Updated on: Wednesday, March 21, 2012
A Young Women's Leadership workshop for high school was recently hosted for students at the Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai. This event led by Barnard students, featured a plenary address on financial literacy for women and workshops which explored critical leadership skills including negotiation and collaboration. The high school students participated in a role-playing exercise where they were encouraged to consider clashing perspectives about an eminent domain scenario.
Debora Spar, president, Barnard College, Speaking on the agenda of the workshop, said, "The first part of the agenda was to get these students out of their comfort zones through role play and various other activities. We want to make them realise the different perspectives of leadership. Leadership has various aspects to it like negotiations, compromise, and persuasion among others. We are trying to awaken their true potential."
Students from ten different schools across Mumbai participated in the workshop. Abhilasha Rajan, a student from Bombay Scottish School while Speaking about the workshop, said, "The workshop is a great opportunity to interact with different people across the globe." Another student, Amy Brar from Bombay International School added, "Women empowerment is an issue very close to my heart. This workshop focuses on that aspect and that is what brings me here."
The workshop was followed by a Global Symposium, 'Women Changing India', on March 16, 2012 in Mumbai, which brought together exceptional leaders in government, commerce, academia, arts and media from across the country. They spoke on social activism, entrepreneurship and cultural expression. Kiran Bedi, Nandita Das, Farah Khan were some of the women leaders present at the event.