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Interview 2
Sharmmi Jeganmogan runs a business consultancy, mainly supporting the food and drinks sector.
She has been involved in various charities and volunteering since 2003. She is very involved in youth welfare and caring for the elderly of our community. She is a certified mental health first aider. She helps women overcome domestic violence and for them to live independently through education and finding work.
Sharmmi is a conservative councillor candidate in the upcoming local elections in May 2022. She wants to make Croydon a better place to live and work, so that the people of Croydon can feel proud to be Croydonians.
[Questions by Amy Norton]
Do you consider yourself a feminist? If so, what led you to realise?
Yes. I am a feminist. From a very young age I felt that I was not in any way less than a man. I feel that we are under represented in all walks of life, from board rooms to the parliament of this country. If you stand for and represent women them you are a feminist.
Name a woman who has significantly impacted your life and how.
My Mum. She is from Sri Lanka. She was 15 when she married. And was 18 when she had me. She didn’t finish her education. But she was a strong and courageous woman. During the civil war all of us were affected in some way. She kept the family going by working hard with my dad, in his business. She gave me the strength and freedom she never got from the society. I stand where I stand today because of the confidence I got from her.
Share a pivotal moment in your career.
The FMCG market is predominantly led by men. But I was the first non white and second ever female board member of the Landmark wholesale buying group in their 45 years.
Could you talk about an incident in your career where you felt you were treated differently because of your sex?
Many times being an only female in meetings doesn’t help. I felt that I have not been taken seriously. I have to be very careful with my words and any statistics I use when I speak. A man will be allowed to round up or down the figures, where as I should be spot on. Otherwise will be made fun of my lack of knowledge.
If you could have dinner with three women (alive or dead), who would it be and why?
1. Princess Diana - I always admired her beauty, her courage, her empathy, her love and care to the needy. I was a die hard fan of hers. Even when she was alive I use to wear T-shirts with her pictures printed on. I had all the books that was written about her. I cried for weeks when she passed away. 2. Jayalalitha - She was a politician. She was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, a state in India. Being a politician and winning in an Asian country shows how strong and persevering she was. She was known as the “Iron Lady of Tamil Nadu”. She was a famous actress before she became a politician. She had to discontinue her education to pursue her acting career. And yet She was fluent in several languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam and English. 3. Baroness Chalker - She is everything that I ever want to be. A successful entrepreneur, a powerful politician and a generous philanthropist. She has one of the longest service in government. She is the lady behind seat belt rules and M25. I learnt a lot from her.
What's the book that you always recommend to people and why?
War and Peace by Anton Balasingham. This book clearly states the legitimate history of the Sri Lankan civil war. I recommend this to people to understand the struggles of the Tamils, now dispersed all over the world due to the injustice done to them.
Tell us about something that makes you angry.
Injustice in any form makes me angry.
Share with us your favourite album and why?
I love Indian music. Specially Tamil film industry’s music albums. My all time favourite is Amy song from Music Composer Ilayarajah.
Could you give us an example of everyday sexism you have faced recently?
Women being treated as an object or possession. When someone misbehaves towards a woman, she is told that she asked for it with her revealing clothes and attitude. This needs to change.
Is there an issue facing women today that you feel most concerned about?
“To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man's injustice to woman. If by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man’s superior” says Mahatma Gandhi. Our women need to understand that she is capable of doing anything she wishes to.. she has the power within herself. But the society doesn’t let her realise it as they are afraid of what she might become. Because she will become so powerful that nothing can stop her till she reaches her goal.
What advice would you give to your eighteen-year-old self?
Don’t ever doubt yourself. Don’t ever not do something that you want to do because of the fear that you won’t succeed.
Tell us something few people know about you.
I am a classical dancer. I love to dance in the rain.