In a surprising take, Sharmila Bhide, Co- Founder at Calsoft, referred to herself as a ‘circumstantial entrepreneur’ who apparently was not ‘ambitious enough’, but took up multiple challenges. One was to complete her course in Chartered Accountancy along with her undergraduate studies; furthering her academic abilities with an MBA in the U.S.; furthering her career as a project manager with Oracle alongside nurturing her three boys (a feat in itself!). Sharmila’s transition from an IT professional to that of Co-Founder linked her to other equally versatile women speakers at NHRD’S ‘Women Matter’ 2015 quarterly conference commemorating International Women’s day.
PThe common thread that bound most women on the dais was that they had their priorities in place, took up challenges to juggle the family scape, giving due importance to their respective support networks that encouraged them to venture on in their respective professions. They were unanimous on the thought that good ideas and new beginnings require sound implementation of workable models for gender management and retention of women in the work force.
Priti Rao, Owner and Managing Director, Pumpkin Patch Daycare services is definitely a case in point. A stalwart who was well-rooted in her role as a Senior Vice President, heading multiple roles at Infosys decided to quit her 24-year old corporate stint to make way for a new beginning in the ‘not-so intellectual’ world of day care services. Her daily life today is made more profitable with ‘hugs’ from her toddler clients. She calls this venture her contribution to enabling women to get back to work. “When they (working mothers) know that their wards are being looked after by trained care-givers, they are able to focus better in their respective professions.” She aims to get at least 1000 women back to work who often quit the workforce, post-marriage and children.
‘Most Indian women do not have a second career path nor an enabling ecosystem to come back; which is a drain on the economy to the tune of Rs 15,000 crore’
The stoic step taken by Vanaja Vaidya, General Manager at TCS in order to balance her professional sphere and her motherly instincts encouraged her to bundle herself and her kids to Stockholm all by herself for a project commitment earlier on in her career. It was a shocker for many, as she was moving her daughter, an VIII grader then and in her most crucial year of schooling. Her experience in managing life as an overseas professional working mother has her currently at the helm of affairs guiding many other women at TCS who take up overseas assignments in the absence of their husbands and families and in many cases where both spouses working for TCS might not have got same-location posting.
Saundarya Rajesh, Founder and President AVTAR Career Creators & FLEXI Careers India advocated the need for organisations to tap into the dormant talent pool of women returning to work after a break or sabbatical through second career programmes.
Comparing the Japanese Government’s latest 20:20 program that encourages women to come back to work that has led to 15 per cent increase in their GDP, Saundarya says that “the pool of Indian women who join the workforce at the entry levels stands at 40 per cent which dips off…and 48 per cent of this trained workforce quit even before they reach the age of 30, having taken a break at least once during this period.” “…Most Indian women do not have a second career path nor an enabling ecosystem to come back; which is a drain on the economy to the tune of Rs 15,000 crores…”, she adds. It is this talent pool of trained and mature workers who have undergone several real-life cycles that organizations need to hone and tap,” suggests Saudaraya.
For Swati Ketkar, Executive Director, Harbinger Systems Pvt. Ltd, her take on engaging the workforce was more crucial and she relates the same to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). “CSR is not just doing good to others but doing it for ourselves and the society at large by creating a culture that is conducive to development and engagement that goes beyond processes and policies. Through examples that women can be in leadership positions, we conduct dialogues among our women workforce to try and understand the motivating factors and the challenges that need to be tackled,” she added.
Bringing homemakers to the fore is Neeta Valecha, Co-founder, Design & User Experience Chief at Meal Tango, a unique meal ‘host’ platform that brings in culinary specialists across 28 cities doling out 151 diverse meal plans to tickle multinational palates. With a women-centric model, Neeta, who has roped in her better half, Saket, both ex-IT professionals, take pride in the fact that almost 80 per cent of their meal hosts and employees are women.
‘CSR is not just doing good to others but doing it for ourselves and the society at large by creating a culture that is conducive to development and engagement.’
The tale of Rajeswari Kori - Senior Staff Officer & Commandant, Home Guards, Brihan Mumbai, Govt. of Maharashtra, Civil Defence Corps, was as an insider into the lives of women brave hearts who champion the cause of the nation on equal footing within the confines of an all-male naval bastion.
Anita Panakkal, Vice President, Human Resources, Alfa Laval, elaborated on the absence of women representations in the manufacturing sector and the need to make this sector more viable for women to take the plunge and develop adequate skills to retain them. “The need is also for organizations to learn to tackle sector specific issues related to women in the manufacturing sector. It could be as simple as providing adequate facilities such as proper restrooms,” she added.
Niloufer Ebrahim, Consultant Psychologist, Psychotherapist and Corporate Trainer emphasized on the need for women to look after their own health and maintain good relationship with their immediate family and support systems to maintain overall mental and physical balance and function in multidisciplinary roles as working mothers, wives and professionals.
The feminist in Dnyan Shah, SVP Business- Head at Mphasis, says that women should strive on their performance parameters and gain credibility without seeking favours or allowances in the work space. This would help women gain respect and credence that go beyond so-called gender ‘biases’ within organizations.
These women represented an even wider pool of A-listers – the likes of Leela Poonawalla, Chanda Kochhar, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and many worldwide women go-getters -- who relive the fact that “wo(men) are all worth it” – be it at home or work!
By Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar
