HYDERABAD: It’s high time that women step forward to make their voices heard and transform themselves, contributing to the society, and the nation at large, said Vanitha Datla, Chairperson of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Telangana Charter here Monday.
Delivering the eleventh convocation address of University College for Women, Koti, Vanitha said, “In India, we see only 16 per cent of women working. There have been many studies conducted and statistics compiled to show that increasing women’s participation in work/ job market would boost a country’s economic performance, thereby leading to a growth in GDP. In spite of these key indicators, there is still a gaping inequality and stalled progress when it comes to women empowerment.”
Vanitha asked the graduating students to take career seriously and be part of the change. “Please look for a career. It’s good to be a housewife, but in our country, only a small chunk of people work hard and carry the burden for others. To change that, all of you need to go out and make a difference. I never heard any man resigning from his job, once he gets married. Why should things be different for women? Have career and family life side by side,” Vanitha, who is also the executive Director & CFO of Elico Ltd, said.
Vanitha opined that in today’s world most of the students lack when it comes to skills. “I feel that today’s graduates are ‘Qualified- yet unqualified.’ They may have a degree in hand, some of them might have topped their class, and few of them may be more knowledgeable than their peers, but do they have the competencies (Knowledge, skills, and attitude) that are required in the workplace? Developing workplace competence is an essential part of their time at university and recruiters look for evidence of what skills they have developed and how they can apply them. It’s very important to have the skills, to survive in this world,” she observed.
E Suresh Kumar, Registrar of Osmania university agreed with Vanitha and said that it’s important to be unique. “Don’t just be someone’s daughter, wife or mother. Create a unique identity for yourself. Gain knowledge and skills that are required to take you to the top. Compliment others, have a positive attitude and bring a change,” Suresh said.
A total of 641 students received degrees in BA, BCom and BSc streams while seven of them were awarded gold medals for their outstanding achievements.