Picture a warm sunlit afternoon at Over Coffee in Bangalore\u2019s Lavelle Road, the air buzzing with mid-week energy, the clink of cutlery mingling with the hum of women\u2019s voices. This was ISB\u2019s power-packed lunch with Hilary McGeachy, the Australian Consul General\u2014a meeting that seamlessly blended global diplomacy and conversations of women, by women and for women. And with International Women\u2019s Day around the corner, the timing couldn\u2019t have been more perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hilary, with her trademark finesse and candidness, turned it into an enthused platform where ideas began to flow as freely as the conversation. She was the one who brought us together, and magic started to happen, as ISB women\u2014women from non-profits, tech, finance, CSR, multinational corporations, and more\u2014brought their unique stories to the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The conversation naturally gravitated towards challenges women face at the workplace and in personal lives\u2014globally, in Australia, and in India. Women\u2019s leadership struggles. Urban and rural labour force and its divide. Gender pay gaps. Domestic pressures. Maternity leave and career re-entry difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then there were moments when it got personal. An ISB alumna shared her story of returning to work after maternity leave. \u201cYou\u2019re juggling motherhood, outdated skills, and the constant guilt of not being \u2018enough\u2019 for either role,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hilary\u2019s insights? Sharp, honest, profound, with an eye on the long game. These were discussions that hit hard but also offered hope as we spoke about the changes implemented, solutions already underway, and future improvements – policy reforms, enhanced accountability, and the need for cultural shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the lunch wrapped, the room was abuzz with ideas and inspiration. Women’s struggles are real, but so is the determination to overcome them. Each of the women in the room was living proof of positive change. And changes still to arrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This Women\u2019s Day, let\u2019s commit to creating a meaningful world where all women can thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stepped back onto the street and thought of the energy of the women I\u2019d just met. If this meeting with the forward-thinking Hilary McGeachy and the other ISB women is anything to go by, I have a strong feeling that we\u2019re on the right track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
—<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Organised by the offices of External Relations and Alumni Engagement at ISB, ‘Meet with a LeadHer’ is a series of interactive lunch\/coffee meets where a woman leader shares perspectives on her journey and achievements with the ISB community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Picture a warm sunlit afternoon at Over Coffee in Bangalore\u2019s Lavelle Road, the air buzzing with mid-week energy, the clink of cutlery mingling with the hum of women\u2019s voices. This was ISB\u2019s power-packed lunch with Hilary McGeachy, the Australian Consul General\u2014a meeting that seamlessly blended global diplomacy and conversations of women, by women and for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":70,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[7,3],"yoast_head":"\n