Renu Mehta introduces a famous and well-respected Indian on foreign shores

What comes to your mind when you hear the name ‘Mulay’? Naturally, you would think of Suhasini Mulay of the ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ fame. But, there is yet another Mulay, whose name is synonymous with eminence.

Indeed the other Mulay is Suhasini’s sister, Dr Shree Mulay, Director of the McGill Center for Research and Teaching on Women. For many of us who don’t know about the center, The McGill Center was founded in 1988 to promote research and teaching in the field of women’s studies. Located at Montreal, the centre is committed to academic excellence, community service and the principle of women’s rights as human rights.

And Dr Mulay has been responsible for its scholarly and administrative leadership. Under Dr Mulay’s guidance, the centre has now become a focal point for both community groups and academics.
In fact, Dr Mulay is a scientist, a researcher, a professor, an administrator, an advocate and an activist — all rolled into one.

A scientist in academia, she has identified the many hurdles that women face even today and has thus served as mentor to a large number of women. More importantly, she has helped develop gender-based analyses of the process and substance of science teaching.

Through her researches, Dr Mulay has advanced the biological understanding of women with a particular focus on reproductive health.

Also a professor at the Department of Medicine, she has taught several graduate courses including, ‘Research Medicine in Experimental Medicine’, ‘Introduction to Gender-based Analysis: Engendering Change’.

As a teenager, a young Shree would often accompany her father, a salesman with a pharmaceutical company. She would travel with him on work all over town and it was during this time that she developed a keen interest in science and allied subjects. She decided to study chemistry and completed her graduation in science from the University of Delhi.

Later, she moved to Canada to pursue her studies and enrolled for the post-graduate degree at the McGill University, where she completed her Masters and then continued to do her Doctorate as well.

She has consciously addressed the needs and concerns of women and has the distinction of being a founding member of the South Asian Women’s Community Centre in Montreal. Today, a good two decades later, she continues to play an active role in the organisation, whose objective is to support women dealing with multiple challenges as immigrants. She has worked for the advancement of women and, in particular, for the reproductive rights of women, both nationally and internationally.

She regularly serves as a media commentator on women’s issues and has been the recipient of several awards for her tireless work, including the ‘Distinguished Indo Canadian Award by the National Association of Indo Canadians with Origins in Canada (1988)’; ‘Prix Idola Saint-Jean, Federation des femmes du Quebec’ (1997) for distinguished service to the women’s cause; ‘YWCA Woman of Distinction Award’ for the advancement of women (1998), ‘Achievement Award for Business and Professional Women of Montreal (1999)’, ‘Elizabeth Monk Prize from the University Club of Montreal’, for contributions to Post Secondary Education of Women (2002); ‘Humanitarian of the Year’, from the Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce in Toronto (2003).

For Dr Mulay, her family plays as important a role as her work. She firmly believes that it is very essential to have the support of the family to be able to achieve something in one’s career. A supportive partner, according to her, is all-important, in order to attain a balance in career and home life.

“The old adage was, ‘behind every successful man, there is a (supportive) woman’, but the reverse is also equally true. My husband Daya, has encouraged me throughout my working life, to take risks, stick my neck out and not get discouraged when things don’t work the way I want them to. He has been a true partner at work and at home. Incidentally, we worked together in the lab as colleagues long before we became life partners,” she clarifies.

Dr Mulay now lives in Montreal with her husband, Daya Ram Varma, also a professor of Pharmacology at McGill University. Together they are researching on hormonal changes during pregnancy and the effect of diabetes on foetal development.

“An important member of my hybrid family is my 82-year-old mother, Vijaya Mulay,” she explains as she proceeds to talk about her family. “A pioneer film-maker in India, she is currently writing a book on films made about India; she is a true snow-bird. She flies away to India at the first snowfall in Montreal”, she says.

Talking about her dreams, Dr Shree Mulay says, “I am not sure that I set out with ‘A Dream’ to begin with, but I am more than satisfied with the opportunities that came my way and made a difference. Yes, one dream that I can say, has come true, is the flourishing South Asian Women’s Community Centre.

It has been in existence for 22 years now and despite the ups and downs, it has supported women from the South Asian sub-continent. We continue to advocate for the rights of immigrant women in Canada and as a founding member, I am very proud of its achievement.”

Currently, Dr Mulay is working on a project for refugee women and is very passionate about the subject. “Indo Canadians should participate in all aspects of life, social, political, cultural to take our rightful place in the Canadian mosaic and promote a pluralistic vision of India,” she says as a sign off message to other Indo Canadians in Canada.

Got comments or questions? E-mail us at femina@timesgroup.com with ‘NRI — The Other Mulay’ in the subject line