Key to Women Empowerment in India
Empowerment is quite a laden word socially and individually. Our focus is more on the individual herself- giving herself the permission to persevere and grow in her career. Without this permission and following up with an action, women are not empowering themselves. The statistics in the corporate arena look quite dismal. With about 35% at the entry level, 20-25% at the mid- level and a meager 2-5% in the top echelons of the company, undeniably there is talent that is not leveraged. Is it the woman's doing? The organizational barriers? Or the social infrastructure is not aligned to women's needs?
The reasons could be one or all of the above depending on the individual woman's context. For women to empower themselves, the baton needs to be held in their own hands. They need to engage in self-talk about their wants and aspirations. They need to recognize what the destination looks like and the potential challenges or the trade-offs along the way to discern what path to take. So the very first step to empowering self is to take charge and be unequivocal about these critical aspects of the journey. It is this recognition that enables a woman to carve her vision and align herself to it. This vision would enable her to craft a strategy to get to her goals.
Women Empowerment in India there is an important aspect of her strategy is to also align her family and the organization to her vision. These are the stakeholders who can facilitate or obstruct the realization of her vision. Without their buy- in, women won't be able to go much far in their careers. A supportive family gives woman the confidence to go chase her dreams without the guilt or fear. This includes her spouse, children and the extended family as well. A woman's responsibility within the Indian context is multi-faceted. She has to be a perfect wife, perfect mother, and a perfect daughter in-law. She cannot slack on any of these responsibilities. To manage a full time profession then, she needs to solicit support from all corners both physically and emotionally. In the absence of familial support, women will not be able to walk on the two careers of home and work.
Armed with this confidence, she can next on board the organization to her wants by expressing interest in stretch roles. She would be able to focus on work or take initiative to show her professional mettle and leverage the many avenues available for her growth and development. To reach this point, she has to have a conversation with the key stakeholders or influencers within the organization. She cannot assume her hard work and performance will speak by itself. She has to take the time to share her accomplishments and aspirations with the concerned superiors.
Aligning them to her vision, women can further empower themselves by utilizing the support structure available in their environment. This could take the form of personal friends in the times of emergency; colleagues and mentors at work to step in and guide them through challenging dilemmas. Within the Indian milieu, women can take advantage of household help, drivers, and outsource many day-to day transactional chores. To manage both the careers effectively, women need to empower themselves and let go of the desire to be a super woman at all times. They need to allow the pendulum to swing once in a while to manage the dynamic changes in their lives.
Empowerment doesn't come naturally. It has to be sought. It has to be leveraged. And it has to be executed and practiced day in and day out.
The reasons could be one or all of the above depending on the individual woman's context. For women to empower themselves, the baton needs to be held in their own hands. They need to engage in self-talk about their wants and aspirations. They need to recognize what the destination looks like and the potential challenges or the trade-offs along the way to discern what path to take. So the very first step to empowering self is to take charge and be unequivocal about these critical aspects of the journey. It is this recognition that enables a woman to carve her vision and align herself to it. This vision would enable her to craft a strategy to get to her goals.
Women Empowerment in India there is an important aspect of her strategy is to also align her family and the organization to her vision. These are the stakeholders who can facilitate or obstruct the realization of her vision. Without their buy- in, women won't be able to go much far in their careers. A supportive family gives woman the confidence to go chase her dreams without the guilt or fear. This includes her spouse, children and the extended family as well. A woman's responsibility within the Indian context is multi-faceted. She has to be a perfect wife, perfect mother, and a perfect daughter in-law. She cannot slack on any of these responsibilities. To manage a full time profession then, she needs to solicit support from all corners both physically and emotionally. In the absence of familial support, women will not be able to walk on the two careers of home and work.
Armed with this confidence, she can next on board the organization to her wants by expressing interest in stretch roles. She would be able to focus on work or take initiative to show her professional mettle and leverage the many avenues available for her growth and development. To reach this point, she has to have a conversation with the key stakeholders or influencers within the organization. She cannot assume her hard work and performance will speak by itself. She has to take the time to share her accomplishments and aspirations with the concerned superiors.
Aligning them to her vision, women can further empower themselves by utilizing the support structure available in their environment. This could take the form of personal friends in the times of emergency; colleagues and mentors at work to step in and guide them through challenging dilemmas. Within the Indian milieu, women can take advantage of household help, drivers, and outsource many day-to day transactional chores. To manage both the careers effectively, women need to empower themselves and let go of the desire to be a super woman at all times. They need to allow the pendulum to swing once in a while to manage the dynamic changes in their lives.
Empowerment doesn't come naturally. It has to be sought. It has to be leveraged. And it has to be executed and practiced day in and day out.
