Second edition of Gender Equality Summit

Aiming to highlight issues related to gender equality at workplaces in India, Global Compact Network India – Local arm of UN Global Compact, New York organized its second edition of Gender Equality Summit Friday at Saket, New Delhi.

The summit was organized in the backdrop of the increasing conversation around the safety of women in workplaces and a need to undertake corrective actions. This year’s theme- ‘Preparing women for the future of work’ was chosen keeping in sync with the UN Sustainable Development Goals that target creating the most conducive work environment for them.

This summit aimed towards building a concrete roadmap towards gender equality at workplaces in India. It focused on driving and bringing in change for inclusive and equal opportunities in employment and growth for the women workforce. Over 250 leaders including corporate professionals, policy makers, UN officials and researchers came together to share insights on the emerging trends of gender equality.

The Summit marked presence of eminent leaders like Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Vaishali Sinha, Chair GES 2019 Chief Sustainability, CSR & Communication Officer, Renew Power.

Vaishali Sinha, Chair GES 2019 Chief Sustainability, CSR & Communication Officer, Renew Power added, “This year’s theme is also highly relevant, as it recognizes the importance of equipping women with the necessary skills such that they emerge as equal, if not primary contributors to an ever evolving workplace. It also provides an excellent opportunity to hear top woman leaders share their learnings and experiences, which can only serve as an inspiration for the current and next generation of women at the workplace.”

Atul Dhawan, Partner, Deloitte India, said “The gender focus of the summit resonates well with Deloitte’s goals of creating 50 million futures globally through our World Class Initiative, which includes creating skill development, livelihoods and enterprise building opportunities. The initiative aims to impact 10 million women and girls in India bridging the gap between education and employability.”

A research paper on Empowering Women in India for the 4^th Industrial Revolution was also launched, in association with Deloitte. It found that the earlier three revolutions caused a great widening of the extent of gender disparities and gender stereotypes. The emergence of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) provides an opportunity for invested stakeholders to press the reset button. It will influence work in terms of the nature of organizational realities and leading skill types.