Baala

The panel discussion on “Margin to Mainstream – Strategies for Empowerment” at IDEATE 2025 explored the pathways to advance women’s leadership and foster inclusive growth. Sara Abdullah Pilot, Founder & Chairperson, CEQUIN, highlighted that women continue to face challenges ranging from maternity and workplace policies to broader social freedoms. She emphasized the need to share experiences and collaborate across regions to build more effective solutions. Aradhana Rai Gupta, Co-founder, Project Baala, emphasized that meaningful change requires both women and men to engage, with open conversations on health, education, and empowerment. She noted that India’s vast youth population brings fresh perspectives and energy to address long-standing challenges. Adding to this, Vijay Mahajan, Founder, BASIX Social Enterprise Group, underscored that convergence is key to driving holistic change. He noted that faster progress requires focus on education, health, financial access, and opportunities, while also enabling more women to shape policies through political leadership. Panel Moderator Roshika Singh, Principal Country Officer, India Country Team, IFC India, further emphasized that dialogues like IDEATE are critical in fostering collaboration among stakeholders and strengthening efforts towards women’s empowerment. The discussion provided a space to exchange experiences, explore challenges, and identify actionable strategies to bring women from the margins to the mainstream. @ficci_india | @FicciCSR @CEQUIN2009 @ProjectBaala @BASIXConsulting #IDEATE2025 #WomenLeadership #InclusiveGrowth #SocialImpact