In an important move towards fostering gender diversity and empowerment in the corporate world, two influential business organizations, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Business Council of Australia (BCA), have teamed up to launch the Bharat-Australia Women’s Leadership Forum.
This initiative’s goals are to promote women’s leadership in industries and strengthen bilateral ties between Bharat and Australia.
The official announcement of the Bharat-Australia Women’s Leadership Forum took place during a launch event in New Delhi, Bharat. The forum will be co-chaired by Viji Murugesan, Head of Scaleup Business Transformation at Tata Consultancy Services, and Ravneet Pawha, Asia CEO of Deakin University, highlighting a diverse leadership approach.
As partners in the Bharat-Australia CEO Forum, CII and BCA aim to enhance the participation of women leaders in their partnership. The forum will facilitate connections, share insights, and provide a platform for further engagement between companies and leaders from both countries.
Parimita Tripathi, Joint Secretary – Oceania, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of Bharat, underscored the strategic importance of the forum in strengthening economic and social relations between Bharat and Australia.
Tripathi emphasized its role in broadcasting economic and social relationships while deepening people-to-people ties.
Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General of Confederation of Bharatiya Industry, highlighted the priority placed on supporting women leaders in the Bharat-Australia relationship. He expressed delight in launching the forum, which focuses especially on harnessing the strength of women in the bilateral relationship, in line with global initiatives for gender equality.
Bran Black, Chief Executive of the Business Council, emphasized the significance of gender equality within the Australia-Bharat CEO Forum and the recommendations it puts forth to both governments.
Black reaffirmed BCA’s commitment to supporting the achievements of the Australia-Bharat Women’s Leadership Forum, stressing the need to prioritize women in leadership positions to enhance productivity.
The establishment of the Bharat-Australia Women’s Leadership Forum comes at a crucial time following the implementation of the Bharat-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA).
This agreement, which came into force on 29th December 2022, has provided impetus to the economic partnership between the two nation, enabling companies to trade at importantly reduced tariff rates or even zero tariff duty.
Recognizing the crucial role of women in this economic partnership, CII has undertaken an active agenda to promote Bharat-Australia economic ties.
The forum aims to create an ecosystem that promotes the economic contribution of women to the Bharat-Australia corridor by bringing together women leaders from both nation to strengthen connections, share insights, and provide mentorship to future women leaders.
Through workshops, mentorship programs, promotion of best practices, and participation in policy-making exercises, the forum members will strategize to promote women’s leadership across the corridor. Along with advocating for an environment that fosters female leadership and better economic opportunities for women in both Bharat and Australia.
Comments