Archana Gauba

I have often been asked the importance of women power in my life.  At every stage and in every realm there have been women who have enthused and helped me evolve as a person, whether it has been my mother, my teacher, my sister, my colleagues and or my friends. Their sheer tenacity to handle the acute adversities of life, to their resilience of balancing diverse responsibilities with such ease and élan that I feel proud to be a part of this wonderful world of women.

In the corporate world and outside, the role of women has seen a significant paradigm shift. From essaying a secondary role they are now treading the path of leadership.  In my role as a Leadership Coach, I have had the privilege of interacting with some of the finest women of a substance across industries and spectrum, and trust me every time I come back, I am even more overwhelmed by their spirit and ability to overcome challenges and turn them into opportunities. Women are slowly redefining norms and are creating a niche in the ever-defining male bastion.

Women today share the podium with men in almost all fields, be it the household or in defense. Working women are no longer a rarity and are now accepted as an integral part of the working force. Indian organization has experienced a steady increase in the number of women employees and this pattern is bound to continue in the future as well. Women recently began to join the ranks of managers and leaders in large numbers. But women at the top management positions are still a rare species. Globally, the proportion of senior business roles held by women stands at 24%. In India too, it is no different. Maybe the situation is not very encouraging.

The list of women that inspire and people aspire to be is endless – from astronaut Kalpana Chawla, to author Arundhati Roy, to Business Czarina Vandana Luthra to Shahnaz Hussain. They have all shifted the paradigm of growth, expectations and experience. 

There are some organizations that promote women in their ecosystem. IT & Banking and Financial sector are the leading players in promoting gender diversity. This is not just reflected in their policies and programs but is a natural part of their organization DNA. Whether it is maternity leave, flexible working, or distant working, or drives to enroll women after a sabbatical, to providing childcare support, these industries take the lead.