MUMBAI, INDIA - World Trade Centre Mumbai and All India Association of Industries in partnership with Business Line (Hindu Group) and DHFL hosted ‘Power Women Seminar ’, an interactive session celebrating women's leadership on March 16, 2017. It was a run-up event to the 6th Global Economic Summit 2017 on ‘Women’s Empowerment: Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Capacity Building (MARCH 27-29, 2017). Eight women of distinction shared their path-breaking stories with other young women.

The women leaders came from different walks of life who spoke on various subjects on women’s empowerment.

Ms. Namita Vikas, Group President and Managing Director, Climate Strategy & Responsible Banking, Yes Bank, spoke of the need for better diversity at the workplace, given the poor state of only 27% currently. She added that it is necessary to expand gender financing facilities to help women gain access to timely financial credit for their entrepreneurial ventures. Ms. Dia Mirza, Actor, Bollywood spoke of the umbilical link between economy and ecology and strove hard to make a case for better environmental conservation alongside empowering women.

Ms. Anna Carin Mansson, Country HR Manager for India, IKEA Business, noted that Indian organizations are turning progressive and that her company is learning newer ways to bring equilibrium by offering a six-month parental leave for fathers which has received tremendous response from both genders.

Ms. Nidhi Lauria, Business Head of Vodafone India, Assam & North East, spoke of the importance to make women part of the field staff, a very rare instance in the business vertical. Bring women to the front has evolved into a competitive advantage for her organization, help foster better relationship between the organization and its dealers and retailers. Ms. Kiran Manral, eminent author spoke of her journey from being a journalist to being a freelance writer. She spoke on the need to combat violence against women and a pressing need to prevent child sexual abuse.

Women aren’t independent decision-makers which will need to change if there needs to be progress in the manner women empower themselves and others, said Tanu Mehta, Legal Counsel Mediator and Conciliator, High Court of Mumbai. Women need to learn the ropes of critical decision-making at a very young age, she noted.

Ms. Rupa Naik, Director-Projects, World Trade Centre Mumbai spoke of her mother who was the first women pharmacist in the entire state of Karnataka, who had taken on the responsibilities after a misfortune and strove hard to make a difference by staying independent and teaching it to her children. She added that while women constitute almost half the world’s population, their economic output is much restricted. Removing the bottlenecks will add trillions of dollars to the global economy, she noted.

Ms. Gauri Viz, Associate Editor, The Hindu Group, moderated the session.

In Photo From (L-R): Ms. Tanu Mehta, Ms. Nidhi Lauria, Ms. Namita Vikas, Ms. Gauri Viz, Ms. Dia Mirza, Model, Ms. Rupa Naik, and Ms. Anna-Carin Mansson.

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