L'Oréal once conducted a survey and found that their profits increased by 15 percent when they hired 30 percent more women in leadership positions.
The jury is no longer out on this one, an inclusive work place makes financial sense. Not only is it ethically the right thing to do, the move also makes financial sense as L'Oréal found out through its study.
The work place of today needs to change. The corporate world also needs to see more women leaders in positions of power.
On this Women’s Day, let’s recap and see what women leaders had to say about women in Indian workforce.
“Rather Than Gender Equality, Gender Equity Is Required” says Schauna Chauhan, CEO, Parle Agro
Schauna says, “It's only when women are free of the societal shackles can they freely open their wings and fly, taking along everyone around them. We have seen examples of this in our women who have taken the corporate world (both nationally & internationally) by storm.
Rather than saying gender Equality I would say gender equity is required. Because men are free from few biological challenges that the women face that most men simply don’t have to…For most women, there is no let’s chill after work mode, it's a child after work. If ViratKohli, India’s biggest cricketing icon, got slammed and shamed for taking paternity leave, how hard must it be for women. If it comes to an imagination of men facing those challenges too then the workplace may have been equal men and women.
“It’s no longer Mentoring. It’s time for Womentoring” says Indira Rangarajan, National Content Director, Mirchi
Indira says, “Understand what truly works – flexible work timings, work location close to home, equal opportunities on all projects. Companies just don’t understand that the journey that working women take is NOT a linear line up to the top. There will be breaks in their growth but that doesn’t mean that they are incapable of making it all the way up.
Companies are today actively creating work cultures to support women, but the problem arises when these regulations are designed by a room full of men. There is a need of women representation at the highest levels to bring the changes in the policy frameworks of the workplace.
Not only allowing women to work in a corporate or under an organisation it is very important for the country growth to allow her to become business leaders and enable them to enter strongly male-dominated fields and this will pave the path to women-freindly workspaces and equal access to opportunities.
“Gender equality, parity, and holistic development are impossible if women are financially dependent on men”, says Deepshikha Kumar Anand, Founder & CEO, Speakin
“It is quite evident that the country cannot achieve many developmental and economic goals unless women play pivotal roles in business activities. Gender equality, parity, and holistic development are impossible if women are financially dependent on men.
Women today are playing a crucial roles in leadership positions too to name a few Nirmala seetharaman, Aruna Sundararajan, "IAS officer who thinks like a businesswoman", or Durga Shakti Nagpal, who is famous for fighting corruption and exposing multiple irregularities in society Although NITI Aayog and SIDBI have already launched WEP, a women entrepreneurship platform for aspiring, as well as, existing women entrepreneurs, any major change is yet to be witnessed. Even today despite of being in well progressed society women are being asked to choose between profession or personal life.
“Only Option Women Have Is To Work without Focusing On Gender,” says Hena Mehta, Founder & CEO, Basis
“To live a life truly on your own terms, you need to have complete autonomy of your money. Earning it, saving it, investing it, protecting it, and spending it.
So as to bring the changes a women want there has to be definitely a significant rise of opportunities, It’s not only about massive protests and changing the world at large; it is about making decisions that each of us can empower others in ways that one can help those in need and the only option women have is to work without focusing on gender.
The support women get shouldn't be restricted to the metropolitan cities and business zones but it has to each the rural area of the country so that the women in sectors like agriculture, food, textile, home furnishing, and even e-commerce can find a better growth once rural women start exploiting their entrepreneurial skills.
To awaken the people, it is the woman who must be awakened. Once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves and the nation moves” - Jawaharlal Nehru.
