Women must learn to look at their gender as an opportunity and not as an obstacle, according to Roshini Bakshi, Vice-President and Managing Director (Consumer Products and Retail Marketing), Walt Disney Company India.
Delivering the special address as the Chief Guest at the Women Managers’ Convention 2014 under the theme Women and Choices, Roshini Bakshi said women have to be supportive of one another. Women often complimented looks and apparels but, “I have never seen women compliment one another on their intellect or ambition and achievement, she said.” The event was organised by the Madras Management Association on Saturday.
Talking about women in the corporate world, she said the corporate world has been created and designed by men for men “and only men had lived there for a long time.” Women had been late entrants to this world. Hence, there is a need to reconstruct a new world in which gender is not a determinant in anything that is done in that world, where men and women will be happy. Priyadarsini Govind, Director, Kalakshetra Foundation, said management is part of women’s DNA and today it is good that women are celebrated. In her keynote address she said women have to make their choice and should have the courage to follow their instinct and passion. She said, she chose to be an artist, the first choice as a young lady. It was not a conventional choice owing to its intrinsic nature of having no charted out career path. The second major choice she made was to support the aspiring young girls to pursue their instinct to be artists.
Srivats Ram, President MMA, and Managing Director, Wheels India, said the convention was to celebrate the spirit of women and the diverse roles women played. Women have been making their influence in every field from science to politics. Women’s role has been becoming increasingly relevant at the national and global level.
Bakshi released the Women Managers’ Convention special issue of the ‘Business Mandate’.