‘Gender diversity brings competency to workplace’

CHENNAI: Women in corporate India need to focus on goals and not boundaries to make the glass ceiling as a concept disappear, said TAFE CMD Mallika Srinivasan. At the launch of the Women Business Council, an initiative of the Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI), Srinivasan said top Tamil Nadu and south Indian corporates have been encouraging gender diversity, which has set the tone “to make this region the benchmark in terms of a progressive environment for corporate success for women”.


Corporate recruiters today look at diversity as something that “brings to the workplace competency and competitive enhancement,” she added. The Women Business Council will help bring together “the talent pool and ecosystem to help corporates get competitive advantage and help women achieve their aspirations,” Srinivasan said.

Srivats Ram, president of MCCI, said women’s participation in the Indian labour force has halved from 2006 to 2019 and though Sebi has made it mandatory to have women directors only 14% of directors of listed companies are women. The Women Business Council is an effort to assist businesses to harness the talent of women and close the gender gap and create opportunities for gender development in business communities.