Women to Watch Awards’ jury puts spotlight on gender equality

The Women to Watch Awards 2024 align with PrintWeek's ongoing commitment to advancing diversity, inclusion, and equality by spotlighting regional business leaders, change makers, and rising stars who defy biases and stereotypes.

This was more than evident during the jury day of the Women to Watch Awards 2024. The five-member jury examined more than 50 entries across 13 categories. 

Transforming challenges into opportunities

Tasneem Vasi has been a part of the print and packaging industry for more than two decades now. She said “The struggle for a woman leading a massive team or helming a senior role in a corporate company as opposed to the struggle for a woman working in a remote area of the country are completely different. Studying some of the entries was an eye opener, since the work a tech entrepreneur does in a village in Haryana or Uttrakhand is very important, and we need to recognise it.”

She said, “The Women to Watch Awards is a good platform to inspire women in remote corners of India. Eventually, it will advance the cause of all women.”  

Empowering diverse voices

While the impact within SMEs and MSMEs holds significance, the ability to manage decisions and fulfil responsibilities will guarantee a solid voice for women and ensure the gender gap narrows.

Jayashree Joshi highlighted the importance of acknowledging the resilience of women in such circumstances, noting the difficulty of overcoming obstacles every day. Joshi said, "Emphasising production and outreach becomes crucial. Uncovering the benefits will allay the concerns the industry encounters about gender equality."

The five-member jury examined more than 50 entries across 13 categories

The new generational problem

When asked about the probable reasons as to why the second generation is shy about working in a family-run business, Kavita Dalal of Beyondesign said “We need to pass on the knowledge. Today, the packaging industry is one of the most high growth industries in India. We need to get gen-next interested in the industry by enhancing their skill. The industry thrives on skills and we need organisations to ensure this is possible in an easy and fun manner.”

The well discussed gap

Jaini Gala, founder of Artistically Wired said “We can not deny the knowledge gap between the designers and create as opposed to the packaging industry. The women whose entries we studied show their importance in connecting these two diverse worlds. We have to bring the two worlds and put the spotlight on some of the extraordinary women who were part of the Women to Watch Awards. Perhaps PrintWeek can host seminars, interactive sessions and show-and-tell.” 

Jaini Gala like the other jury members alluded to the fact that women in the industry relish bringing the element of surprise to the print and packaging craft. And like the best artists, they aren’t afraid to go against the grain....

Sponsors: The Women to Watch Awards in 2024 is powered by Manugraph in association with TechNova and Vinsak