Expressnews
The Research Cell of Chevalier T. Thomas Elizabeth College for Women, Perambur, organised a one-day National Conference on “Women in Leadership: Breaking Barriers and Shaping the Future” on August 26, 2025. The conference served as a platform for scholars, practitioners, and students to deliberate on structural inequalities in leadership, economic participation, and policy frameworks, while fostering academic discourse that informs advocacy and practice.
The keynote address was delivered by Ms. Sumita Dutta Shoam, writer, designer, and photographer at Adisakrit Publishing. She underscored the importance of entrepreneurial self-reliance, skill development, empathy, and lifelong learning. Drawing on her professional journey, she urged students to evolve as job creators, highlighting the role of resilience, values, and family support in navigating complex life choices.
Dr. Abdul Azeez E.P., Assistant Professor, VIT Vellore, spoke on intersectionality and women’s empowerment, emphasising how overlapping identities of caste, class, gender, and ethnicity shape women’s experiences of discrimination. He drew attention to systemic barriers in family, economic, and political domains, citing the urgency of structural reforms.
Ms. Romina Joseph, Location Manager at TMF Bengaluru, delivered a session on “Leading Herself – Women Disrupting the Norm”. She recast leadership as people-centred, urging women to lead authentically with empathy and confidence, while challenging societal and systemic barriers.
Ms. T. Vanadhi Devi, entrepreneur and Founder President of SIAWED, highlighted barriers in women’s economic participation and the need for education, mentorship, and policy alignment to promote female entrepreneurship and inclusive innovation.
Ms. Gladys Hepzibah, Senior Manager at United Way of Chennai, shared field-based models of empowerment including banana fibre product manufacturing, financial literacy programmes, and green entrepreneurship. Linking her work to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), she stressed empowerment as both a social and economic necessity.
Ms. Sinnathamby Sooriya Kumary, President of OfERR (Ceylon), Sri Lanka, showcased the leadership of Sri Lankan refugee women in Tamil Nadu camps. Through self-help groups, vocational training, and governance committees, refugee women have transitioned from marginalisation to community leadership.
The academic sessions included paper presentations, with 40 papers received and 31 presented by scholars and students. The papers examined gendered challenges in leadership, marginalisation in digital and civic spaces, and legal as well as pedagogical strategies for transformation.
The conference reaffirmed CTTE College’s vision of linking academic inquiry with social responsibility, underlining its institutional commitment to inclusive leadership, ethical scholarship, and transformative education.
