Women Leadership Forum of Asia (WLFA celebrates launch)
The Women Leadership Forum of Asia (WLFA), formed with the backing of the Learning and OD Roundtable, was launched at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Mumbai on Friday, 10th April 2015.
The WLFA has been created to help corporates and members address issues on gender Diversit and Inclusion. By offering a rich calendar to enable the development of women, this forum is committed to the holistic empowerment of females executives to support them in having long and successful careers within organisations. The WLFA is committed to enhancing the Inclusion Quotient within organisations and is focused on creating a forum with both men and women as members, to symbiotically learn from and enable each other.
The Women Leadership Forum of Asia is founded on the ideology of a model, called the 4 Cs for Women Leadership – Conviction, Courage, Competence, and Commitment. For more details refer to www.wlfa.in
The launch event was attended by an august gathering comprising of eminent CEOs, CXOs, Heads of HR, Practice Heads and press at NCPA, Mumbai. The event commenced with a Welcome Address by Dr Sujaya Banerjee, Founder-WLFA, on the vision and credo of the WLFA, its calendar of initiatives and how the participants could contribute to make this journey successful.
The Welcome Address was followed by a thought-provoking play entitled ‘Ambika – a poignant reflection of being a woman’ performed by LeoGirl Productions. The play depicted the trials and tribulations of three women in contemporary India, their aspirations and challenges and received unanimous acclaim.
The play was followed by an insightful panel discussion on ‘Mental Models and the Gender Story – Are Women Truly Geared for Greatness?’ featuring eminent thought leaders and practitioners from the industry.
L-R: Dr Sujaya Banerjee, Adil Malia, Aquil Busrai, Rupa Naik and Rani Desai
The esteemed panel included:
Rani Desai, Chief People Officer, Deloitte
Rupa Naik, Director, World Trade Centre, Mumbai
Adil Malia, President-HR, Essar
Aquil Busrai, ex HR Director, IBM and CEO, Aquil Busrai Consulting
Moderated by Dr Sujaya Banerjee, the panel brought forth important themes on the issues of women in a patriarchal society, preparation for leadership, the challenges of aspirations and the multiple roles and responsibilities of women in society.
The Launch culminated with a musical performance by three eminent classical musicians: Pandita Anuradha Pal (drums), Sunita Bhuyan (violin) and Devapriya (flute). The musicians received a standing ovation from the attendees who left the event committed to crucibles for leadership and inclusion!
