Women In Leadership holds ‘WILFest-2024’ for women’s economic independence

Bangladesh Brand Forum and Women in Leadership, in association with Square Food & Beverage and The Daily Star, recently organised the fifth edition of the "WILFest 2024", powered by RFL Houseware and presented by Akij Tableware at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden on Friday.

The WILFest included the 7th Women Leadership Summit and the 8th Inspiring Women Awards while Berger Paints presented WILArt 2024 supported by Shwapno.

This year's WILFest also celebrated the 10th anniversary of Women in Leadership with the theme "Pursuit of Women's Economic Independence", read a press release.

WILFest 2024 dove deep and explored the multifaceted ways to seek different possibilities for women to achieve economic independence.

The summit brought together top executives from the corporate and development sector, government employees, academicians, artists, activists, prominent thought leaders, and policy makers to share their insights, experiences, and thoughts on women's empowerment.

The summit featured an engaging agenda comprising two keynote sessions, four panel discussions, one insight session, and a special session by Nazia Andaleeb Preema, president of WIL.

In the opening speech, Preema said: "This year's fest focused on how WIL can help and push females to pursue economic independence through empowerment.

"The festival has brought context to different segments of knowledge and learning to activate the concentration on the core theme from diverse angles and dimensions."

Tulsi Jayakumar, executive director of the Centre for Family Business & Entrepreneurship and professor of economics at the SP Jain Institute of Management and Research in Mumbai, and Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, professor and chairman of the department of development studies at the University of Dhaka, presented the keynote papers at the summit.

Bangladesh Creative Forum was the strategic partner of the WILfest, Aamra Technologies was the technology partner, Backpage PR was the PR partner, and Preema Arte Foundation was the artistic partner.

Zara Jabeen Mahbub, a member of parliament from Chapainawabganj and a member of the standing committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dimitra Nikolopoulou, a performance artist from Greece, and Zahida Fizza Kabir, chief executive office of Sajida Foundation, were present.

Among others, Md Tajdin Hassan, chief business officer of The Daily Star, Saad Jashim, area head of talent, culture and inclusion for APMEA central of British American Tobacco, Bangladesh, Nazim Farhan Choudhury, managing director of Adcomm, and Professor Imran Rahman, vice-chancellor of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, were also present.