Women are approximately 50% of the world’s population and therefore should be in a position of tremendous power, responsibility across all sectors. Women should be in major decision-making and influencing roles. Whether to sanction sanctions on another country or create policy changes in the nation or be part of the merger/demerger decisions, they should be in a position to opine and to execute the same. Women are considered ideal teachers. They are highly active in conducting executive leadership program and leadership programs in India and are more popular than men in the corporate training sector.
There is no question that we have seen the tremendous change in the “breaking of the glass-ceiling “over the last 30 years in this. We have a woman Defence Minister and a woman Foreign Minister. We have also many women CEO’s, bureaucrats, athletes, musicians –all making a difference to the nation, the world and to their respective organizations. The question to ask is “Are they enough?. Even today when I go to many corporations who are intrinsically liberal and forward minded, the number of women leaders in decision-making roles are limited. We still need women to come forward to play and work with their full strengths and potential so that we can create a different set of thinking paradigms which can bring about positive and inclusive change.
I think this is the reason that even today we celebrate “Women’s day”. It’s a day to remember and celebrate the contribution of women in nation-building and create a humane world. Celebrating women’s day does not on the ground change any reality for women –but it brings awareness about the strengths of women and acknowledges the same. It’s a day for women to introspect, look at their lives-their aspirations, their strengths and create plans for their future. It’s a day also for organizations to acknowledge the contributions of women and recognise them. Give them opportunities to grow. Give them a challenge. Give them the platforms to perform. Recognise that women play multiple roles both at work and outside of it and have the ability to harmonize this. Be there for them.
