PNS|Vijayawada
The Indian Women Network (IWN) Southern Region, a part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), has announced the commencement of the 4th Cohort of the ‘EVEmpower’ Leadership Mentoring Programme for the year 2023-24. This cross-company initiative aims to provide mentorship to 300 ambitious and aspiring women leaders, fostering their growth and development over a period of 6-7 months starting from August 2023.
The ‘EVEmpower’ programme brings together mentors of all genders from diverse industries and verticals, who volunteer to actively support and guide mentees on their professional journeys. These mentors play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of women leaders and promoting gender parity within our community.
With overwhelming support from CII and IWN members over the past two years, this initiative has proven to be highly successful, benefiting both mentors and mentees in their professional development. It has become a mutually beneficial process, driving the advancement of women leaders.
The programme will encompass the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, and Puducherry. Mentor-mentee pairs will engage in structured monthly meetings lasting 60-90 minutes, focusing on the mentees’ goals and objectives agreed upon at the outset of the mentoring journey. The programme will conclude in March 2024 with a felicitation ceremony where mentor-mentees will share their experiences with stakeholders and members of CII and IWN from across the Southern Region.
The success of the ‘EVEmpower’ programme has been evident since its launch. In the first year, IWN successfully matched 47 mentor-mentee pairs, which grew to over 80 pairs in the second year and surpassed 180 pairs in the third year. With great enthusiasm, IWN aims to match 300 pairs of mentor-mentees in the Southern Region in this fourth year.
Lakshmi Mukkavilli, Chairwoman of IWN Southern Region and Managing Director of Patra India BPO Services Pvt Ltd, expresses confidence in the vision of the programme and emphasizes the immense value it holds for women professionals. She believes that this mentoring process is a crucial element for their professional success and is proud that IWN provides this opportunity to empower women professionals.
Shirin Salis, Deputy Chairwoman of IWN Southern Region and Vice President of Human Resources at Trane Technologies, attributes the success of the initiative to the selflessness of cross-company and cross-state mentors who participate with the sole agenda of giving back, without any expectations. This genuine intent forms the core of EVEmpower, inspiring all stakeholders, including mentees, to invest their time and energy into making this programme a resounding success.
Established in 2013, the Indian Women Network (IWN) is a professional network for career women under the umbrella of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
With a vision to become India’s largest network for career women, IWN aims to co-create ecosystems that empower women, enabling them to achieve their full economic potential. Present in 16 states, 8 zones, and 1 union territory across India, IWN is committed to facilitating women’s leadership development, industry mentorship, and professional empowerment.
