PMI South Asia Chapter’s Woman Engagement Committee (PMI WEC) celebrated its annual International Women’s Day on 8 March. The event brought together all the PMI chapters in the region to promote a culture of inclusion, and drive women’s engagement in chapter boards, volunteering, and membership.

The theme of International Women’s Day 2022 was ‘Women in Leadership,’celebrating the tremendous efforts contributed by women around the world in shaping a more equal future. The event saw more than 180 participants from different parts of the world.

Komal Mathur, chair of PMI WEC, welcomed the speakers and participants. She highlighted the ongoing efforts and success of the committee, and the challenges and contributions made by women leaders from the chapters. She also called for action to ‘Break the Bias’ — this year’s IWD theme globally — in our communities, workplaces, colleges, and universities.

Speaking about the representation of women in leadership, Dr. Srini Srinivasan, regional managing director of PMI South Asia, emphasized that PMI Region 11 has been blessed with strong women leadership, with 22 percent of chapters being led by women. He said, “Women in leadership positions are normal because we are used to it. We want to see more women in leadership roles.”

In the opening keynote address, Agnieszka Maria Gasperini, board of directors, PMI, spoke about the impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion on enterprise and project success. She stressed that women should exercise power skills, such as empathy, communication, and collaboration, to help navigate challenges and project success.

Tejas Sura, board of directors, PMI, highlighted that organizations need diverse talent and must empower everyone, regardless of their background, to accelerate change.

Manisha Saboo, development center head, Infosys, spoke about the importance of having clarity of goal, building a strong support system, and taking up more responsibilities to propel one’s career. Ms. Saboo suggested investing time and appreciating ourselves for big achievements.

Dr. Senjuti Saha, director and scientist, Child Health Research Foundation, explained that diversity is important as each individual approaches problems differently. Therefore, organizations must ensure to have a gender balance of 50-50 to bring best practices and new solutions.

In closing remarks, Prasanna Sampath Kumar, regional mentor, PMI South Asia, highlighted that women tend to be better than men in transformational leadership, and are able to foster team performance level, productivity, and success. The event saw various fun activities between keynote sessions to boost the engagement level of participants. It provided great learning opportunities from renowned speakers from India and abroad, and facilitated e-networking among delegates.

Chapter news contributors: Sujata Kanchan, PMP; Priya Batra, PfMP, PMP; Sharat Rajan, PMP; Balaji Viswanath, PMP; Naga Saujanya Yelisetty; Dileep Viswanathan, PMP, PgMP; Akhila Gowri Shankar, PMP; A.N.M. Shibly Sadique, PMP; Priya Patra, PgMP; Aparna Grandhi, PMP; Latha Vishwanath, PMP