India makes firm strides on women in the workplace

Against the backdrop of International Women's Day on March 8, an Indian industry expert weighs up the role of women in the workplace in order to achieve women's economic empowerment. According to UN Women, when more women work, economies grow. The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) finds that $12 trillion could be added to global GDP by 2025 by advancing women's equality. Even after decades of progress towards making women equal partners with men in the economy and society, the gap between them remains large. India has made strides in advancing women in the workplace; the year 2017 especially has been a transformational year. We have a record number of women in the Indian government today, including the first female Minister of Defence, Nirmala Sitharaman. Though at six out of 27, we have some way to go. A little-known fact to highlight: in April 2017, all Chief Justices at India's four major High Courts (Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and Madras) were women. While men may jeer at our driving skills, India boasts the maximum number of pilots, with 12 per cent female commercial pilots against a global average of 5.5 per cent. Dr Neelu Rohmetra became the first woman ever to head an Indian Institute of Management (IIM). Dr Tessy Thomas, the 'Missile Woman of India' hailed 'Agniputri' broke Twitter as the first woman to head an Indian missile project. Indeed, we welcomed Ms Shobana Kamineni as the first female President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in its 123-year history! If you are in need of more inspiration, I highly recommend 'First Ladies', a remarkable publication of India's Ministry of Women & Child Welfare.

Challenge ahead

Bridging the gap

• Self-audit: One of the first things you can do is start asking the right questions. Just ask. In other words, do a self-audit. What is the male-to-female ratio in your organisation Is there a male/female pay gap for the same jobs in your organisation I recently asked at a meeting with at least 20 businesses, “Do you have women in senior management or leadership roles in your organisations ” and I was met with pin-drop silence with all male representatives looking at each other, trying to find the best answer. Asking makes you aware.
• No ′Manels′ and No Interruptions: No more all-male panel discussions. We have seen that a bit too often. And I am guilty of doing this myself, as charged! “There aren't any women” is a lazy excuse. Make an effort to identify and incorporate women in your panel. Your discussion will be richer for it. Also, stop interrupting or cutting women short when they are making a point. I cannot tell you how many times I have experienced this. It is belittling, disrespectful and annoying. If you do this, check yourself.
• Meeting Timings: This is one of those limiting practices that don't even cross our minds. Is the timing of meetings conducive to enabling women participation Do you do early breakfast meetings or late-night receptions (I'm not saying this is how it should be, but these are times when women, largely more often than men, must head home to fulfil family commitments, getting mornings organised for the family or preparing dinners or tucking kids in bed)
• Support Network: When you look around - is the work environment around you calibrated towards enabling male and female participation As businesses, we can create support networks to help women learn from each other and from other men. By doing this you, are instilling a corporate culture, which enriches the work environment to be more respectful, inclusive and diverse. It is for this reason that CII started an Indian Women Network (IWN), a network for them to discuss their experiences and challenges to become better professionals at work; as well as to emphasise the importance of creating gender parity for women in Indian business and society.
• “ You can't be what you can't see”: This was my favourite phrase from Wilton Park and has stuck with me since. Let's not underestimate the role of role models. We have dynamic women on the global stage, but what about women around you Take a moment to identify women that you can look up to - who may be a few steps ahead of you, who you can relate to, and you can aspire to be. Ask to be mentored. And also ask how you can be a mentor to others. There is a raft of resources that can come floating your way.