When Jannat first approached me to help her put on a workshop for #IWD2024 I have to admit I was nervous. Whilst I have travelled the world and know the hotel industry globally, I was not familiar with the Dhaka hotel industry, besides what I have learnt from the data of course over the years.
But I did not have to worry. Hospitality draws in the same kind of wonderful people all around the
world: fun, welcoming, hospitable, generous and just great people to be with.
The day was broken up in four parts: Morning yoga, panel discussion, workshop and lunch together.
This was attended not only by all female members of staff, but the male heads of department as well.
Based on the feedback from the team, their favourite part was the panel discussion. This is when we put the team members in the spotlight to hear about their careers, challenges and learnings.
Bangladesh still has many societal challenges when it comes to working in hospitality, and we
recognised that we could not solve it in one workshop, it was still good to discuss, acknowledge and recognise that you are not alone.
For me, the highlight was the listening role play. I invited Ishrat to share something with me, anything she wanted and I was blown away. One simple question and holding the space for her to share. What a powerful story came out, of overcoming family and societal pressures to pursue a career in hospitality, while at the same time being the sole breadwinner for her family. She to me was the star of the event and made me so proud of what women can achieve if they decide to go after something. I want to acknowledge her bravery and I know together with the support of her colleagues she will thrive in her career.
The final section included the workshop where after some self-reflecting questions I shared some
tips on how as individual contributors we can grow our career and what can managers do to create an inclusive environment.
Thank you to the entire Crowne Plaza Dhaka team for participating in this workshop.
Testimonials
"Naureen's profound expertise and unwavering passion shone through every facet of the workshop. I wholeheartedly endorse her for any future women-focused training endeavors. Her dedication and knowledge truly make a difference. " - Jannat
