"A balanced world is a better world" is a concept that needs a global acceptance, for women to conquer that which is perceived to be unachievable. To help forge a more gender-balanced world we need to celebrate women's achievement and must raise awareness against bias. I have always believed in swimming against the tides - whether it was the decision to continue my career journey in India, despite having several opportunities to plunge on bigger roles Internationally, or the conviction to make a place for myself in the engineering and manufacturing sector joining it at a time when the only women one saw there were in support functions.
Knowledge Is Power
India's economy is growing, with an increasing GDP and the working-age population is expected to climb to over 800 million people by 2050. Despite this growth, less than one-quarter (20.3 percent) of women aged 15 and older participates in the work force as of 2020 (compared to 76 percent of men). From being viewed as a homemaker to being awarded as a corporate leader, women have come a long way. To forge a smoother road, we need to understand and value the importance of training. The ability to ideate and strategize businesses goals, the skill to manage a crisis, the capacity to lead a team, can be achieved through professional training and sheer discipline. The first step towards growth always lies in possessing the right knowledge about the path. Learning from other leaders, reading, interacting with people from different cultures and backgrounds and above all not shying away from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
Communication Is The Key
Women, today, are at a more imposing position when it comes to leadership roles. They need to train themselves to look beyond the visible and tried and tested frontiers of existence for themselves and need to have the enthusiasm to ascertain their worth in front of a wider audience. Women are being considered as excellent coaches as they possess the communication skills as well as an inherent interest and ability to sustain any relation whether it is personal or related to work. The likelihood for a women leader to understand all perspectives of the challenges of her associates and provide them with a win-win solution is higher. Women in general have displayed a better ability to multi-tasking given their traditional conditioning to deal with it. Once channelized, they have the power to impact the efficiency level of an organization.
Mental & Physical Well-Being
In India, our society has a greater role to play in women achieving their dreams. A woman makes a home and a home has the power to build a woman. Women need and deserve the support from families, while on the verge of realizing their visions in life. To excel in anything, people need to have the mental clarity that comes with the calmness in mind. Chaos hinders our concentration power and deflects us from the path. Focus can be achieved when the mind is calm and composed and our environment acts as a catalyst on this path of tranquility. Thus, corporate leaders, without any biases, always suggest people to meditate. Our spiritual well- being possesses the power to overcome any obstacle in life minus the anxiety.
Along with mindfulness, any and every person should concentrate on improving their physical health. Checking lifestyle hacks is crucial for every individual, a healthy diet, adequate sleep can work wonders in fulfilling life's goals. As we all know, a machine will function smoothly only after getting proper maintenance, similarly, our human body acts like a machine, the combined physical and mental well-being is all we need to up the ante. The pandemic has made the world realize the importance of work-life balance. Corporate houses have started amending policies in relation to employee's mental well-being by organizing specialized workshops and sessions. Today, women have all the more reason to break the glass-ceiling & aim towards the sky with hybrid working becoming the new normal.
The Wave Of Change
The world is changing, slowly but steadily, as we see more women at the helm of leadership positions in the male-dominated industries. Understanding the importance of an inclusive work culture, corporates are coming forward with opportunities and facilities for its women employees like paid maternity leaves, flexible work, crèche, and others. A man, who sees a balanced world, sees a more productive world. It's a world of equal opportunity for everyone and anyone and hence, we should look toward a future where no industry per se will be labelled as a `male- dominated' or `female-dominated' industry and every individual will be awarded with equal opportunities.
