WOMEN SPECIAL.. Rekha M Menon

WOMEN SPECIAL.. Rekha M Menon 

Companies are empowering women today in more ways than one Different people define success differently. In the pursuit of success, women in the corporate world have been faced with a constant dilemma - professional achievement v/s personal relationships. Needless to say that technology is playing a significant role in enabling work-life balance for employees, especially women. Laptops, tablets, smartphones, home broadband and Wi-Fi on the move have liberated employees physically from their desks and enabled them to take work with them anywhere. Traditionally, women in the workplace were reluctant to ask for a raise, promotion or family time for fear of jeopardising their careers. However, findings from a recent survey of 3,900 business executives conducted in 31 countries, including India revealed that 52 per cent of female respondents had asked for a raise with 69 per cent of them reporting the outcome had been favourable. Today, companies in India no longer exude only straitjacketed attributes that conform to the male psyche. Instead, progressive organisations today are resonating distinctly feminine attributes of flexibility and empathy in equal measure. This is translating to a scenario at work where women feel increasingly empowered to base their work-related decisions on their own unique strengths.

The author is executive director, geographic services, Accenture

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