The PAFI SAFE Council convened its second meeting under the leadership of Vinita Sethi, Chairperson, PAFI SAFE Council, Immediate Past President PAFI, and SVP & Chief Public Affairs, Apollo Hospitals Group, on the 17th of December 2024 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The meeting began with a welcome and introductions, followed by a recap of the previous meeting’s outcomes.

The Chair underscored the need for a comprehensive survey to identify gaps in women’s inclusion, with a focus on bridging the urban-rural divide. Members engaged in a dynamic roundtable discussion addressing key challenges, including the marriage penalty, data misrepresentation, and time poverty faced by women in the workforce.

The panel discussion that followed featured prominent guest speakers, Aasha Mehta Kapoor, Chairperson of Centre for Gender Studies, Institute of Human Development (IHD), Anuradha Rajan, Executive Director, South Asia’s Women’s Foundation and Rashmi Sarita, Executive Director, FICCI FLO, who delved into the barriers and solutions for retaining women in the workplace. The discussion highlighted intersectional identities, workplace culture, unpaid care work, and actionable steps to promote inclusivity.

The session concluded with suggestions for gender audits, mentorship programmes, and formal policies aimed at building inclusive workplaces. Members acknowledged the private sector’s critical role in pushing forward the women empowerment agenda and proposed collaborative efforts to engage stakeholders, both within organisations and through policy recommendations.

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