Conference: "Promoting Gender Representation in Australian and Indian Companies: External Drivers of Change"

The Centre for India Australia Studies (CIAS) and O.P. Jindal Global are organising a conference on “Promoting Gender Representation in Australian and Indian Companies: External Drivers of Change” as part of the project titled ‘Promoting Women in Leadership: Diversity on Boards in Australia and India’.

The conference is scheduled on Thursday, 29 September 2022 between 12 pm to 1:30 pm.

Venue: Zoom.

Find link here.

Panellists (Australia)

1. Rachel Waterhouse, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Shareholders' Association.

2. Dr Akshaya Kamalnath, Senior Lecturer, ANU College of Law, Australian National University (ANU)

Panellists (India)

1. Aparna Mittal, Founder, Samāna Centre for Gender, Policy and Law

2. Rajiv Luthra, Founder & Managing Partner, Luthra and Luthra Law Offices India.

3. Shweta Rao, Head, Vahura OnBoard (Board Search and Advisory)

4. Hetal Dalal, President and Chief Operating Officer, Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IiAS)

Moderator: Assistant Professor of Legal Practice, Divyangana Dhankar, JGU.

Key theme

The purpose of this conference is to identify key sources of power with potential to drive gender representation in directorship and leadership positions (C-suite or executive roles).

This conference identifies external drivers to be sources of power outside the company that have, or are in the position to, materially influence appointment of directors and key C-suite professionals.

The panel focuses on the following external drivers to enhance gender representation-

• Shareholders, including but not limited to, institutional shareholders

• Promoter and Promoter Group, including but not limited to, promoters in family-based, government or foreign subsidiary companies.

• Representative Bodies, Advocacy Groups, Research Organisations, Professional Advisory Firms, Media and Search Firms

• Regulatory and Government Authorities

Panellists may discuss any one or all four sources of power with respect to:

• strategies that can be adopted by the identified sources to enhance gender parity on boards and in top management, particularly in the aftermath of COVID-19

• meaning of gender parity in terms of setting company-specific targets

• role in monitoring and creating industry-perceptions for companies to consider while finalising directorial candidates and C-suite positions

• methods of collaborating with one another and consolidating information/best practices on achieving gender parity

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