Genpact Centre for Women’s Leadership (GCWL) at Ashoka University Carves Pathways for Returning and Working Mothers

Ashoka University’s Genpact Centre for Women’s Leadership (GCWL) today culminated the final phase of its Breakthrough training programme for returning and working mothers. The two-day training conducted from 14^th – 15^th November in Gurugram focused on managing power& influences at workplace, building networks for career growth and navigating difficult conversations at home & work through the reintegration process.

This year, 45 women participated in the programme taking the total number of women trained under Breakthrough to 70. Last year, GCWL conducted the training for 25 working mothers from various organisations.

The trainings, conducted over three phases from August to November, have been designed to equip the participants with specific skill sets that are mastering key leadership behaviors and skill sets that propel participants towards the C-Suite career track, assess & re-engineer existing support systems for improved work-life balance, navigating professional hurdles through mentoring opportunities, and navigating tough conversations.

As part of Phase 3, GCWL has engaged subject matter experts and industry professionals to facilitate different components of the training and offer mentorship through experience sharing. Some of the key speakers for the final phase of training include Vrinda Grover, Lawyer & Human Rights Activist, Dipali Sheth, Vice President – People Strategy & Organisational Development, Ashoka University, Gagan Adlakha, Leadership Coach & Senior Partner – Vyaktitva, and Sonali Jain, Assistant Vice President, Genpact, Diversity & Inclusion.

Pooja Bajpai, Leadership Coach & Consultant said, “Though diversity has made it to the CEOs’ agenda, there is still a long way to go for women to be in leadership positions and more importantly continue to be in the workforce. Managing life transitions and providing a network that equips women with the skills to navigate their professional journey is the key premise of the Breakthrough programme. Life stage interventions coupled with mentoring support can be a significant game changer to see more number of women in the workforce and eventually leadership.”

The Breakthrough training programme follows through from the research findings of GCWL’s study presented in the report, Predicament of Returning Mothers, in April 2018. The report documents lived experiences of maternity and career among women and their return to the workforce across the corporate, media, and development sectors. The training would help women manage the complex network of individual, family, social, and workplace factors that force women to leave the workforce post pregnancy and childbirth

Isha Sharma, Breakthrough Programme Manager,Genpact Centre for Women‘s leadership (GCWL) said, “Breakthrough training has been a platform for women to not only articulate and share their challenges in returning to work and managing work-life post maternity, but has also enabled and equipped them with 21st century skills which prepare them for the current market needs and develop their own unique career path and brand.”

Anu Bagai, (Participant – Working Mother), Lawyer, Supreme Court & High Court Delhi says, “Breakthrough Training by GCWL is a truly remarkable platform empowering women across sectors to recognise their strengths and build their personal brands. The training is engaging and uplifting focusing primarily at giving perspective for achieving excellence by acquiring/upscaling the requisite skill set. The sheer spectrum of areas covered in the training along with the follow-up meets and one-on-one sessions with real-time feedback makes it possible to cater to the specific needs of each individual.”