WOMEN SPECIAL .....Raise your daughters to lead

WOMEN SPECIAL Raise your daughters to lead





Gender biases have resulted in gaping imbalances in our workforce. Here's how to empower your daughters to counter the trend

The importance of employment as a means of empowering women cannot be emphasised enough. And yet, even as the Indian economy pursues an ambitious growth trajectory, there is still a lot of ground to be covered in terms of making this develop ment model more inclusive for women. In its India Development Report released in May 2017, the World Bank found that India had one of the lowest female participation in its workforce ­ the country is ranked 120th among the 131 countries studied, with women contributing less than 20 percent share in services and industry. Worryingly, this number has been on the decline since 2005, despite the fact that a larger number of women are educating themselves today than ever before.

The most obvious way to address this disparity, therefore, is to change the way women learn.Ambition in young women must be nurtured, and their leadership potential ignited so as to change their perception of the professional roles they may take on some day.This is what the MHC Shakti initiative by Mount Holyoke College attempts to do, by showcasing the successes of female achievers and having these experts share their experiences and views in a series of presentations and interactive workshops for teenage girls. Three panellists who will be speaking at the two-day event which takes place on August 26 and 27 share what you can do to shape young women into future leaders.

CONFIDENCE AND BELIEF CAN OVERCOME GENDER BIASES:

Anjali Bansal, Former Global Partner, TPG Growth Private Equity, Investor and Board Member

Often named as one of the most powerful women in the world of Indian business, Anjali Bansal is no stranger to the many merits of a diverse, inclusive workforce and the challenges involved in creating such a workforce. “Women have to work harder to overcome biases and make their presence felt. It can be especially difficult for women to devote enough time and attention to establishing themselves in the early years of their career since they are also building their families at the same time,“ she observes.“Besides, for many urban Indian women today, the second income they bring in is not a necessity. And so, the social pressure to drop out of the workforce is much higher.“

Bansal believes that in order to turn the tide in their favour, women have to “want it badly enough.They must have the ability, confi dence and drive to hold on to their aspirations.“

The good news, however, is that times are changing. Bansal adds, “We are starting to see change in the form of families who are proud of the professional achievements of their wives and daughters.“

Organisations, too, are working to add diversity to their workforce. “Several studies have found that diversity in a team yields better team outcomes, in terms of decision-making and innovation, and that companies with a diverse workforce, leadership team and board outperform their peers. In fact, many meritocratic organisations have produced strong women leaders.“

To brace themselves for the challenges and opportunities presented by modern workplaces, Bansal believes that women must enter the workforce as professionals, without wearing their gender on their sleeve. “If you carry yourself as a professional, others will treat you like one too.“ While it is important to stand up to biases, it is also important for women to not enter their professions with an adversarial mindset. “Build your alliances and coalitions, and seek mentors who will guide you to achieve your professional ambitions.“

FORTIFY YOUR EDUCATION WITH ENRICHING EXPERIENCES:

Kavita Mehta, CEO and Co-Founder,The Red Pen

At the age of 37, Kavita Mehta gave up her flourishing digital media career at Yahoo in Silicon Valley to move to Singapore with her family.The next year, she moved again to India for the very first time and three years later, restarted her career, this time in education ­ a field that she had had little exposure to thus far. Looking back, Mehta attributes her ability to embrace change to the various skills she acquired, in addition to her academic education. “As a student, I have worked in a retail store and a bank's back office. I believe that these non-traditional avenues give you the opportunity to understand customer service, problem solving, humility, time management ­ things that you may not learn in a classroom. Students must make the most of all avenues for professional experience that are available to them, especially during their formative years, whether through internships, summer schools or classes. They must be willing to grab any opportunity for learning when it presents itself.“

Speaking about the ability to embrace change, she adds, “Today, there is no such thing as a single career. People need to develop skills for economies that will continually evolve. Having these dynamic skills in various helps you adapt your learning to different contexts. For me, while I had no formal training in the field of education, I knew that I loved to help people and that I was detail oriented. I also had experience in collating and analysing data, which I leveraged to transform the way the education advisory services are provided.“

Mehta also believes that women must transform their attitude towards their role as professionals in order to impact meaningful change in society. “I think that anyone who has had the gift of education has an inherent responsibility to share it.Degrees are not just a means to improve your profile or reputation.If you have a degree or specialised training, get a job or volunteer so that others may benefit from the knowledge you have gained.“

EXPOSE GIRLS TO CAREERS IN SCIENCE BY MAKING SCIENCE INTERESTING FOR THEM:

Yuti Dalal, Founder and CEO, The Curiosity Club

Although India produces the world's largest number of scientists and engineers, the involvement of women in scientific careers has largely been limited to research.Careers that involve application of science, such as engineering, are often considered more suitable for males. The real problem, Yuti Dalal believes, is in the way the sciences are taught in Indian schools.“Indian education is more about theoretical rote-learning, and what children come away with is bookish knowledge that is barely relevant to their real lives.“ As a result, children who opt for science-based careers often do so based on societal norms rather than because of their own interests.

Challenging this traditional, monocular view of the sciences is STEM, a curriculum that educates students in four specific disciplines ­ namely, science, technology, engineering and mathematics ­ in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. STEM encourages children to experience and enjoy science by understanding how science influences everyday processes. “When you experience, you remember. Further, in the real world, scientific principles are not applied in isolation. Demonstrating to your children how STEM works in real life makes them more receptive to science and also changes the way they think about careers in science.“

STEM also encourages innovation, problem solving and creativity ­ qualities that are vital for professional success but are often undermined by India's exam-focused education model.

STEM is as yet a relatively new concept in India. Curricula have yet to be designed around STEM and there are currently very few institutions where children may learn about STEM. Dalal advises, “It is important for parents to supplement their children's learning by exposing them to STEM, whether in the form of science museums or even visits to the airport or the mall where children can learn about how science is applied in escalators, elevators and automatic doors. This can spark conversations that inspire learning.“

Anindita Paul Aug 23 2017 : Mirror (Mumbai)