Missed the EVENTFAQS #PowerWomen Forum Conversations? Catch up With the Compelling Speakers Here

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Industry Watch | March 10, 2021 | News

EVENTFAQS Media PowerWomen International Women’s Day

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, EVENTFAQS Media organized the virtual #PowerWomen Forum Conversations, hosted live on the EVENTFAQS Facebook page and YouTube channel. If you missed out on the event, catch up with the compelling speakers here.

The keynote speaker for the event was Nisha Narayanan, Director and COO, RED FM and Magic FM in a session moderated by YouTuber and actor, Prajakta Koli on ‘What Will it Take to Have More Woman Leaders Around?’

“There is very little that will change overnight. We must work with what we have inherited as a society that is not very kind to women. The best way to deal with it is to value yourself a lot, lot more,” said Nisha Narayanan, during her keynote address.

“Choose your battles, choose what is worth fighting for, you cannot be fighting anything and everything. Choose wisely. Stand up for belief systems, be fearless, speak out, if you think there's something wrong, and be consistent about it,” she added.

Defining leadership, she said, “Leadership is not a designation, and it is not a position. It continues to be a process - something that you live and breathe in as a daily mantra. That's how it should be always.”

Watch the entire keynote session here:

Two panels, involving senior women of the event and experiential industry, debated the burning topics of the day, relating to women.

#PowerPanel 1: Do Women Feel Safe in the Event Industry?

The speakers on this panel were: Aarti Mattoo, MD, Momentum Experiences and Events LLP; Niyati Vora, Vice President, Wizcraft International; Prerana Saxena, CEO, Theme Weavers Designs; and Tabassum Modi, Founder Director, Victor Tango. It was moderated by Sanchalli Arora, anchor, actor and VO artiste.

AartiMattoo said, "Earlier on, in my growing years, there were incidents of challenge to safety, there were favours that were asked. I didn't know how to handle it back then. I used to get very aggressive.

Now, we have to address the problem at multiple levels. When people say, 'Being a woman, you achieved this,' I used to take offence. Now, I make them understand how they are creating another stereotype while ending one."

Niyati Vora said, "While people say that women need to speak up, not everyone is comfortable speaking up. We need to create an environment that encourages them to speak up. It is us, who have the experience, who have to create the environment."

Tabassum Modi said, "The only way one can establish that it is okay to come forward to make a complaint is when they see an example of how someone has come forward and has been treated fairly. You need to give them the assurance that they will not be slut-shamed."

Prerana Saxena said, "If we have a challenge, first of all, let's speak up. Are we comfortable to go to someone and seek a solution?"

Watch the complete panel discussion here:

#PowerPanel 2: How can women find the right mentors and become mentors themselves? The speakers on this panel were: Gitikka Ganju Dhar, anchor, actor, communication coach and Founder, Ministry of Talk; Lydia Buthello, Head of Events, Jio World Centre; Poonam Lal, MD, Marketing Solutions and Chair-CSR, We Care Initiatives, EEMA; Reema Sanghavi, MD, Maximus MICE & Media Solutions; Co-founder, Pinkathon and Sushma Gaikwad, Co-founder, Ice Global and Wizcraft MIME.

Sushma Gaikwad said, "Corporate India thought of mentorship a while ago and it has become a common practice now. Similarly, for us in events, we have to recognise that while we are mentoring within an organisation, we have to create a growth chart for those we mentor. We have to develop intrapreneurs. We can make such a big difference by enabling someone to realise their potential. We should also be open to reverse mentoring, what the next generation can mentor us on."

Reema Sanghavi commented, "I don't think it matters whether a mentor is male or female. Where you find your comfort is where you need to go. If we feel there aren't enough female mentors, we need to up our game."

Lydia Buthello said, "Sometimes, as women, we judge other women without even considering what their struggles are. We tend to think our struggles are bigger."

Poonam Lal said, "Very few women are in leadership positions where they can be mentors. Therefore we need to have a more inclusive mentorship panel comprised of men and women."

GittikaGanju Dhar commented, "Women have the responsibility to lift other women in the workplace, because statistics show that mentored women tend to do better at work."

Watch the complete panel discussion here: