Mumbai: Somewhere along the way, women appear to have forgotten their strength and endurance. It’s high time women step up and take on the onerous task of changing the mindset of others in order to make the change long-term, women leaders said.
A panel of thought leaders shared their stories at the The Hindu Power Women Seminar, held at the World Trade Centre, Mumbai on March 9. Punctuated in part by their biographical sketches, the women offered insights into their journey through the corporate world, offering practical tips and suggestions on how to make it in the traditionally male-dominated world of high finance, entrepreneurship and art.
“These days, women are a lot more savvy and confident, but one thing that has always held women back is their lack of ambition,” said Radhika Gupta, CEO, Edelweiss Asset Management. Exhorting the audience, which comprised mainly of women, to stand up and be heard, she added, “I see so many cases where the average guy walks up and says give me this responsibility, though he is just 60-70% qualified for the role, while a woman won’t take on a challenge, even though she is 120-150% qualified for the job. It’s time to change the paradigm.”
Urging women to stand out in the crowd, an imperative in today’s eco-system, Ms. Gupta said, “Ask for more responsibility. If you are aspiring for more at the workplace, voice that ambition and work systematically towards planning it. Get feedback, hone your strengths, work on your weaknesses. But it all starts with voicing the ambition.” Gender, she said, is as much an issue as one makes it out to be. “Women tend to shatter glass ceilings every day by taking on conventional myths and challenging them. That gradually pushes gender out of the equation.”
Surekha Desai, Senior Vice President, Vodafone India, said, “There is no men and women, only excellence and meritocracy, which are the most critical elements. The conviction that you bring to the table, your can-do attitude will ensure there is no gender restriction.”
Referring to bias in the marketplace, Naiyya Saggi, founder, BabyChakra, an online marketplace, said it was time for women to create products for the next wave of consumers. “Why have all men-dominated products? There are many things only a woman understands. We all need to take responsibility in the eco-system we operate in,” she said.
Rupa Naik, Senior Director, World Trade Centre Mumbai, said women comprise the half of the global population that calls the shots, and that it is “high time this 50% asset was put to to good use. Woman power doesn’t need to be restricted to homes.”
In a talk peppered with humour, Brinda Miller, art curator and director at the Kala Ghoda Festival, said since women are good multi-taskers, handling a demanding job and a family simultaneousuly comes easily. Nirmika Singh, executive editor, Rolling Stone India, encouraged women to find their own place. “The challenge is to stick to your guns. Perseverance is the key.”
Drawing attention to the scant representation of women in the corporate sector, Ms. Gupta said, “More senior women in corporate India will lead to a generation of more senior women in corporate India. One woman doing well leads to a lot of stereotypes breaking. It leads to more women climbing up the rungs. The rise in excellence in corporate India can go a long way in the next generation of leadership.”
