Amazon India starts campaign to honour women Amazonians who lead by example

The campaign 'SheIsAmazon' puts spotlight on women employees, associates and partners who have fought societal, cultural, disability, and economic barriers to achieve their dreams

E-commerce giant Amazon has launched ‘SheIsAmazon’, a campaign to put the spotlight on women employees, associates, and partners who have not only fought societal, cultural, disability, and economic barriers to achieve their dreams, but are also redefining the powerful role of a woman in the fast-paced e-commerce industry. The campaign is aligned with this year’s theme, ‘Break the Bias’. It has been launched on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

“At Amazon, inclusion is at the heart of all our decision making, and we believe that it’s not only good for society but also for business. ‘SheIsAmazon’ is a simple effort to recognize the stellar work done by many women across Amazon India,” said Swati Rustagi, Director, DE & I, International Markets, WW Consumer, Amazon. “There are thousands of women who are breaking bias every day and succeeding in unconventional roles and profiles. We are thankful to all these remarkable women for making what Amazon is, an inclusive and progressive workplace.”

Amazon India said it has made significant efforts towards building diversity at the workplace with pioneering programs and inclusion initiatives such as Amazon’s rekindle programme. The programme provides opportunities and supports women to professionally re-integrate themselves and resume their corporate career after a break; structured on-boarding, focused mentoring, flexible work options, and on-the-job learning are key elements of the program.

A specially designed program for women in tech, ‘Amazon WoW’ helps engineering students build long-term careers in technology; they can interact with Amazon leaders, participate in workshops, connect with alumni on career experiences, and can apply for roles at Amazon.

In addition to the Military Veterans Employment Program, which creates work opportunities for military veterans and their spouses, Amazon also has a Military Ambassador Program (MAP). It focuses on the specific development needs of veterans and provides tailored training experiences to support them in their transition and initiatives to hire people with disabilities.

"I am so glad to be treated as an equal at my workplace,” said Sindhu Mary, a proud trans-woman, and Amazon India fulfilment centre associate. “The financial stability and growth opportunities make me feel independent and worthy. Honestly, I want to tell all my community members that when the right platform is offered to you, grab the opportunity and give it your best.”

Amazon said it is driven by its commitment to creating a great place to work that fosters equity, empathy, respect for people, and an egalitarian work environment. Women have always led from the front when it comes to breaking bias. The firm said it takes courage, strength, and willpower to defy social norms and what women have been told to do for all these years. “Honouring women for their courage and zeal is what we aim to do on this women’s day,” said the company.

As a part of the campaign, Amazon is launching a coffee table book that gives you an insight into the professional and personal lives of these women and their journey of hope, struggle, and success. The foreword of the coffee table book is written by Aruna Sharma, IAS, former secretary to the Government of India, where she reiterates the need to accelerate women’s participation in the workplace, to accomplish the vision of a truly self-reliant India.