<p><strong>By Nirmala Menon</strong></p>.<p>Today is the 20th International Women’s Day of the 21st century and the fact that we are still discussing gender balance is a collective shame. For all the effort employers are putting into this, why are they making so little headway?</p>.<p>While it is true that organisations are doing all they can to fix the skew with special recruitment drives, flexible work options, mentoring and sponsorship programs et al, the reality is that there is an equally powerful, invisible 'unconscious' gender ethos that is countering the efforts. It subverts our good intent by maintaining status quo by keeping old patterns, values, and<br />behavioral norms in place and continually perpetuating inequities, at work and in society.</p>.<p>Given these multiple barriers at the socio-cultural and institutional levels, gender balance and women’s leadership challenges must also be addressed at multiple levels and through multiple levers. So, cutting out all the fluff, here is what we must focus on if we really want to see positive outcomes.</p>.<p><strong>Make women want to lead</strong></p>.<p>If we want more women to lead and feel capable of leading, we have to redefine the leadership template altogether! As long as the legacy blueprint of leadership as defined in narrow<br />“masculine” ways exist, it will continue to influence our attitudes and behaviours perpetuating inequities.</p>.<p>We need to build conviction and even urgency around building in 'Femininity' into leadership and consciously and proactively do this as a business and social imperative. Remember that the 21st century is an era of relationships – matrixed organisations and cross-border collaborations and building trusting relationships are all the trending competencies and these<br />are essentially feminine attributes. These must be intentionally embedded in leadership frameworks if we are to break unconscious assumptions about women's abilities.</p>.<p>We have to ensure we provide women with strategic and hardcore critical business roles and P&L responsibilities and not just keep them behind glass walls of HR, PR, Finance and<br />Marketing. And, if we need to use affirmative action to do that, so be it.</p>.<p><strong>The next step is to realign policies to match intent</strong></p>.<p>Organisations that engage women must accommodate for some of the fundamental enablers that women need to succeed at work. This is not just maternity leave but often, a more flexible work schedule and reliable child and elder care. While these are clearly not just a woman’s issue, the fact is that women have borne the cost of institutional failure to address them. This must not be seen as a more expensive proposition or as being unfair to men but as a valuable support for a real barrier to the advancement of women.</p>.<p>Rigidity in organizational structures and working arrangements not only keep women from achieving their full potential but also perpetuate assumptions of gender roles expectations<br />restraining men from playing a role in parenting and caring responsibilities. Innovative policies that are equally available to men and women will encourage more men to participate in home responsibilities and help to erode the societal expectation that a woman’s family role must take precedence over her career. This is vital to build and sustain a more equal<br />social order.</p>.<p><strong>And, then, here is a message to the women themselves:</strong></p>.<p>Raise your hand for opportunities and surround yourself with people who will stretch and challenge you. No woman has ever gotten into work and gone straight up to leadership. The path to leadership has many twists and turns and potholes and obstacles along the way, so, be willing to step out of your comfort zone. As women, we tend to play it safe. Be afraid, but do it anyway! Leadership is about learning, growing and evolving and for that you must surround yourself with people who see you for more than you currently are.</p>.<p>Also, actively share your aspirations and ambitions with all the people in your life, at home and in office. Remember, ambition is assumed for men but women have to let their stakeholders know and consciously claim it.</p>.<p><strong>And, to the men who are reading this...</strong></p>.<p>Gender balance is a collective effort. It runs on the strength of multiple levers and on the fuel of shared values of trust and collaboration. The world is changing and the women we live and work have also changed substantially in their world views on life and work. So, here is an invitation to all men to break the image of having to be the strong, successful, lifelong economic provider that you assumed you had to be. When more and visibly successful men do this, there will be less shame and judgment in men playing an important role in homemaking and parenting, opening up our homes and workplaces equally for those who can truly make the most optimal<br />contributions.</p>.<p>The 21st century is redefining everything we know of the old order and if we need to make the most of what it has to offer, we need the best efforts of our men and women delivering on what they are best at. So, go ahead and convince the smart and talented women in your lives that their intelligence and integrity is important for the corporate world and tell yourself and the young men around you that the hitherto withheld sensitivity and nurturing that men carry is equally important for homes and children. Then, we will truly be 'Each for Equal'!</p>.<p><em>(The author is the Founder & CEO of Interweave Consulting, India's first consulting company focused exclusively on workplace inclusion solutions)</em></p>
<p><strong>By Nirmala Menon</strong></p>.<p>Today is the 20th International Women’s Day of the 21st century and the fact that we are still discussing gender balance is a collective shame. For all the effort employers are putting into this, why are they making so little headway?</p>.<p>While it is true that organisations are doing all they can to fix the skew with special recruitment drives, flexible work options, mentoring and sponsorship programs et al, the reality is that there is an equally powerful, invisible 'unconscious' gender ethos that is countering the efforts. It subverts our good intent by maintaining status quo by keeping old patterns, values, and<br />behavioral norms in place and continually perpetuating inequities, at work and in society.</p>.<p>Given these multiple barriers at the socio-cultural and institutional levels, gender balance and women’s leadership challenges must also be addressed at multiple levels and through multiple levers. So, cutting out all the fluff, here is what we must focus on if we really want to see positive outcomes.</p>.<p><strong>Make women want to lead</strong></p>.<p>If we want more women to lead and feel capable of leading, we have to redefine the leadership template altogether! As long as the legacy blueprint of leadership as defined in narrow<br />“masculine” ways exist, it will continue to influence our attitudes and behaviours perpetuating inequities.</p>.<p>We need to build conviction and even urgency around building in 'Femininity' into leadership and consciously and proactively do this as a business and social imperative. Remember that the 21st century is an era of relationships – matrixed organisations and cross-border collaborations and building trusting relationships are all the trending competencies and these<br />are essentially feminine attributes. These must be intentionally embedded in leadership frameworks if we are to break unconscious assumptions about women's abilities.</p>.<p>We have to ensure we provide women with strategic and hardcore critical business roles and P&L responsibilities and not just keep them behind glass walls of HR, PR, Finance and<br />Marketing. And, if we need to use affirmative action to do that, so be it.</p>.<p><strong>The next step is to realign policies to match intent</strong></p>.<p>Organisations that engage women must accommodate for some of the fundamental enablers that women need to succeed at work. This is not just maternity leave but often, a more flexible work schedule and reliable child and elder care. While these are clearly not just a woman’s issue, the fact is that women have borne the cost of institutional failure to address them. This must not be seen as a more expensive proposition or as being unfair to men but as a valuable support for a real barrier to the advancement of women.</p>.<p>Rigidity in organizational structures and working arrangements not only keep women from achieving their full potential but also perpetuate assumptions of gender roles expectations<br />restraining men from playing a role in parenting and caring responsibilities. Innovative policies that are equally available to men and women will encourage more men to participate in home responsibilities and help to erode the societal expectation that a woman’s family role must take precedence over her career. This is vital to build and sustain a more equal<br />social order.</p>.<p><strong>And, then, here is a message to the women themselves:</strong></p>.<p>Raise your hand for opportunities and surround yourself with people who will stretch and challenge you. No woman has ever gotten into work and gone straight up to leadership. The path to leadership has many twists and turns and potholes and obstacles along the way, so, be willing to step out of your comfort zone. As women, we tend to play it safe. Be afraid, but do it anyway! Leadership is about learning, growing and evolving and for that you must surround yourself with people who see you for more than you currently are.</p>.<p>Also, actively share your aspirations and ambitions with all the people in your life, at home and in office. Remember, ambition is assumed for men but women have to let their stakeholders know and consciously claim it.</p>.<p><strong>And, to the men who are reading this...</strong></p>.<p>Gender balance is a collective effort. It runs on the strength of multiple levers and on the fuel of shared values of trust and collaboration. The world is changing and the women we live and work have also changed substantially in their world views on life and work. So, here is an invitation to all men to break the image of having to be the strong, successful, lifelong economic provider that you assumed you had to be. When more and visibly successful men do this, there will be less shame and judgment in men playing an important role in homemaking and parenting, opening up our homes and workplaces equally for those who can truly make the most optimal<br />contributions.</p>.<p>The 21st century is redefining everything we know of the old order and if we need to make the most of what it has to offer, we need the best efforts of our men and women delivering on what they are best at. So, go ahead and convince the smart and talented women in your lives that their intelligence and integrity is important for the corporate world and tell yourself and the young men around you that the hitherto withheld sensitivity and nurturing that men carry is equally important for homes and children. Then, we will truly be 'Each for Equal'!</p>.<p><em>(The author is the Founder & CEO of Interweave Consulting, India's first consulting company focused exclusively on workplace inclusion solutions)</em></p>
