Over 1500 aspiring women leaders throng Women Leadership Summit

Bangalore: Over 60 women technology leaders, that included leaders from leading MNCs like Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Intel, UST Global, Nokia, IBM, and many more, spoke at the siliconindia Women Leadership Summit on Friday the March 5, 2010.

Held on the eve of International Women's day, over 1500 women from all levels of the technology industry attended the event across six cities - Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.

Some of the topics discussed at the Summit included: Stepping UP and Developing The Leader in YOU, Ascending the Corporate Ladder, Women's Work: The Great Juggling Act, Strategic Mentoring: The Power of Many, and The Women Entrepreneurs.

"Social Media can be a perfect platform for women to create and image. It is important to learn how women can use online world and exploit their ability to connect with the world and build relationship," said Radha Giri, Associate Vice President (Product Marketing) at Harbinger, in her Keynote Session. Her session involved many games and puzzles which pointed out the importance of social networking services and how they can help women to empower themselves.

The day-long summit enabled women technology professionals to expand their network and help in professional development. Panelists enlightened the audience by sharing their experiences and tips on how to balance their personal and professional lives.

"While there is an increasing need to spend time for oneself and enjoy life, you should also understand that there's no more work-life balance. The word is work-life integration, and once you practice it, it's going to make things much smoother," said Alka Manchanda, Director of Engineering, Cisco.

Speakers also emphasized on how necessary it is for women who feel strongly about their careers to network more and be ready to let go of certain things so as to commit themselves to work.

All in all, the event was a great success. As Anita Guha, Manager, Leadership Development Programs, IBM said, "The event was a very good platform provided for women in the technology field to discuss their issues, hope more such events are organized."

The sponsors of the event included, Nokia, The Harbinger Group, Aegis, Aptech, Capco, The Park, Titan Raga, Sodexo, Steria, and Texas Instruments.