NEW DELHI : Deakin University, Australia and Symbiosis International University have announced the launch of the Women Entrepreneurship Research Alliance (WERA). This research alliance will work towards creating the same participation and success rates in entrepreneurial activity for women as their male counterparts and harnessing their potential to rebuild nations and their economies.
The program was signed off virtually by both partners on International Women’s Day on 8 March 2022 in the presence of senior representatives including Sarah Storey, Deputy Australian High Commissioner to India, Professor Iain Martin, President and Vice-Chancellor, Deakin University, Dr Vidya Yeravdekar, Principal Director of Symbiosis Society, Shloka Nath, Executive Director, India Climate Collaborative and Head of Sustainability Portfolio, Tata Trusts, and Ravneet Pawha, Deputy Vice President (Global), Deakin University.
The official launch of WERA was followed by an engaging panel discussion on the topic ‘Women and Sustainability: Business in the New Normal’. This was organised to foster conversations about the impact women in business can have on a sustainable future, and they spoke in detail about the roles women could take in mitigating some of the most pressing challenges of our time. The panellists included Preeti Sayal, Senior Specialist, NITI Ayog; Meenal Mohadikar, President, Ami Udyogini, and Vice President, Maharashtra Economic Development Council; Trish Hyde, co-founder, and CEO of The Plastics Circle; and Anupama Ratta, Head, Diversity and Inclusion, Tata Power.
Speaking at the launch, Sarah Storey, Deputy Australian High Commissioner to India, elaborated on the importance of research collaboration between India and Australia, “One of the key focus areas of the India Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is to enhance bilateral research collaborations,” she said.
“There’s been a lot of hard work put into deepening the India-Australia relationship, with a suite of ministerial announced initiatives and progress on the free trade agreement. The Women Entrepreneurship Research Alliance is another welcome contribution to mutually beneficial knowledge exchanges which helps to strengthen further this flourishing relationship.”
“I will be interested to see the impact of this alliance on bridging the gap between men and women in entrepreneurship – and reducing obstacles women face through social roles and cultural stereotypes,” Ms Storey said.
Deakin University’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Iain Martin said, “Deakin is excited to partner with Symbiosis to make a positive impact on women entrepreneurs in India through the Women Entrepreneurship Research Alliance (WERA).”
“Deakin is committed to ensuring gender equity becomes a business and cultural norm. Through this partnership, we aim to introduce meaningful actions to support women’s motivations and expectations about entrepreneurship.”
Ravneet Pawha, Deputy Vice President (Global) and CEO (South Asia), Deakin University, added “Women entrepreneurship is vital to our country’s development and recovery from the pandemic. However, the percentage of women who decide to pursue an entrepreneurial career is lower than that of men.”
“This collaboration is a part of our plan to give back to the communities we live in, and we’ve partnered with Symbiosis that is a leader in the region to foster the empowerment of women in India through the development of programs and applied research that supports them to engage in entrepreneurial activity.”
Noting the significance of this collaboration, Andrea North-Samardzic, Director, Women Entrepreneurship Research Alliance (WERA) remarked, “This is a one-of-a-kind centre in India which will work at all three levels: research, training, and policy advocacy. I’ve had the opportunity to work on similar projects in other countries that have greatly contributed to the development of local communities, and I look forward to all that we’ll achieve in the years to come.”
As part of the strategy, this centre will include the development of an online training program and whitepapers and providing masterclasses for young female entrepreneurs looking to start their business in both India and Australia, facilitating connections between women entrepreneurs of the two countries. The centre will also undertake impact evaluations of programs for women entrepreneurs and more.
