Give leadership a chance before turning your back
January 3, 2020
January 3, 2020
The Economic Survey 2018 had some startling data on the gender gap in labor force participation. The gap in India is more than 50 percentage points. This is much higher than in many other countries, including Rwanda, which has faced civil war.
Despite educational gains, the labor force participation rate for Indian women in 2017 was 28.5 percent (compared to 82 percent for men). By 2027, the working-age population in India will be almost 20 percent of the entire global labor force. Reaching gender parity would therefore have a bigger impact in India than in any other region in the world.
In reality, the pipeline for women starts small and continues to shrink. Only 140 women held 12.4 percent of board seats and 3.2 percent of board chairs in 2017.
At the entry level in any organization, the gap is not conspicuous. One can see as many women as men. But, as we move higher up the corporate ladder, the gap widens. Middle and senior management is where the gap is the widest.
Why does this happen when both men and women are equally qualified, started out at the same time and were given equal opportunities?
The steep drop in women’s participation is mainly attributed to motherhood, where managing childcare along with work becomes a big challenge. Women who decide to take it slower on the work front owing to small kids or elder care responsibilities feel the pressure of spending as much time in office as they used to do in the past and they also fear asking for remote working or flexi working schedules.
While organizations have the responsibility of creating a conducive environment in which women can thrive, it is also up to the individual to be resilient and not give up, especially not after working so hard for 7-10 years when it is time to reap the benefits of the efforts put in.
Here are a few tips on how women can continue to work in the long run, own their careers and become inspiring leaders.
There is no sure shot way to success. Take charge of your career and envision yourself in that corner office—this is not a distant dream but can become a reality one day, so keep going and do not look back.
The steep drop in women’s participation is mainly attributed to motherhood, where managing childcare along with work becomes a big challenge.