On June 14, 2016 MCHI – CREDAI Women’s Wing hosted Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist and Bureau Chief of New York Times, South Asia at Kitab Khana, Mumbai for an intellectually stimulating session titled: Role of Patriarchy in Business Families in India. Mr. Ashwani Kumar, Chairperson for Public Policy, Habitat and Human Development, School of Development Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences moderated the session and Mrs. Richa Shah, Core Committee Member, Women’s Wing anchored the informal discussion. Important & intense discussions led to active participation by the members present. Mrs. Richa Shah, strongly supported the cause of women and requested every woman to be a feminist. She defined feminism in a very comprehensive way in her opening dialogue.
President MCHI – CREDAI Shri Dharmesh Jain brought out very pertinent point with regard to inheritance for daughters where as Shri Bandish Ajmera, MCHI – CREDAI, Special Projects presented sharp contrast of inheritance from a son’s perspective.
Sitting in the audience, Mrs Mona Ajmera lent strong voice to the discussion by touching upon the emotional aspect of inheritance on why daughters do not insist on inheriting in India.
Young perspective was presented by Ashana Ajmera who has recently joined her family business and shared that it was not at all difficult for her to join the family business and her suggestions are accepted well by family members and professionals alike. Young & confident Aashna was the voice of youngsters in India who have carved a place for themselves in the male dominated bastion.
Meha Shah expressed that her mother-in-law Mrs. Falguni Shah in fact encouraged her to pursue her career and unconditionally supported her in all her endeavors.
Indeed Ms. Barry enlightened the audience about the social fabric of India with respect to inheritance, feminism, role of women perceived in the society and social taboos in a very friendly manner. A great orator and patient listener, she struck the chord with the audience immediately. Mr Ashwani Kumar deliberated on data packed information on status of women in India, motherhood, marriage and divorces.
The august gathering comprised of: Shri S. S. Hussain, CEO, MCHI – CREDAI, Women’s Wing core committee members: Mrs/s Anuradha Shah, Falguni Shah, Sejal Goradia, Mona Ajmera and Jesal Shah.
Mr Vimal Shah from Terraform Realty aptly expressed, “We are way behind for things to change”!
However, albeit slow, things are changing in a positive manner for women in India. Our society has had to go through many social and economic upheavals to come to this point where we stand today. Clearly, current situation is far better than what it was many scores ago.
Though social milieus are changing in India but they need to catch momentum to have widespread impact.
