Women PAGE

The Women Peer Advisory Group Enabler (PAGETM) offers women space to engage in the critical dialogue on all aspects which affect them personally, in a safe, trustful, open, and honest environment. The group includes having difficult conversations ranging from the topics of mental wellness, career building, self-care to coping strategies.  The women’s group is a place of healing,  where women can build friendships, work toward acceptance of their mental health and obtain support to manage their lives.

Participating in the Women Peer Advisory Group (PAGETM) provides you with benefits of a peer-support group including:

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  • Creating your own personal support group
  • Safe space for sharing
  • Finding your own voice
  • Respect Confidentiality
  • Improving your self-image, self-compassion, self esteem
  • Peer learning and personal growth

Women can offer a lot to other women being part of a Peer Advisory Group Enabler. This may include,

  • Sense of belonging – For many women, once they begin to share their experiences with other women with personal problems arising out of abuse, trauma, harassment, marital and workplace related challenges, they see that others ‘get it’ and they develop a sense of belonging that they may not have experienced before being or fighting the battle alone.
  • Understanding – Many women may not get the kind of support and understanding from family and friends that they have gotten in the past for other challenges they have faced. This can sometimes come from other people’s lack of understanding of the situation, or their fear of what they are seeing happening to you personally. Women in peer support often get a sense of relief because they don’t have to explain why they are experiencing what they do; the way they are or why, as career women or those burdened with responsibilities, you are tired all the time. The other women just ‘get it.’
  • Support – For many women, keeping their marriage strong is a real challenge given the strain and stress that comes with having children to take care, social, emotional, mental wellness and academic problems and more importantly dealing with domestic violence, abuse both at home and workplace, harassment. Women often have no place to talk about these issues or to hear that others are experiencing the same challenges. Peer support groups can provide a space to share these experiences.
  • Time for self – For many women, facing challenges at home and at work often means that there is very little time or resources available for themselves. Over a long period of time, it can become hard to pull back and allow some time for self. This can lead to burnout. A peer support group can help women gain perspective and provide them with help and support.

Important and Frequently Asked Questions about the Women’s PAGETM

Who is a Women Peer Advisory Group Enabler (PAGETM ) member?

A Women PAGETM member is one who has formally joined to give and/or receive support from their peers on the challenges the face at work and in personal life. This could include support ranging from issues of abuse, domestic violence, workplace harassment, marital relationship, parenting, bullying, career growth, stress to name a few.

Why would you want to be in a Women Peer Advisory Group Enabler (PAGETM) ?
  1. You no longer feel like the person you used to be
  2. You feel more anxious and less confident than you used to be
  3. You are left wondering if you are being overly sensitive
  4. Always end up thinking its your fault
  5. Find yourselves apologizing often for no fault of yours
  6. Often regret not having said or done what you should have
  7. Feel hopeless and that you are just going through the motions
  8. You are a victim of harassment, bullying, violence, abuse, both at work and at home
  9. You have little or no time for self-care
What will be the typical agenda for a Women Peer Advisory Group Enabler (PAGETM ) meeting?
  1. Once a month a group of 8-10 women gather either in a comfortable physical location or online, giving a space and time to recharge, reflect, learn, share and sharpen ones focus on challenges women face both in their personal life and at work
  2. The peer advisory group begins with – Setting the stage for the day with a focus topic or issue which any one member / more, is facing and wishes to find a way or path to resolution.
  3. Facilitated discussions for discovering best practices and/or path (may also include a guest speakers who are noted experts on the subject)
  4. Delving into one member’s issue – this is at the core of the time together as we take a key issue of one of the member(s) is facing and building a framework for a path to resolution. It could also be that there could be more than one member needing urgent support, in such cases the group may take up more than one issue to be discussed.
  5. Discernment for one another – each member sharing an issue to be taken up for offline and group meeting
  6. Buddying to encourage and support each other in the implementation of solutions discussed in meeting
What is the structure of the Women Peer Advisory Group Enabler (PAGETM )?

The group is unformatted – the topics each week are based on the needs of the participating members. The facilitator maintains a safe environment that is respectful of the diversity of the group.

What is the setting of the Women Peer Advisory Group Enabler (PAGETM )?

This PAGETM will provide both informal and formal supporters an opportunity to talk to an experienced facilitator as well as other supporters. This informal setting will allow individuals to come together to discuss experiences, ask questions, and provide you with encouragement, assistance, and relief. This is a virtual program. You do have to register in advance in order to sign the required confidentiality agreement. Once signed you can pop in to ask a question or stay for the entire session to chat with other informal supporters.

What’s unique about this Women PAGETM?

Most peer-support groups for women end up being ‘women-only’. This does not provide an opportunity to bring in a man’s perspective into finding a solution. Since most issues involving women, like domestic violence, abuse, harassment, bullying and biases are perpetrated by men, any solution that does not include men can be incomplete and in isolation. The other important factor is also to use facilitated discussions, to sensitize men who hold important positions in the society which then can be translated to greater inclusivity. However, the men who would attend will be carefully chosen and will not be in anyway related to the members of the group.

PAGE FACILITATORS

Nageen Riffat

Nageen has over 20 years of experience in working with the global corporate sector in key positions of global business development, brand management, DEI, and women leadership development. Nyn as Nageen is fondly known is a reputed leader both in the non-profits and corporate sector who delivers engaging training sessions, articles, and talks on critical topics of DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), Emotional Intelligence, Business beyond Boundaries and challenges of women leaders at the workplace.  Nyn has helped thousands of women build a life of success, influence, and positive impact, both within and outside of the USA. Further information: https://nynsdreams.com

Sree Kumar

Sree is a Peak Performance Coach and HR Strategist. For more than 30 years, he has helped organizations, optimize their human potential by engaging them with end-to-end human transformational solutions. From hiring, retention, engagement to employee transformation he partners his client’s performance development initiatives that guarantee results. Sree facilitates business leaders and teams to engage in ‘the critical dialogue’ that leads them to high performance. More information: https://thecriticaldialogue.com

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind the guidelines are suggestions from The Critical Dialogue based on years of experience assisting peer support groups to grow and thrive. The Critical Dialogue Peer support groups PAGE, are intended to provide motivation, education, and a supportive community. They are not intended as therapy or treatment for medical or any mental health disorder. Neither The Critical Dialogue, its affiliates, nor peer support group leaders are able to provide medical or psychotherapeutic advice or treatment. The Critical Dialogue PAGE is not a substitute for advice from an expert medical practitioner, clinical counselor, advisor, or related institutions. The Critical Dialogue or its constituent partners are not liable for any financial loss, trauma, physical or psychological harm, or any negative consequence that may arise or cause to the member or anyone using this group. By accepting to take part and be a member of The Critical Dialogue PAGEs, you agree to take complete responsibility for the consequences thereof. The members agree to keep complete confidentiality of all PAGE proceedings and member identities from non-members. Such confidentiality will not be applicable when peer group members feel that any member or its constituents are likely to cause harm bodily or otherwise, to self or others. All disputes are subject to the jurisdiction of an Indian court, in this case, Hyderabad, Telangana state, India.

The above disclaimer is applicable for all The Critical Dialogue PAGEs and those who join as members are deemed to have read and agreed to all our terms and conditions before joining any group.