Employers must be bold and embrace gender equality, says Forward Ladies

Forward Ladies is holding an event next month that will highlight the vital role played by female entrepreneurs in the region’s business community.

The Yorkshire Post is the media partner for an event to celebrate International Women’s Day, which features speeches from the entrepreneur and philanthropist Kavita Oberoi, who is originally from Bradford, and Sherry Coutu, the former CEO and angel investor who serves on the boards of companies, charities and universities. Ms Oberoi established her first business, Oberoi Consulting, in 2001, after spotting a gap in the market for clinical audit services.

In 2012 she also established Oberoi Business Hub, based in Derby’s Pride Park, which is a shared business hub designed to help and encourage business start-ups and growing businesses.

Ms Coutu is a high profile entrepreneur, who chairs Founders4Schools and serves on the advisory board of Linkedin.com. She also has an MBA from Harvard and an MSc from the London School of Economics.

It is being hosted by Forward Ladies at Hilton Leeds City in Neville Street, Leeds on March 3 from 12pm to 3.30pm.

Tickets can be obtained via www.forwardladies.com.

A spokesman for Forward Ladies said: “For International Women’s Day 2017, Forward Ladies is asking you to #BeBoldForChange and help forge a better working world - a more inclusive, gender equal world.

“Forward Ladies celebrates by reflecting on the extraordinary accomplishments and achievements of women who have overcome barriers and helped shape the country’s history.

“Although International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900s, many companies are still struggling to create gender balanced businesses and fail to recognise the talent in the market by attracting, retaining and rewarding the contribution that women are making in business.”