IWH Power League, strengthening the voice of Indian Women in Hospitality.

Laxmi Todiwan has founded the support group Indian Women in Hospitality (IWH) which was created on February 07, 2018, as a support group for the Indian Women working in the Hospitality industry. In a little over two years, there are 2300 members of IWH - Indian lady hospitality professionals from around the world who are creating benchmarks.

The Formation of the IWH Power League

Hospitality comes naturally to women, so making a career in the industry can be utilising their strengths to the core. They also make great managers just like men. In my own experience, having spent 23 years in the industry; I have felt the privilege of being a woman at my workplace. All careers come with their own set of challenges; I too have faced the ups and downs in my personal as well as professional life. But have been able to meet all those adversities head on, due to the immense support from my family as well as the mentoring I got from my seniors. I also have realised that not everyone might be as lucky as I, so Indian Women in Hospitality (IWH) was created as a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, ideating, mentoring and empowering. Another aspect being creating awareness about the industry still not understood well; especially with respect to careers for women. It was one of the most empowering moments for me; it was my chance to give back to the fraternity.

Response of the ladies in the industry towards the Forum

In a little over two years, there are 2300 members of IWH - Indian lady hospitality professionals from around the world who are creating benchmarks. The community is growing, it is the ecosystem partner of many powerful forums and  also some of the top hospitality publications. The content on the website is receiving rave reviews and the reach is very good. The website has featured stories, write-ups, interviews and blogs so far. The stories that bring about the personal and professional journeys of the women are an inspiration to the others. 

Key objectives of IWH

The key objectives are clearly mentioned in the vision and mission of IWH. They serve as a guide and the roadmap for us.

Vision

Be the global voice for Indian Women in Hospitality

Mission

Amplify the IWH platform for Indian women working in the hospitality industry globally to reach their fullest potential by sharing knowledge and mentoring future leaders.

Collaborate to strengthen women’s roles in all spheres of their lives - personal, professional and the community through self-reliance, dignity and equality. Support social causes for women to play pivotal roles as changemakers and path breakers.

Role of IWH to attract women career aspirants into the hospitality industry

In my opinion with the right mentoring and collaboration people can do wonders. They can contribute to and create great value for their organisations given the right opportunities.

There is a good representation of women workforce in the hospitality industry but only at the lower levels of hierarchy; it thins down drastically as we move up the pyramid. Skills reports suggest that the top two industries having the best potential to be employers to women are banking and hospitality. However, data indicates that women do not stay in the industry because they feel excluded from informal communication networks and often feel overlooked when decisions regarding progression are made. IWH has a great role to play as we have women professionals from the hospitality and tourism industry across geographical locations and cultures. We share information, we educate, create awareness and we also mentor. We have the veterans and the freshers on one platform. There are many role models and inspirational personal journeys of the ladies shared on the website for all to read and take a few pages off their stories.

The IWH Power League

We move forward with renewed enthusiasm and doing things that are meaningful! There are over 90 ladies who have volunteered to work in different capacities taking the vision of IWH forward. It has a mentorship programme where members connect to discuss and plan their careers or seek advice on the personal front. Healthy discussions on pertinent issues are a regular feature. We have had webinars and online training programs too. This is just the beginning, we are happy with the support we have received from the industry, we also see a continued long and fruitful association. We aspire to give back to the fraternity and the society by means of knowledge sharing or partnering in meaningful social causes.

With immense pride we welcome all women in Hospitality to join the group.
Group Link: