我想要存錢,因為我想要 在雨季來臨之前買一片塑膠板 為我的家人遮雨。」 我和坎塔貝一起去銀行。 坎塔貝想要一天存十盧比, 那還不到十五分錢。 銀行經理拒絕幫坎塔貝開帳戶。 他說坎塔貝的金額太小了, 不值得他花時間。 坎塔貝沒有向這間銀行要求貸款。 她也沒有向政府要求任何補助金。 她想要的只是一個安全的地方, 讓她可以安心存放辛苦賺來的錢。 那是她的權利。 而我去—— 我說,如果銀行不為坎塔貝開戶, 那為什麼不開一間銀行, 提供像坎塔貝這樣的女性 一個存錢的機會? 我向印度儲備銀行 申請了銀行業務執照。
(Applause)
(掌聲)
No, it was not an easy task. Our license was rejected --
不,那並不是很簡單的事。 我們的執照申請被拒絕了。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
on the grounds -- Reserve Bank said that we cannot issue a license to the bank whose promoting members who are nonliterate. I was terrified. I was crying. And by coming back home, I was continuously crying. I told Kantabai and other women that we couldn't get the license because our women are nonliterate. Our women said, "Stop crying. We will learn to read and write and apply again, so what?"
原因是, 儲備銀行說,不能發執照給 提倡的成員不識字的銀行。 我怔住了。 我哭了。 回到家, 我還不斷在哭。 我告訴坎塔貝和其他女性, 我們無法取得執照, 因為我們的女性們不識字。 我們的女性們說:「別哭了。 我們就來學讀和寫, 然後再申請一次,又怎樣?」
(Applause)
(掌聲)
We started our literacy classes. Every day our women would come. They were so determined that after working the whole day, they would come to the class and learn to read and write. After five months, we applied again, but this time I didn't go alone. Fifteen women accompanied me to Reserve Bank of India. Our women told the officer of Reserve Bank, "You rejected the license because we cannot read and write. You rejected the license because we are nonliterate." But they said, "There were no schools when we were growing, so we are not responsible for our noneducation." And they said, "We cannot read and write, but we can count."
我們開始了識字課。 每天,我們的女性們都會來上課。 她們非常堅決,工作了一整天之後, 還會來上課,學習讀和寫。 五個月後, 我們再次申請, 但這一次,我不是一個人去的。 十五位女性陪我一起到 印度儲備銀行。 我們的女性們告訴 儲備銀行的主管: 「你之前因為我們不能讀寫 而拒絕了執照申請。 因為我們不識字而拒絕發照。」 但她們說:「我們 成長的過程中沒有學校, 所以我們沒受教育 並不是我們的錯。」 她們說:「我們不能讀和寫, 但我們會算。」
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
(Applause)
(掌聲)
And they challenged the officer. "Then tell us to calculate the interest of any principal amount."
她們挑戰那位主管。 「那就叫我們計算 任何本金的利息。」
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
"If we are unable to do it, don't give us license. Tell your officers to do it without a calculator and see who can calculate faster."
「如果我們算不出來, 就不要發執照給我們。 叫你的職員不用計算機來算, 看誰算得比較快。」
(Applause)
(掌聲)
Needless to say, we got the banking license.
不用說, 我們得到銀行業務執照了。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
(Applause)
(掌聲)
Today, more than 100,000 women are banking with us and we have more than 20 million dollars of capital. This is all women's savings, women capital, no outside investors asking for a business plan. No. It's our own rural women's savings.
現今,我們有超過十萬名女客戶, 資本額超過兩千萬美元。 通通都是女性的存款, 女性的資本, 沒有外在的投資者 要求要提供事業計畫。 沒有。 這都是我們農村女性的存款。
(Applause)
(掌聲)
I also want to say that yes, after we got the license, today Kantabai has her own house and is staying with her family in her own house for herself and her family.
我也想要說,是的, 在我們取得執照之後, 坎塔貝現在已經有了自己的房子, 和她的家人住在一起, 她和家人住在自己的房子裡。
(Applause)
(掌聲)
When we started our banking operations, I could see that our women were not able to come to the bank because they used to lose the working day. I thought if women are not coming to the bank, bank will go to them, and we started doorstep banking. Recently, we starting digital banking. Digital banking required to remember a PIN number. Our women said, "We don't want a PIN number. That's not a good idea." And we tried to explain to them that maybe you should remember the PIN number; we will help you to remember the PIN number. They were firm. They said, "suggest something else," and they --
當我們開始銀行的營運時, 我發現我們的女性無法來銀行, 因為這樣她們就會無法工作。 我心想,如果女性無法來銀行, 那銀行就去找她們, 我們就開始了家門銀行業務。 最近,我們開始了數位銀行業務。 數位銀行業務需要記得 PIN 碼。 我們的女性說: 「我們不想要 PIN 碼。 那不是個好點子。」 我們試著向她們解釋 也許你們應該記住 PIN 碼; 我們會協助你們記住 PIN 碼。 她們很堅定。 她們說:「來點別的建議。」 她們——
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
and they said, "What about thumb?" I thought that's a great idea. We'll link that digital banking with biometric, and now women use the digital financial transaction by using the thumb. And you know what they said? They said, "Anybody can steal my PIN number and take away my hard-earned money, but nobody can steal my thumb."
她們說:「用拇指如何?」 我認為那是個很棒的點子。 我們把數位銀行業務 和生物測定學連結, 現在,女人只要用拇指 就可以進行數位財務交易。 你們知道她們怎麼說嗎? 她們說:「任何人 都能偷走我的 PIN 碼, 拿走我的血汗錢, 但沒有人能偷走我的拇指。」
(Applause)
(掌聲)
That reinforced the teaching which I have always learned from women: never provide poor solutions to poor people. They are smart.
那完全展現出了我從 女人身上所學到的事: 絕不要提供蹩腳的解決方案給窮人。 他們很聰明。
(Applause)
(掌聲)
A few months later, another woman came to the bank -- Kerabai. She mortgaged her gold and took the loan. I asked Kerabai, "Why are you mortgaging your precious jewelry and taking a loan?" Kerabai said, "Don't you realize that it's a terrible drought? There's no food or fodder for the animals. No water. I'm mortgaging gold to buy food and fodder for my animals." And then she asks me, "Can I mortgage gold and get water?" I had no answer. Kerabai challenged me: "You're working in the village with women and finance, but what if one day there's no water? If you leave this village, with whom are you going to do banking?" Kerabai had a valid question, so in this drought, we decided to start the cattle camp in the area. It's where farmers can bring their animals to one place and get fodder and water. It didn't rain. Cattle camp was extended for 18 months. Kerabai used to move around in the cattle camp and sing the songs of encouragement. Kerabai became very popular. It rained and cattle camp was ended, but after cattle camp ended, Kerabai came to our radio -- we have community radio which has more than 100,000 listeners. She said, "I want to have a regular show on the radio." Our radio manager said, "Kerabai, you cannot read and write. How will you write the script?" You know what she replied? "I cannot read and write, but I can sing. What's the big deal?"
幾個月之後, 另一位女性來到銀行—— 克拉拜。 她抵押了她的金子,取得了貸款。 我問克拉拜:「你為什麼 要把你寶貴的珠寶拿來抵押 取得貸款?」 克拉拜說:「你不知道 旱災很嚴重嗎? 沒有食物或飼料可以給動物吃。 沒有水。 我把金子拿來抵押,是為了 買食物和飼料給我的動物吃。」 接著,她問我:「我能 把金子抵押換成水嗎?」 我沒有答案。 克拉拜挑戰我:「你在村子裡做 女性的財務工作, 但如果有一天,沒有水了呢? 如果你離開這個村子, 你要跟誰做銀行生意?」 克拉拜的問題是有根據的, 所以,在這場旱災時, 我們決定要在這個區域 開始一個牲口營。 農場主可以把他們的動物 帶到這個地方, 取得飼料和水。 一直沒有下雨。 牲口營延長到了十八個月。 克拉拜那時會在牲口營中到處跑, 唱一些鼓勵的歌曲。 克拉拜變得很有名。 後來下雨了,牲口營就終止了, 但在牲口營終止後, 克拉拜來到我們的無線電台—— 我們有社區無線電台, 有超過十萬名聽眾。 她說:「我想要在電台 有個固定的節目。」 我們的電台經理說: 「克拉拜,你不會讀和寫。 你要如何寫劇本?」 你們知道她怎麼回嗎? 「我不會讀和寫, 但我會唱。 有什麼大不了的?」
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
And today, Kerabai is doing a regular radio program, and not only that, she's become a famous radio jockey and she has been invited by all of the radios, even from Mumbai. She gets the invitation and she does the show.
現今, 克拉拜有一個固定的 無線電台節目, 不只如此, 她還成了有名的電台 DJ, 各個電台都想邀請她, 包括孟買的電台。 她受到邀請,她就去做節目。
(Applause)
(掌聲)
Kerabai has become a local celebrity. One day I asked Kerabai, "How did you end up singing?" She said, "Shall I tell you the real fact? When I was pregnant with my first child, I was always hungry. I did not have enough food to eat. I did not have enough money to buy food, and so to forget my hunger, I started singing." So strong and wise, no? I always think that our women overcome so many obstacles -- cultural, social, financial -- and they find out their ways.
克拉拜變成了當地的名人。 有一天,我問克拉拜: 「你為什麼最後會選擇唱歌?」 她說:「我該告訴你真相嗎? 當我懷了第一個孩子時, 我總是很飢餓。 我沒有足夠的食物可以吃。 我沒有足夠的錢可以買食物, 所以,為了忘卻飢餓, 我開始唱歌。」 很堅強也很睿智,對吧? 我總是認為我們的女性 克服了許多障礙—— 文化的、社會的、財務的—— 她們找到自己的路。
I would like to share another story: Sunita Kamble. She has taken a course in a business school, and she has become a veterinary doctor. She's Dalit; she comes from an untouchable caste, but she does artificial insemination in goats. It is a very male-dominated profession and it is all the more difficult for Sunita because Sunita comes from an untouchable caste. But she worked very hard. She did successful goat deliveries in the region and she became a famous goat doctor. Recently, she got a national award. I went to Sunita's house to celebrate -- to congratulate her. When I entered the village, I saw a big cutout of Sunita. Sunita was smiling on that picture. I was really surprised to see an untouchable, coming from the village, having a big cutout at the entrance of the village. When I went to her house, I was even more amazed because upper caste leaders -- men -- were sitting in the house, in her house, and having chai and water, which is very rare in India. Upper caste leaders do not go to an untouchable's house and have chai or water. And they were requesting her to come and address the gathering of the village. Sunita broke centuries-old caste conditioning in India.
我還想要分享另一個故事: 蘇妮塔坎布里。 她在商業學校上課, 她變成了獸醫。 她是賤民; 她來自最低的階層, 但她做羊的人工授精。 那是個非常男性主導的職業, 且對蘇妮塔來說更是困難, 因為蘇妮塔來自最低的階層。 但她非常努力。 她在那個地區讓小羊成功出生, 且她變成了有名的羊醫生。 最近,她得到了一個國家獎項, 我到蘇妮塔的家中慶祝—— 去恭喜她。 當我進入村子時, 我看到蘇妮塔的大型看板圖片。 圖片中的蘇妮塔在微笑。 我真的感到很意外,一個賤民, 來自村子, 她的大型看板圖片 就放在村子的入口。 當我到了她家時, 還有更讓我驚奇的, 因為上層階級的領導人—— 男人——就坐在房子裡, 她的房子裡, 喝印度奶茶和水, 這在印度是非常罕見的。 上層階級的領導人 不會去賤民的房子 喝印度奶茶和水。 他們希望她能 參與村子的聚會並在聚會上演說。 蘇妮塔打破了印度有 數世紀歷史的階級條件。
(Applause)
(掌聲)
Let me come to what the younger generations do. As I'm standing here -- I'm so proud as I stand here, from Mhaswad to Vancouver. Back home, Sarita Bhise -- she's not even 16 years old. She's preparing herself -- she's a part of our sports program, Champions' program. She's preparing herself to represent India in field hockey. And you know where she's going? She's going to represent in 2020 Olympics, Tokyo.
讓我來談談年輕世代會做什麼。 我站在這裡—— 我很驕傲我能站在這裡, 從姆哈斯瓦德到溫哥華。 在家鄉,薩莉塔貝賽—— 她甚至還不到十六歲。 她在讓自己做好準備—— 她是我們運動計畫的一員, 冠軍計畫。 她在讓自己做好準備, 代表印度參加曲棍球賽。 你們知道她要去哪裡嗎? 2020 年她要代表去東京奧運。
(Applause)
(掌聲)
Sarita comes from a very poor shepherd community. I am just -- I couldn't be more proud of her.
薩莉塔來自一個 非常貧窮的牧羊社區。 我只是——我對她太感到驕傲了。
There are millions of women like Sarita, Kerabai, Sunita, who can be around you also. They can be all over the world, but at first glance you may think that they do not have anything to say, they do not have anything to share. You would be so wrong. I am so lucky that I'm working with these women. They are sharing their stories with me, they are sharing their wisdom with me, and I'm just lucky to be with them. 20 years before -- and I'm so proud -- we went to Reserve Bank of India and we set up the first rural women's bank. Today they are pushing me to go to National Stock Exchange to set up the first fund dedicated to micro rural women entrepreneurs. They are pushing me to set up the first small finance women's bank in the world. And as one of them said, "My courage is my capital." And I say here, their courage is my capital. And if you want, it can be yours also.
有數百萬名像薩莉塔、 克拉拜、蘇妮塔這樣的女人, 你們身邊可能也有。 可能全世界都有這樣的人, 但看第一眼時,你可能會 認為她們沒有什麼可以說的, 她們沒有什麼可以分享的。 那你就大錯特錯了。 我很幸運,能和這些女性合作。 她們和我分享她們的故事, 和我分享她們的智慧, 我很幸運能和她們在一起。 二十年前—— 且我很驕傲—— 我去了印度儲備銀行, 且設立了第一間農村女人的銀行。 現在,她們在催促我 去全國股票交易所, 設立第一個專門提供給 農村女性微型創業家的基金。 她們在催促我成立 世界上第一個女性小型金融銀行。 正如她們其中一人說的: 「我的勇氣就是我的資本。」 我說,在這裡, 她們的勇氣就是我的資本。 如果你願意, 她們的勇氣也能成為你的資本。
Thank you.
謝謝。
(Applause)
(掌聲)