2022-July-26

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Starting Over — For a Better Life

BY JENIFER LOUIS · BRAND PROTECTION DIGITAL PROGRAM MANAGER · UNITED STATES

WITH HELEN GALL

4 MINUTE READ · 6 MINUTE LISTEN

Growing up in a patriarchal society like India is challenging. But growing up in a single-parent household with my mom and younger brother came with its own unique set of issues — especially in a country that is consciously male-dominated.

It was not an easy childhood

I lost my dad at the age of 13. I often found myself protecting not only my younger brother, but also myself from society’s ingrained gender discrimination and abusive norms.

In traditional Indian culture, a young woman’s role is to be married off to a husband that has been chosen for her and raise a family.

But I always had a passion to become more than what the people around me wanted me to be. I graduated with a master’s degree, and in 2005, I got a job at Cisco in Brand Protection at our Bangalore office. It was at Cisco that the door for advancement and world travel opened for me.

I hadn't traveled anywhere outside of India before joining Cisco, and traveling showed me how others in the world lived, worked, and enjoyed their lives. This really changed my expectations and inspired me to better my own life.

Personal crisis

Meanwhile in India, I lived on my own in a nice property within the local village. This was not the norm and local men did not appreciate it.

Personal property and space are alien concepts in India. People often trespassed onto my property and abused the land by leaving trash and defecating on it.

For protection, company, and reassurance, I had a German Shepherd called Markie and a puppy called Nikko. Markie was very protective of me and our house. However, the surrounding neighbors took offense to him and threatened to kill him and burn down my house.

Things came to a head in 2013 after a trespassing altercation, and I found myself amidst a rowdy crowd, trapped in my house. I called the police. But they refused to come to my rescue, saying, “These people are the vote banks, and we cannot get involved.” They suggested contacting the media to get the attention of the commissioners, but that did not work either.

I was imprisoned in my own house and couldn't get out. I couldn't neutralize the situation. I was very scared and alone. Men kept climbing over my wall and coming up to my house in a threatening manner, uttering explicit words at me, and throwing bottles. It had became common knowledge that I was a woman living alone.

Cisco to the rescue

I called the Employee Assistance Program, and a couple of people from the Cisco security team came to assess my situation. They were unable to enter because during the night the crowd had built a wall completely trapping me inside my house. 

But they called me from outside to make sure I was OK.  Due to the distress I was in, they also connected me to a mental health professional.

After numerous attempts to secure my freedom, I realized this was a losing battle, and it was causing me immense mental, emotional, and physical distress.

At this point, the head of Cisco’s legal team got involved. She confirmed the situation wasn’t going to resolve itself and offered a solution. Cisco gave me the opportunity to choose a new country to live in and rebuild my life.

So, in 2013, I left India with just two suitcases, my puppy Nikko, and a broken sprit for New York in the United States — a land where I didn’t know a single soul.

I slowly rebuilt my life, with work and Nikko as my only companions.

My role as a brand protection investigator has helped me cope with the need to set things right and shine a light on noncompliance. Protecting Cisco from fraud is my way of repaying the company for turning my life around.

I personally got to meet and thank Fran Katsoudas for all the support Cisco provided. I cannot imagine how my life would be if I still lived in India.

Today, in my new life in New York, I live with my husband, son, and two dogs. I get to spend my time building an inclusive, diverse community of people that care for each other, protect each other, and advocate for each other’s safety.

Employee Resources

• Employee and Family Assistance Program
• Join an Inclusive Community
• Global Wellbeing Community
• Join the #SafeToTalk Webex space

Related Links

• Our Impact - CSR & Time2Give
• Cisco Purpose Report 2021
• Careers at Cisco

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