Women as Entrepreneurs: A Webinar by IIMC and University of New Castle, UK
New Delhi : The English Journalism department of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), in collaboration with the University of Newcastle (UK), convened a seminar on Women Entrepreneurs in India. The symposium was a part of the Women in Development Network Initiative of the University of Newcastle (UK). The seminar was spearheaded by Prof Surbhi Dahiya, Course Director, English Journalism Department, IIMC and Professor Karen Ross, University of New Castle, UK. The forum was graced with the presence of three star speakers, Amrai Dua, Preeta Ghosal, and Shabia Walia.
The session was conducted virtually through Google Meet with a presence of 170 plus students and faculty members.. Karen Ross, Professor of Gender and Media department of the University of Newcastle (UK) stated, “It is the first time that we are collaborating with IIMC, and it is indeed a pleasure to set the stage for more such joint efforts.” In her opening address, Ross further stressed upon the emerging need of giving entrepreneurial women the dais to speak about their experiences, and how the seminar indeed caters to that purpose.
Professor Geeta Bamzai, former Head of Research at IIMC spoke about skill capacity building and said, “Women excite many young women to enter the business world and not be overwhelmed by the challenges in the journey. Professor Surbhi Dahiya introduced the star speakers to the students, she stated “Amrai, Preeta, and Shabia have revitalised the meaning of entrepreneurship with their bold and stalwartly skills. Their experiences have been worth celebrating, and they have broken through the shackles of a male-dominated society to create their own personal brands that are successful and sustainable. They are an inspiration for all of us”
Shabia Walia is the author of best-selling book Mamma Mania and the founder of Wild Earth, A natural skin care line she developed in 2016. Narrating her journey and the challenges she faced, she said, “What is common among entrepreneurs is that we are eccentric, we want to prove a point and we want to leave our jobs that pay six figure incomes. We want to leave the legacy and want to make them brand new.”
Preeta Ghosal is the founder of Wear Equal, a socially and environmentally sustainable brand which emboldens the meaning of intersectional feminism. She said, “Entrepreneurs must learn the technicalities of their products, right from how they are made to what all materials are used in them.” She further talked about the significance of motivating women entrepreneurs to get into administrative fields and how important it is to give back to the society through the products they are building.
Amrai Dua is a creative educator who raises awareness about how art enhances the well-being of individuals and society as a whole. Talking about the differences in outlook towards male and female painters, Dua stated, “ I just thought to myself, why are men painters given that much importance and not women. That is when I started building up and working towards my career in the field of art like an entrepreneur. I am so proud of the fact that I am a leading entrepreneur and all the people who work in my team are mostly men..”
It was an interactive webinar altogether, with a Q&A session at the end. Prof. Karen Ross gave vote of thanks to the speakers and the organizers. She gave an end note stating that such events can enthuse the upcoming generation towards identity creation.