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Sunaina Tomar, who is the additional chief secretary of higher and technical education in Gujarat, said women are sufficiently skilled to take on advancing technologies
Gujarat IAS officer Sunaina Tomar and Vinita Vaid Singhal, principal secretary of food and civil supplies, Maharashtra, during a panel discussion at News18 SheShakti 2025. (Image: News18)
Women are the frontrunners in their chosen field and there is no disruption when it comes to their skills with the advent of artificial intelligence, said IAS officer Sunaina Tomar at the first-ever Mumbai edition of ‘News18 Sheshakti 2025 ‘.
Tomar, who is the additional chief secretary of higher and technical education in Gujarat, said women are sufficiently skilled to take on advancing technologies as the government is largely focusing on skilling youth.
She was speaking at a panel discussion on ‘Shaping Policy, Driving Change’ alongside Vinita Vaid Singhal, who is the principal secretary of food and civil supplies in Maharashtra.
“All girl students are getting enrolled in schools, colleges and universities. Among achievers, more are girls and the government is also focusing on skilling the youth. Women are frontrunners in their chosen fields, I don’t see any disruption with the advent of AI when it comes to women, they are sufficiently skilled,” Tomar said on whether AI can become a big disruptor for women entering the workforce.
Both accomplished bureaucrats, Tomar and Singhal come from north India and urged girls and women to come forward and take chances. They said if they did not face any impediment more than three decades ago, there should be nothing to stop women from taking initiative and grabbing opportunities.
“When women fail, it becomes generic but when a man does it’s specific. Failure is cited as an example for other women not to make the same mistakes. I work hard and try to be successful, but I also feel that women have to come forward and take chances,” Singhal said.
Tomar further said while the government can provide a level-playing field, once women are educated and skilled they have to come up to their full potential and realise opportunities for them.
“We have to take our own initiative…the urge to feel empowered lies within us. Strong women aren’t born, but built and women can do a lot more multitasking than men. I don’t shy away from my household responsibilities and I am aware that I have to work five to 10 times harder to be accepted at the same level as men,” she said.
‘INDIA HAS GIVEN FULL OPPORTUNITY TO WOMEN’
The panel discussion centred on how women empowerment is not one policy or government initiative but a long journey and a commitment.
Singhal said when it comes to challenges concerning women’s education, it would be more prudent to iron out minor issues and notice trends – school dropouts among girls being one of the most prominent.
“If we iron out minor issues – like it’s common for girls to drop out of school in class 10 and 12 – it could be anything from transportation to their safety as parents don’t feel comfortable sending girls to faraway locations in rural areas. So providing basic amenities, remote education could iron out this problem…if more such issues are erased at a community level, larger policy initiatives can be implemented better,” she said.
On how India is poised for women when it comes to opportunities, Tomar said India as a nation has given full opportunity to women when it comes to education.
Singhal further said women in India have always been more revered – they never had to struggle for adult franchise or labour laws – which has been more difficult to achieve even in developed countries.
“We have a legacy where women have been given due respect. And our policymakers realise that India can’t move forward with 51% of the population left behind. It is psychologically and emotionally impossible,” she added.
‘WOMEN TODAY RAISING SENSITIVE SONS’
Asked if the system, especially the government sector, is more conducive now for women, the officers said a certain comfort has come into the system and, back home, men have also realised they have to take up a fair share of domestic responsibilities.
“My husband is a better parent to my children. Men are more aware and sensitive now. Women of today are raising very sensitive sons who will be good human beings to their female counterparts,” Singhal said.
Tomar said the relationships at home have naturally evolved as the partner has realised women, too, are working just as hard. Talking about tips for women in leadership roles, she said this would be instinctual as women can manage households.
“When you manage a household you can manage anything. Leadership qualities come to you naturally, it’s simply management. I’ve personally never felt my team differentiating between a man and a woman; working as a leader, woman especially, you’re like a mother. At times you have to be strict and, at other times, protect your team members,” she added.
The Mumbai edition of SheShakti sets the stage for the grand national celebration in Delhi on August 21. The theme for this year, ‘From Breaking Barriers to Building Bharat’, captures the journey of Indian women.
The event features a diverse line-up of trailblazers, including diplomats, policymakers, business leaders, sportspersons, artists, and media voices. Key dignitaries include Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Ashwini Bhide, Principal Secretary to the CM and MD, Mumbai Metro Corporation from the government; foreign dignitaries like H.E. Ambassador Chavanart Thangsumphant, Thailand Ambassador to India; celebrities like actors Nimrat Kaur, Shriya Pilgaonkar, and Renuka Shahane; sportspersons like Olympian Anjali Bhagwat among others.
About sheshakti
News18 SheShakti 2025 celebrates the women who are building India’s future, not just by breaking barriers, but by building the Bharat of tomorrow. The theme of this year, “From Breaking Barriers to Building Bharat,” spotlights women making real change on the ground- creating jobs, driving innovation, transforming communities, and making systems more inclusive. From rural change-makers to tech trailblazers, the initiative brings to life how women are not just disrupting the status quo but building the very framework of a stronger, self-reliant Bharat.
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
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