Wednesday 25

Discussion ■ Conference Room II from 15:00 to 17:15

Connecting Economies, Empowering Women: Regional Connectivity and Cooperation in South Asia

Opening Remarks: Dr. Meenakshi Gopinath, Founder-Director, Women in Security and Conflict Management and Peace and Life Trustee, IIC 

Session 1: Breaking Barriers: Views from Women Changemakers

Speakers: Dhashma Karunaratne, Chief Commercial Officer, Colombo West International Terminal; Kiran Gupta, Chief Executive, Tata Power Distribution Limited; Chaitaly Mehta, President, Women’s Wing, Federation of Freight Forwarders Association of India; and Damchae Dem, Founder, Bhutan Association of Women Entrepreneurs 

Moderator: Cecile Fruman, Director, South Asia Regional Integration, The World Bank

Session 2: Women Economic Empowerment via Regional Efforts

Speakers: Carly Partridge, Minister-Counsellor, Australian High Commission; Susan Ferguson, Country Representative, UN Women, India; Rekha Raikar Kumar, Member, Finance, Land Ports Authority of India; and Constantino Xavier, Senior Fellow, Centre for Social and Economic Progress

Moderator: Mandakini Kaul, Regional Coordinator, South Asia Regional Integration, The World Bank

(Collaboration: The World Bank)