Building India's future with women's vision

New Delhi, Apr 9 (UNI) An international forum is offering Indian women a global platform to share their vision on key social and economic issues of our times.

Rated by ''The Financial Times'' as one of the world's top five international forums, the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society is inviting a delegation of 50 Indian women for the 4th edition of its annual meet to be held in Deauvile, France, from October 16 to 18.

''We have met some prominent women such as Brinda Karat, Ambika Soni and Sheila Dikshit besides NGOs and those from the business world,'' Forum's founder Aude Zieseniss de Thuin, who was here recently, told UNI.

Ms Thuin, along with Forum's project manager Olivia Fauquenot and journalist Christine Ockrent, also travelled to Mumbai and Bangalore to meet women and men leaders from the business world, political arena, social network and the media, to invite them to the Deauvile meet to share their ideas and experiences with paricipants from 70 other countries.

The theme of the meet will be ''Giving Progress its Full Meaning''.

The Forum also supports and encourages young women to pursue scientific and technological studies.

It also prods industry to target special projects for women.

''JP Morgan is going to spot 30-35 young talents from 18 countries, including two from India, and sponsor their studies and internships,'' she said.

This year the Forum goes worldwide to host its first edition of Women's Forum Asia in Shanghai, China, on May 16 and 17 on the theme ''Growth and Sustainability: How Women are Making a Difference''.

''We will try to assess the possibility of organising this Forum in India in 2009 or the year after, as there are lots of issue to be improved upon,'' Ms Thuin said.

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