ET Women's Forum: Campus debate series kicks off on gender pay parity

Are women paid less than men for similar jobs? An eclectic mix of arguments was made at this debate organised at the Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics, on February 9.

This was the first debate in a series being organised in the run-up to The Economic Times Women's Forum to be held on March 16 in Mumbai.

Partnered by Facebook, The Economic Times Women's Forum, which recently kicked off the Half-a-Billion Debates, will see over 50 international and Indian speakers come together for a day to deliberate on more than 12 areas of focus. These range from gender diversity in boardrooms to parliaments and enhancing women's participation in the workforce to breaking the proverbial glass ceiling. This is the first year of The Economic Times Women's Forum, which will see a gathering of influential global leaders who champion women’s empowerment. These frontrunners will be from diverse fields such as politics, science, business, sports and the arts.


They will share their perspectives, ideas and stories to create a premier platform for mentoring, networking and lobbying for change. The sessions will cover topics like business, leadership development and the arts, including Bollywood.

Also read: ET Women's Forum - complete coverage

The debates have been crafted to offer a platform for the expression of views and thoughtprovoking discussions on issues that confront women.

At the debate on Friday, students made a case for the need to end the gender pay gap. This was a business imperative and it was time the issue was dealt with both at the company and society level, they argued. The team that supported the motion for pay parity, which consisted of Radhika, Ravish Rana and Karan Seth, won the debate. Seth also won the best speaker award.