The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) started a three-day leadership training workshop for visually-challenged women professionals titled “Leadership and Strategic Thinking for Social Sector”, on Tuesday, April 25.

Keeping in mind the special requirements of the participants, the IIMA faculty members are making modifications to the course content and teaching, said a statement shared by the institute. At least 25 women taking part in the programme were from various organisations in Delhi, Gujarat, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, the statement added.

A report by PTI added that the visually challenged participants will be taught subjects such as strategic thinking for the social sector, governance and compliance issues in NGOs, financial literacy, managing negotiations and how to lead in the social sector,

The workshop will help these women professionals achieve a greater understanding of various functions and aspects of management, including self-growth, which will equip them with the knowledge and skills to gradually move up the growth ladder in their organisations or pursue senior-level positions in the social sector, the statement by IIMA said.

The workshop has been conceptualised by IIMA Professor Rajesh Chandwani and aims to equip the participants with knowledge and skills that can help in grooming them to take on leadership roles.

Eleven other faculty members from IIMA and Blind People's Association (BPA), with expertise in different academic areas, have come together to conduct sessions on a wide range of subjects for the participants.

Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, while speaking at the opening ceremony of the programme, said, "Through this programme, we are taking a crucial step to understand and mitigate the challenges faced by visually-challenged women who aspire to take on leadership positions, an area where there is a significant under-representation.”