{"id":17028,"date":"2021-02-25T13:08:08","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T13:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/?p=17028"},"modified":"2021-03-08T09:52:12","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T09:52:12","slug":"international-womens-day-ringside-fatima-chawdhury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/international-womens-day-ringside-fatima-chawdhury\/","title":{"rendered":"International Women\u2019s Day Ringside: Fatima Chawdhury"},"content":{"rendered":"

As part of our support for\u00a0<\/span>International Women’s Day “Choose to Challenge”<\/span><\/a>, we invited our female leadership to discuss their views on gender inequality and related issues. Earlier in the week, we heard from Emily Georgiadis<\/a>. For this #IWD2021 Ringside, we caught up with Fatima Chawdhury, corporate counsel on the RingCentral commercial team. Fatima’s role is to provide legal support to RingCentral stakeholders, protect the business legally and commercially, and successfully execute contracts between RingCentral and its customers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you tell us a bit about you?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

I have a real passion for communications related technology in an academic environment and thoroughly enjoy drafting key legal principles and creative solutions for that technology. I find the speed of how technology evolves fascinating. At the start of my career, it was all about the Blackberry and now look where we are, RingCentral, message, video and phone all in one platform.<\/span><\/p>\n

Outside of work, I’m Bridgerton, and a certain Duke obsessed and love psychological thrillers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Have you benefited from having any personal mentors? What’s been the driving force to get you where you are today?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

My mentor would have to be my dad; he taught me that anyone could be anything if they worked for it, irrespective of whether you are female or male. He used to refer to William Golding, “I think women are foolish to pretend they are equal to men; they are far superior and always have been.”<\/span><\/p>\n

I think anyone can do anything if they want to. I’ve had more than one driving force to get me where I am today: determination, focus and being cheeky \u2013 my sense of humour gets me through a lot.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many women are quick to automatically classify strength in their character as a flaw or associate it negatively. Be strong, assertive, and have confidence in yourself. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/blockquote>\n

What advice would you pass on to other women to help them progress?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Many women are quick to automatically classify strength in their character as a flaw or associate it negatively. Be strong, assertive, and have confidence in yourself. If you see yourself in a negative light, then how will everyone else see you?<\/span><\/p>\n

Too often, opinionated, strong women are labelled as “aggressive” or “abrasive” \u2013 please never believe this. What I’m getting at is be kind to yourself and embrace every part of your personality for what it is.<\/span><\/p>\n\t

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\r\n\t\t\tInternational Women's Day 2021<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t

Why organisations should mind the pay gap<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t

The gender pay gap: what it is, how it happens, and what you can do to redress the balance.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\tRead the report<\/a>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t\n

How has COVID-19 impacted your work life balance and responsibilities outside of work? Any tips you can share on how you’ve managed the past 12 months?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

COVID-19 has been so insightful in many ways. Like everyone, it’s been challenging for me. I joined RingCentral in August 2020, in the middle of the pandemic and that’s been strange, not yet meeting a person in real life!<\/span><\/p>\n

The main piece of advice from me: <\/span>Laugh! That’s all I do, take each day as it comes and enjoy it, whatever you do. You won’t always get it right, but do your best and have fun doing it.<\/span><\/p>\n

My key must-haves:<\/span><\/p>\n