The aim is to focus on the 4 Cs for women leadership — conviction, competence, courage and commitment.
With a number of companies adopting women-friendly policies, a world stands to witness the dawn of a new era. However, even while companies make their environments suitable for both men and women, there are cases of gender discrimination reported across the world, almost daily.
To combat this trend of ill-treatment and discrimination, the Women Leadership Forum of Asia (WLFA) was launched at the National Centre for Performing Arts this April. Formed under the aegis of the Learning and OD Roundtable, the group has been created to help corporates and members address issues on gender diversity and inclusion.
Founded on an ideological model focussing on the 4 Cs for women leadership, the WLFA encourages values like conviction, competence, courage and commitment. DIt is dedicated to provide women with long and successful careers in their chosen fields, this forum will ensure their holistic development by enhancing the Inclusion Quotient within organisations. Comprising of both men and women members, the forum will try to establish that there is a lot we they can symbiotically learn from each other.
The event launch was attended by eminent CEOs, CXOs and HR professionals. Dr Sujaya Banerjee commenced the event by introducing the audience to the vision of the forum and explaining how it is possible for the participants themselves to contribute to making this journey successful and memorable. To depict the challenges and trials that women face in contemporary India, a play titled Ambika- A poignant reflection of being a woman was performed by LeoGirl Productions.
An insightful panel discussion on ‘Mental Models and the Gender Story: Are Women Truly Geared for Greatness?’ followed the play. This discussion saw the participation of iconic thought leaders from the industry, including Rani Desai, chief people officer, Deloitte; Rupa Naik, director, World Trade Centre, Mumbai; Adil Malia, president-HR, Essar; and Aquil Busrai (ex-director-HR, IBM and CEO-Aquil Busrai Consulting) who were part of the esteemed panel. The discussion brought forward important themes related to women’s issues in a patriarchal society, their preparedness for leadership and the challenges they face because of juggling multiple roles.
