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Laura G. Bode, who once used to be the CFO of a company that she took public, found it very difficult to speak up for herself in a male-dominated career.
She would wonder why, in a country such as the US which supported women, there were only a few of them in positions of power, and resolved that her daughters wouldn't face the same problem.
As President of iL2L (I Live 2 Lead), a non-profit organisation in Washington DC, she focuses on developing future generations of women leaders through skills training, interaction with role models and support from mentors and peers.
Bode and iL2L Vice-President Joanne Grady Huskey were in Chennai to attend a Young Women's Leadership Summit from March 4-7 that the city-based Global Adjustments hosted in collaboration with them.
This is for “outstanding” young women aged 15-19. Women professionals, diplomats, political and cultural leaders from India and abroad trained the girls in project planning and presentation, networking and public speaking, among other skills.
Preparing adolescents to be clear about their goals is important, said Huskey, also the Chief Representative of Global Adjustments in North America.
“At the end of college or the beginning of one's career, people are already at a certain stage, so we have to catch them earlier.” Mentors were assigned to the girls to help them break their project proposals down into actionable stages.
The proposals run the gamut from environmental awareness to empowering transgenders.
Twenty-one girls were chosen from various colleges for this summit. Major sponsoring organisations include Saint Gobain Glass India and IBM India and philanthropists from the US.
Ranjini Manian, Founder & CEO, Global Adjustments, says, “Our girls are smart, hardworking and have the balance of a centred upbringing; all that is lacking is exposure to visionary role models, which this mentorship will give them”.
This year, Young Women's International Leadership Summits are being held in Chennai, Washington DC, Deauville (France), and Nairobi (Kenya).
The winner from India will attend the international summit to be held at Washington DC in July.
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