Dr Niyati Chitkara, Vice President - Chitkara International Schools, Chandigarh Dr Niyati Chitkara, Vice President - Chitkara International Schools, Chandigarh

Like a myriad of women, I often find myself pondering about how my life would have been, had it not been for the support and understanding of the people that surrounded me. Indeed, the terms like “equity” and “equality” hold a great significance for the likes of us, who have not only benefitted from them but also hoped to afford the same understanding and opportunities to other women in their respective modest capacities.

From the get go, what I’ve found exceptionally inspirational is the immensity of influence that my teachers had over me (most of them females) and the significant roles that were played by them in shaping the lives of youngsters. A strong inspiration coupled with my own passion to make a difference therefore encouraged me to join the revered field of education, as I strived hard to leave an indelible mark with my endeavours, not shying away from doing what I truly believed in. Yet, this, I believe, couldn’t be merely ascribed to valour but also to the incredible opportunities, learnings, and support that I had received throughout my journey. Today, as I stand as the Vice President of a leading educational institution in the country, I hold immense gratitude to those whose cooperation led me to where I am today and whose investment has indeed made me accelerate growth for others.

Oftentimes, it is said that when we invest in women, we support those who invest in everybody else. Yet, by their very nature, women are considered giving and nurturing and truly, what better an investment would there be than in the women of one’s own house and society? This investment, having received and rendered personally, I reckon, is truly priceless.

Correspondingly, at Chitkara International School, we have endeavoured to build a community that not only gives a platform to women to shine but also celebrates their merits as they do so. With a workforce comprising 61% of female workers, CIS has been able to promote a culture of “investing in women”, where equality and equity are both defined and practised and inclusivity remains the natural way of doing things. Here, the emphasis lies not just in providing equal opportunities to all, but providing the right opportunities to them, on the basis of their merit, likes and inclinations.

Moreover, whether it is encouraging women to undertake research or to come up with their own initiatives, many an efforts are made to empower women at work. This also includes observing female-centric days including National Girl Child Day, International Women’s Day etc. and honouring the women of excellence for their meritorious contributions. Having undertaken such measures and many more, Chitkara International School has invariably upheld the significance of women in our society and has left no stone unturned in promoting the cause of women empowerment.

As a matter of immense pride, furthermore, Chitkara Fraternity also holds a longstanding association with the women of Chitkara University’s adopted villages, encouraging them to engage in small scale businesses and work like handicrafts, sewing, etc., wherein these endearing women are not only rendered adequate vocation-specific training but also taught the varied steps taken to start a small scale business. Such an endeavour remains an exemplar of not only inclusivity (of the underprivileged women) but also equity, as it ensures that appropriate sources of income are generated for these hardworking women.

Yet, financial empowerment (although crucial for bringing women at par with men in contributing towards expenses), isn’t the only thing that one must render to the women of the society. Investment, therefore, shouldn’t be limited to the finances, but also towards promoting the mental wellbeing and health of women. Similarly, at Chitkara International School, many a measures are undertaken to spread awareness of various preventable diseases, for instance, breast cancers, which women stay prone to. Along with that, special heart-to-heart counselling sessions are being rendered to female employees that ensure their mental wellbeing.

Thus, by inspiring inclusion and embracing equity, much difference can be made in the society where the women feel not only empowered to support themselves but also to support those around them. Yetroyal888, inclusivity remains an attitude that all Chitkarians embrace 24/7, solidifying the fact that with inclusion, there’s really no limit to what a society can accomplish.

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