ByIANSlife

March 8, 2021 (IANSlife) IANSlife caught up with leading female entrepreneurs and professionals in the country to find out what empowerment means to them and what they expect in the a post-COVID world with a focus on 2021.

Dr. Blossom Kochhar believes, "I feel women should be empowered, they should be given equal rights to prove themselves. They should never stop learning. And the most important thing, women should support each other rather than competing with one another. Only a strong woman can pull another woman.

Last year was tough for the beauty industry but we have learned to evolve ourselves and are learning to live in covid times. This industry will now move towards online, it will have more online consultation, brands will stress more on e-commerce platforms and the brands will move towards sustainability."

Luxury wedding planner Prerana Agarwal Saxena, Founder of Theme Weavers Designs adds, "Covid-19 forced business owners to think and act differently and change their processes very rapidly. Survival as a wedding and events business in 2020 required a rapid adoption of technology across all frontiers of weddings related processes and putting health and safety as top priority. A lot of weddings were cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic scare.  As we move to 2021, we will continue to see health & safety as a top priority for families, but more weddings this year as pent-up demand from last year. Weddings will also continue to be more intimate affairs with limited number of guests, providing a more personalized experience to each and every guest, in line with government regulations for COVID compliance."

A report from McKinsey Global Institute estimates that women make up almost two-fifth of global labor force but have suffered more than half of total job losses from the crisis. Challenges associates with the pandemic have been felt disproportionately by women, as they strive to meet the demands of home and work simultaneously. We need to empower women, in terms of actually telling them that you have the power to manage in a world where there are more men than women.

"The dawn of 2021 brought with it a new hope along with a better sense to handle new challenges that may arise. The role of women in this transformation is as important as it has ever been and even more in strengthening women communities as we walk into the post pandemic world.  It’s the time for reform – the time to reimagine stereotypes. Female pride has now seized the power to build a stark workplace that says no to the customary and where keeping employees healthy, involved and motivated takes priority. The intentioned walk into a more empowered and healthier society shall strive for a balance across all spheres. The new normal would be the time to revisit the workplace structures, make them flexible and inclusive, distant yet social and to create a model that facilitates working both from office place and home," said Interior Designer Punam Kalra, Creative Director of I'M The Centre for Applied Arts.

Ruchita Bansal, Founder & Creative Director, Izhaar states, "Women entrepreneurs are pushing the envelope even harder in 2021 because of last year’s setback. As the world has shifted towards the online platforms and the businesses have become digital, this has acted as a blessing in disguise to broaden the horizons of the business market. The best advice message I could give to a woman on this women’s day? ‘Whatever you do, be different. Don’t try to imitate anyone, be more ambitious. Be persevering and trust yourself. Excellence is the best way to go ahead and don’t fear failure. Dare and get what you want as an independent woman who does not let herself be influenced by what others might think.’ We are moving to a very exciting time in history where the world now "expects" equity, diversity and inclusion. The world notices its absence and celebrates its presence."

This women’s day let's make sure to encourage women to take up the profession of their choice and enable them to become financially and economically independent and respect their choice.

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