Two Women, One Mission: Joey Horn and Nalini Malani — On Empowerment, Humanity, and Philanthropy — The European Business Review
Across the globe, women around the world continue to experience hardships, inequalities, and contention. Fighting to champion the rights and privileges of all, women are also continuously raising each other up in the quest for equality, a humane society, empowerment of marginalized groups, and social justice.
Philanthropist has devoted her time and energy to championing these causes through involvement in various charitable organizations. Innovative modern artist Nalini Malani has also dedicated her artful expression to showcase the stories of traditionally marginalized people and works to propel education and understanding. Though both of these inspirational women come from vastly different backgrounds, they are interconnected through a mutual commitment to empowerment, humanity, and philanthropy.
Joey Horn is the current Managing Director for Oak Management, a private investment management company. Leading to this position, quadrilingual Horn has developed leadership experience in the corporate world through previous assignments as Investment Banker at Credit Suisse First Boston in New York, and Consultant with the Boston Consulting Group in Oslo. Horn received her Bachelor’s Degree from Williams College and an MBA from Yale. Through her professional endeavors, Horn has traveled the world and has gained invaluable cultural experiences via residency in Paris, New York, Oslo, Singapore, and London.
Involved in various charitable organizations, Horn’s philanthropic endeavors center around empowering women, providing opportunities for children, and bringing resources to families in need. In addition to forwarding systemic change through such endeavors, Horn has recently lent her talents to serve as the Executive Producer of a predominantly female-driven motion picture, “Liberté: A Call to Spy.”
Nalini Malani is an internationally renowned contemporary artist . Focused primarily on painting and drawing throughout the early stages of her career, Malani expanded her portfolio to include video, film, and animation. She is well known for expanding her works beyond the intended medium, resulting in shadow play, wide range installations, and multi-projection works. Malani’s work has been featured throughout renowned international museums, including the famed Stedelijk Museum, and New York’s MoMA Museum of Modern Art. In 2013, Malani won the coveted Fukuoka Arts and Culture Prize. This year, Malani was also awarded the first National Gallery Contemporary Fellowship, supported by Art Fund.
Born in India in 1946, Malani witnessed discrimination and social injustice based on gender, class, and other identifiers within the country. As an artist and social activist, Malani leverages her reach to create works that speak to these topics, incite conversation, and forward social change. Through her work, Malani intends to give voice to marginalized groups, fighting for their representation through art. Malani’s pieces often focus on transnational politics, conflict and strife, gender roles, and the ramifications of globalization. This exciting two-year research, production, and exhibition program will allow the artist to complete new works that will undoubtedly forward her empowerment, visibility, and social justice missions.
For both women, inspiring and empowering other women has long been a battle cry. Leveraging their unique skills and resources, Horn and Malani have both fought to provide opportunities, visibility, equal rights, and resources for underrepresented and otherwise marginalized women.
Early within her career as an artist, Nalini Malani found herself wildly disappointed with the lack of representation of fellow female artists throughout India. Throughout this turbulent time in the country’s history, female artists did not receive attention and validation, so Malani took matters into her own hands. In 1985, Malani successfully curated the first all-female art show in Delhi. Bringing female artists together to showcase solidarity and a spirit of community, instead of competition, Malani started this traveling all-female exhibition to bring awareness of the talented female artists who were overlooked at the time. The show exhibited art in public spaces, steering away from the elitist art galleries, bringing art for the people to the people.
As an avid philanthropist, Joey Horn has helped countless women through participation in the international organization Mothers2Mothers. The organization was created to end Africa’s HIV/AIDS epidemic through the dissemination of information, resources, and opportunities for women. Mothers2Mothers employs local women within various neighborhoods living with HIV as “Mentor Mothers”. These women work on a door-to-door basis, and within medical settings, to provide mentorship, support, and education to community members. Providing potentially life-saving resources to other women and children in the community, the “Mentor Mothers” uplift women, benefit from stable income and meaningful work, and incite an increase in local wellbeing, wealth, and forward-thinking.
Since its inception in 2001, Mothers2Mothers has reached over 11 million women in sub-Saharan Africa. Horn’s direct participation in fundraising and support for the organization has been impactful for countless women and has propelled Horn to leverage her network to continue to propel this female-focused group’s efforts.
Propelling The Arts, Expression, And Play
In many parts of the world, creative expression and funding for the arts remains sparse or otherwise threatened. With the broader understanding that art, music, and creative expression can be life-altering for generations, both women have made significant strides to champion artful expression, musical education, and freedom of expression. Both women understand the tertiary benefits of such activities, including the growth of confidence, intellectual development, and overall wellness. By keeping children in school, out of work, and safely away from exploitation, they can benefit from opportunities that will undoubtedly lead to a better future. For both women, these themes are integral in their social justice endeavors.
During the Partition Of India, Nalini Malani’s family left their home behind and became refugees before relocating back to Mumbai in 1958. This experience greatly impacted her future work and inspired Malani to showcase the various impacts that societal strife has on children. In the early 1990s, the rise of sectarian violence throughout India resurrected Malani’s commitment to showcasing conflict, war, oppression, and the impacts of these events on individuals. During this time, the artist expanded her work to include various multimedia installations, including 1998’s famed “Remembering Toba Tek Singh”. This multifaceted video installation re-examined the history of the Partition of India and the destructive violence associated with the turmoil. This piece evoked conversation, and undoubtedly questioned the lack of humanity associated with violence, especially related to the turbulence experienced by children of war.
Dedicated to uplifting the lives of children through increased opportunities, Joey Horn has remained involved with Restore The Music UK , a philanthropic organization focused on providing private funding for music education within the UK’s public school system. Through various fundraising efforts, Horn has assisted the organization’s mission to provide musical instruments, tuition, and assistance to numerous school-based music programs. The program not only nurtures the talents of students, but it also provides students with an opportunity to express themselves in a safe space. It creates structure, fostering personal successes that extend beyond the class.
Both women have successfully leveraged their unique platforms to raise awareness of various global issues. Through her moving artwork, Nalini Malani has inspired conversation, transparency, and global awareness of gender stereotypes, effects of violence, and other transformational events. Through active engagement with global organizations, Horn has leveraged her reach to support organizations fighting for the betterment of the lives of women, children, and marginalized groups worldwide. Both females have had unique and bespoke life experiences, but unilaterally understand the importance of raising up other women, and championing evolution. Both unstoppable forces, Nalini Malani and Joey Horn are visionary women supporting women.
Originally published at https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com on August 26, 2020.
