Corporate Divas: Women in the Corporate World

A Panel Discussion on the Rising Power of Women in the Corporate World with three leading women from the Corporate World – Ms NainaLalKidwai, Ms DipaliGoenka and Ms ManishaGirotra was organised on 30 April 2014 at New Delhi to deliberate upon opportunities, challenges and barriers that women in the corporate world face today.

The session offered inspiring insights into what motivates and sustains India’s leading corporate women, through an in-depth conversation-style discussions moderated by Ms Sonia Golani, Author of the book ‘Corporate Divas’. Ms. Neeta Boochra, President of FLO in her opening remarks, said that today while a majority of the companies have made it a priority to encourage women into leadership roles, a massive gender gap still remains when it comes to those positioned at the top. Women currently hold only 4.6 per cent of Fortune 500 CEO positions globally. There is ample scope for enhancing women participation.

Speaking on the subject Ms. NainaLalKidwai, Immediate Past President, FICCI, Executive Director on the Board of HSBC & Country Head HSBC India, said “It is critical to have gender balance in workforce to have diversity in thinking and decision making”. She further added that her organization formulates policies which are gender neutral to avoid discrimination. A case in point – HSBC offers the alternative of working in flexible hours to both men and women.

Ms. ManishaGirotra, India Head, Moelis Investment Bank, said ‘It is necessary to bring women to the boardrooms as they are more tolerant, patient and better listeners, who can bring about the required consensus among all the stakeholders’.

Ms. DipaliGoenka, Managing Director, Welspun Global Brands Ltd., considers women as natural managers, as they have the ability to multitask and are determined in their approach towards work. To succeed in a corporate world, according to her, women need to take ownership and become accountable for their work. However, she added, sectors such as manufacturing and other technical fields still have very few women and these needs to be changed.

The session moderator Ms. Sonia Golani, Author of Corporate Divas, said that women today are equipped with highest and best of the degrees and are entering the workforce in large numbers but still they drop out on their way to the top spot owing to family pressures or workplace discrimination. She added that banking and financial sectors have given women their due share but there are many other sectors that still have to open up for women.

The session came to an end with the Vote of Thanks proposed by Ms. ArchanaGarodia Gupta, Senior Vice President, FLO.