The third Gender Equality Summit 2020, ahead of the International Women's Day, was organized by Global Compact Network India (GCNI) in Delhi and focused on highlighting the role of the current generation in accelerating the gender equality agenda amongst India Inc. An interaction with a few panelists post the discussion, emphasized the rising role of women as entrepreneurs owing to the digital era.
We talked to Nupur Garg, Regional Lead, South Asia, Private Equity Funds, IFC, India, Arushi Nishank, Indian Film Producer, Kaku Nakhate, President and Country Head, India, Bank of America, Dr. Shikha Nehru Sharma, MD, Dr. Shikha's Nutri-Health Systems Pvt. Ltd. to throw some light on the status of women as budding entrepreneurs.
Read Also: GES 2020: How The Current Generation Can Help Achieve Gender Equality
How is digital helping women across all the sectors?
Arushi Nishank, an Indian classical dancer, entrepreneur, and film producer said, "We are on the edge of technology and it's very important for a woman to be upgraded and to work hand-in-hand with technology. More than technology, it's important to have an education because yet 760 million uneducated people have a two-third majority of women in that. So this is very important because we always say that a woman is the first teacher to a child and it's very important for her to have an education, then only the entire family, society and the nation will have it."
Dr. Shikha Nehru Sharma talked about the three key areas that the
digital era has helped women in. She said, "It has helped them to work from home. Secondly, to get access to information, because most of them don't step out so much, don't have access to real information but because of digital they can search on the internet and they can get access to information directly, so nobody can fool them. Thirdly, on social media sites, women can get inspired by other women across the world. So, they can learn from the examples, see their stories, so I think for women digital has been a blessing and I would encourage women to use it to the hilt."
Why is it the right time for women to become entrepreneurs?
"With the change in
technology and with the whole ecosystem that has developed around technology and entrepreneurship, women now have the resources, they have the support system and they have the network that can actually help them turn entrepreneurs," said Nupur Garg, Regional Lead, South Asia, Private Equity Funds, IFC, India.
Arushi Nishank believes in the extraordinary and inbuilt capability of women that aligns with the circular economy. She thinks women already know the reduce and reuse tactic since they never throw their stuff away, instead, they come up with creative and efficient ways to put these to use. She justified this by further stating that a woman never throws her broken make-up product away. She knows what to do with it. "In the kitchen as well, a woman knows exactly what to do with spoilt milk", she added.
Message to women on International Women's Day
"Dream big. Don't shy away from taking action. Follow it relentlessly, and I hundred percent feel you'll achieve it," said Kaku Nakhate, President and Country Head, India, Bank of America. Nupur Garg suggested, "Stop apologising for being a woman. You're wonderful. Just live with that." Dr. Shikha Nehru Sharma told the women around the world to start believing in themselves and to have dreams.
Arushi Nishank, a staunch believer of women power congratulated all the women who beat this world and put her belief forward, "Naari vo shakti hai, jisne srishti ko banaaya hai, aur srishti ko sanchaalit bhi kiya hai, aur galat tatava aa jane par ussne devi Durga bann ke bhi unn tatvon ka naash kardiya. (A woman is a power who has built the world, operates it and has bashed the wrong elements in society as Durga, the goddess of war.) Please make sure that you're standing for yourself because when one woman stands for herself, she stands for the entire women community. Be confident, be more vibrant."
Saavriti is an intern with SheThePeople.TV
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