Conference discusses core women's issues

A determination to change the discourse on diversity and a plan of action to grow the network for change was visible at the She Leads India conference on Thursday here.

Organised by SheThePeople.TV and supported by UN Women India, the event aimed at lending a platform to women and focussed on women at work, achievers, women in public life, parliamentarians, CEOs, entrepreneurs, artists and culturists.

"The idea was to support a conference that brings together women at the forefront across spheres, who have consistently broken barriers to be change makers," said Nishtha Satyam, Head, Strategic Partnerships, Policy Impact and Public Relations UN Women Office for India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

"There is nothing more foundational to the economic and social viability of our cities and country, than ensuring voice, choice, and agency of our women," she added.

She Leads India picked important subjects such as the role of women in public policy, equal pay for equal work, change through sport and the power of humour to influence gender equality.

Paralympian athlete Deepa Malik said: "Life is a festival that should be celebrated every day, and to celebrate it, we should have some creeds, goals, and objectives that bring value addition in our life and society as a whole."

"We should assign jobs and responsibilities to employees as per their caliber and capacities. She also insisted that disabled too can achieve their goals if they really have a dauntless spirit to pursue a passion. Besides, there is an urgent need to dispel the taboos and myths associated with physically challenged people. Both government and society should come forward to create facilities for them."

Some prominent speakers who participated in the conference included: Aruna Sundararajan (Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology), Ramesh Abhishek (Secretary of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Ministry of Commerce and Industry) and well-known comedian Radhika Vaz