Brewing Change: Leadership Dialogue on Women & Careers |

Industry and Academia Unite in Hyderabad to Discuss Inclusive Career Pathways for Women

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, a group of industry leaders, academics, and practitioners gathered in Hyderabad for a thought-provoking roundtable titled “Brewing Change: Leadership Dialogue on Women and Careers.” The dialogue was organized by the UN PRME's Working Group on "Responsible Work & Purposeful Careers", in collaboration with the Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Hyderabad, with Zunavish Consulting serving as the PR partner.

The event opened with remarks from Prof. (Dr.) K. M. Baharul Islam, Director IMT Hyderabad, who underscored the importance of addressing three interconnected categories of barriers that women face in the workplace: structural, cultural, and psychological. Th

e discussion framework was introduced by Prof. (Dr.) Musarrat Shaheen. She presented a three-phase developmental model that outlines how challenges evolve over the course of a woman’s career. According to this model, the first phase—typically early career—centres on idealistic achievement, the second phase, described as pragmatic endurance, usually unfolds during mid-career when professional responsibilities intersect with increasing domestic and caregiving demands, and the third phase of the model, termed reinventive contribution, typically emerges later in women’s careers when they seek to leverage their experience toward broader impact.

The dialogue was moderated by Mr Abhijit Bhattacharya, Director – Global Coaching at S&P Global. The session concluded with closing remarks by Prof. (Dr.) Romina Matthew, professor of human resource managment at IMT Hyderabad. The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Ms Kiran Aidhi, CEO of Zunavish HR Consulting.

As the discussions over coffee and conversation reflected, the journey toward gender-equitable workplaces requires not only policy changes but also sustained leadership commitment to redesign systems, challenge biases, and create environments where women’s careers can thrive across all stages of professional life.