This time last year, I was in Bangalore, India, participating in NASSCOM’s annual women in IT Leadership forum. I didn’t know it at the time, but it turned out to be the last ever business trip that I would take in my then job – so it’s particularly apt that it turned out to be both the most memorable trip of my career to date and also the most fun. I spoke on the opening panel about the business imperatives of gender diversity and also participated in Australian company emberin’s launch of their “my mentor: Challenging Indian Women to Step Up” toolkit. This is a box set of DVDs and CDs which enables women to both coach themselves and to learn from others as to the key steps and barriers which can help or hinder their career progression; here I am on the panel event where emberin founder Maureen Frank, pictured centre (and a woman so charismatic that she could found her own cult) led a roomful of 400 women in a debate around breaking the glass ceiling and crunching the pieces underfoot.
In my previous life/role, we used “my mentor” in Australia, South Africa and India and saw some amazing results amongst our women – huge increases in promotion rates, confidence levels and general happiness and life satisfaction. So I was thrilled to note that the innovative Ms Frank has taken the MM concept to another level and launched a new product, designed to support women through their parental leave. Aimed at ladies who are either pregnant or hoping to be pregnant soon, the kit, described as a “self paced one stop shop parental leave program” is a stand-alone CD, DVD and workbook kit designed for women planning to take parental leave at work.
Key content includes:
• Before, during and after parental leave: strategies you will need to consider at work and at home in order to balance everything on your plate;
• Key advice on what to plan for, what to expect, how to negotiate, and how to communicate issues concerning parental leave;
• Practical tips, checklists, budgets and templates for busy working women about to embark on one of the biggest challenges of their careers – having a baby.
The program is a self-guiding, advanced short course and can be done in a day, a weekend or over a few weeks. It takes a pragmatic and practical step by step approach and helps you face challenges, keeps you motivated and makes your parental leave journey a rewarding and successful one.
If you would like a chance to win a copy of emberin’s my mentor Parental Leave program, enter their competition between now and 29th November by sending an email (of 100 words or less) detailing why you feel you need guidance on taking parental leave.
Send your entry along with your name, address and email to magic@emberin.com
The winner will be notified by email and announced on the emberin website on Wednesday, 2nd December 2009.
Good luck!
The Gender Blog 
Hello Miss Cleo – a song comes to mind – sounds something like ….’MEMORIES’ and appropriately has something to do with cats. the other day Georgia broke out in a big rash – and I had never seen anything like other than the welts you had from the cat you pat in India – so what a thing to remember – but it was on my mind. Such fond memories of that wonderful trip – I tell you if all the other ‘stuff’ wasnt going on I would be rather tempted to jump on a plane and come and join you. Love Maureen xx
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