Gearing up for day 2 of TiECon Delhi 2015, I have to admit, I was amused to see ‘Women Entrepreneurs Unconference & Networking Lunch’ mentioned in the agenda for the day.
This was preceded by a keynote by Farzana Haque from TCS and Rimy Oberoi, from OysterConnect with Vani Kola, MD, Kalaari Capital as the session chair.
And the female attendance far surpassed my expectations.
Needless to say, there were suits, but of both orders. There were entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, investors and teachers, students and working professionals in the audience; making it quite an eclectic mix.
The speakers and attendees, all poured their hearts out about their experience of ’empowerment’ and what weight the term holds for them until a kind lady from the audience gently pointed out that she never thought of herself as ‘unempowered’ in the first place, making the entire TieCon 2015’s Mumtaz Mahal Hall at Taj Palace erupt into an applause for her.
TieCon 2015 gave them quite an apt venue, eh?
Some topics that were touched upon included the abundance of opportunities for everyone, irrespective of the gender, how women entrepreneurs are no less because they ‘get it’, and how with changing scenarios, the spending power now lies with women, promoting them to the role of a decision maker.
The key points of discussion were:
-> If/to what extent women are empowered by their partners
-> The ‘glass ceiling’ for women in the corporate world
-> What drives a woman to ‘have it all’
-> Whether the work-life balance is a myth
-> What self-identity means to them
-> If and why women who aspire for more are stereotyped
-> Whether gender should be brought to the workplace
Needless to say, the opinions on each of these threads was as varied as the women discussing them. No consensus could be reached, except for the common passion each of them had for their work.
And it reflected during networking. It was a vibrant spectacle, and my favourite hour of the day at TieCon 2015. It was an assuring sign of the good times that lie ahead of us in terms of seeing more women in the entrepreneur circles.
Yes, I’m making a sly TVF Pitchers reference.
Cheers to women empowerment!
Here are some more updates from the TieCon Delhi 2015 event:
http://edtimes.in/2015/10/tiecon-delhi-2015-entrepreneurship-ed-lived-it.html
