The age of automation, and on the near horizon, artificial intelligence technologies offer new job opportunities and avenues for economic advancement, but women face new challenges overlaid on long-established ones. Between 40 million and 160 million women globally may need to transition between occupations by 2030, often into higher-skilled roles. To weather this disruption, women need to be skilled, mobile, and tech-savvy, but women face pervasive barriers on each, and will need targeted support to move forward in the world of work. The pandemic has fuelled deeper conversations about diversity, inclusion and gender equity. Meaningful, equitable change can only take place if we continue to shine a light on gender equity, have allies lead these conversations and take inclusive action, company-wide. The new hybrid work environment has encouraged companies to engage in dialogue around the social and organisational constructs required to support women working from home. The fire-side chat would discuss the opportunities that lies beyond the ongoing conversation of diversity at work, the future of Gig workforce and hybrid working and the role played by NASSCOM within the organisation and the industry to guide women to lead the future of digital workforce in the new normal.

• Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM