Gayathri Ramamurthy, head of Learning-India, Capegemini, emphasized the need for better quality working women's hostels and safety mechanisms in Tamil Nadu.
A panel discussion was held on the title "Women Workforce: Why Tamil Nadu is ahead of the curve," where Ms. Gayathri stated, "There must be 100 per cent safety for women." It is impossible to have relative safety.
The panelists discussed a range of subjects, such as trends in competitive exams, sexual harassment, and maternity leave. The Hindu's Tamil Nadu Chief of Bureau, Ramya Kannan, was appointed as the mediator of the conversation.
Dr. Saundarya Rajesh, the founder and president of AVTAR Group, stated, "Tamil Nadu has pioneered using equity to reach the goal of equality," citing examples such as the Midday Meal Scheme for education. Earlier the State profited from numerous aspects such as women's education and suffrage.
Dr Saundarya also claimed that there is a shortage of diversity in leadership positions in the workforce which needs to be soon eradicated by the firms as there were so few women in managerial roles in the workplace or on managing boards.
Another Panelist, CEO of Veranda IAS Bharat Seeman noted the trends in women's work areas, stating that his database showed that there were more women in the 20–25 age range and the age range after 29, but hardly any in the 26–29 age group. "Awareness raising is necessary because some parents are hesitant to encourage their daughters to pursue their desired careers. They must be informed that working is acceptable," he remarked.
He continued that the benefits were another reason why many intelligent women chose to work for the government. If the private sector implemented other government policies, such as maternity leave, Tamil Nadu's female workforce share could surpass 43 per cent.
