Life is a complex process where we all have to follow a certain set of rules. We are going through a critical juncture. Covid is interfering with our normal and social life. Those who are dealing with this situation with courage are the real winners.

Foreign Minister Professor Dr AK Abdul Momen, MP said these at the virtual webinar of 'Work-Life Balance Embracing Tech' organized by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) and the Women Leadership Committee of the South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) on Thursday.

The Minister said that balance means equilibrium which is a combination of all the elements in a particular activity. Technology is working to help balance workplace and family life. We are now living in the era of the fourth industrial revolution(4IR). Technology will be the most used variable in this era. Technology and human life will merge together. But how much control the state, society and the individual will have in it, is a topic to be discussed. When everyone is sitting at home doing office work, we all know how to use technology to keep a balance between work, family and workplace.

ICAB President Mahmudul Hasan Khusru FCA said, smart technologies make our life easier and balanced though having huge work pressure. Robotic process automation (RPA) can take on repetitive tasks, enabling humans to focus on more value-adding work. Cloud services can help us to focus on our organization's core activities, minimize costs and reduce operational risk. 

He further said, technology encourages a positive work-life balance within the organization. Employers put together a few benefits to inspire Employees to strive to develop a durable work-life balance. 

Artificial intelligence like RPA tools, AI applications can automate manual and low-skilled work, freeing people to enrich their roles while driving efficiency. Using data-driven dashboards, predictive analytics can make informed decisions, anticipate challenges and make the most use of new opportunities.

Maria Hawlader FCA, Vice President of ICAB and Chairperson of the SAFA Women's Leadership Committee, conducted the event, highlighting the issues that technology is affecting the workplace, the balance between work, family and workplace, and how technology will impact the future of the profession. She said the issue of working women's balance between workplace, family and work is currently being widely discussed. The challenges for women in the workplace are many, she added.

Anoji De Silva, Council Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka), Partner, E&Y, Sri Lanka presented the Keynote Paper. In her paper, she highlighted the changes in the workplace environment, the market challenges during Covid and the technology adoption strategies. She said the style of audit of CA firms has now changed. Firms are providing their services with the help of technology. However, there are some complications in such an audit process. There are also specific reasons to be concerned about cybersecurity and data security. She suggested that auditors are involved in institutional risk, document verification and information. She said that regulatory policies are needed during Covid situation for data security and compliance. As organizations become more technology dependent, auditors also need to assimilate technology. Using technology, enable women professionals to maintain balance in their careers and have the opportunity to do office work at home as well as take care of the family.

As a panel speaker, Chairperson, Underprivileged Children's Educational Programmes (UCEP) Bangladesh and Past President -ICAB Parveen Mahmud FCA, said that women need to maintain a balance between work, work and family. There are many challenges. However, it is possible to overcome these challenges through time management. "Covid is forcing us to take on technology at work," he said. As employees or professionals, we must learn to make maximum use of technology to provide services. She suggested that backward women professionals should be taken forward through training them.

Noting some steps taken in the use of technology in CA profession in India, Kemisha Soni CA, Member, SAFA Women Leadership Committee said, "People's expectations towards CA professionals are increasing day by day". There are some disadvantages as well as advantages for working women during Covid. As a female professional, you always have to be involved in audit services and family services. Technology is helping to detect irregularities in audit services, organization functions and financial management. Adaptation of technology enhances efficiency in the workplace, she said, adding that CAs need to have knowledge and skills about blockchain, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, bitcoin, only then will it be possible to survive in the future.

Mariam Khawar FCMA, Member, SAFA Women Leadership Committee, ICMA Pakistan said thorough knowledge and skills in the type of works women are doing, time management and use of technology are helping them in the workplace to maintain a balance between office, personal and family causes. Although less time is spent on personal life as the CEO of an organization, the opportunity to work from home through the use of technology has enabled us to give family time during this transition.

A K M Delwer Hussain FCMA, President of the South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), delivered the opening remarks in the Webinar. Chamila Cooray FCA, Council Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka), ICAB Vice President Md. Abdul Kader Joaddar FCA , CEO Shubhashish Bose also spoke in the webinar.