Thursday, March 29, 2018

WOMEN SPECIAL ....It’s Fear that Holds Back Women


It’s Fear that Holds Back Women

Their advice: Go where you are banned, be blind and deaf to detractors

Three women from the other side of India’s borders came together on one platform to share how they broke the glass ceilings in their countries to reach a positions of power in politics, media and fashion.
Among them, one almost took a gun from the Taliban, while another battled the stubborn reluctance of her male colleagues to accept her as the head of her organisation.
On Friday, Fawzia Koofi, a member of Parliament in Afghanistan; Sarah Ali, CEO of Bangladesh’s Bitopi Advertising and Otara Gunewardene, who founded Sri Lankan retail company Odel, fired up The Economic Times Women’s Forum with their experience on beating gender bias in their countries.
Koofi is the 19th of her parents’ 20 children. When she was born, her mother, who wanted a son, left her to die in the Sun, but later decided to let her live. She is now the only woman in the lower house of Afghan Parliament. “When I was five I saw a woman giving speech on TV, and I was really shocked to realise that women are allowed to talk and men are even listening to her,” said Koofi. That lady was former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and that was when she decided she wanted to be a politician.
Koofi, who was recently appointed to lead the Geneva Human Rights Commission, said women should set their goals for the future to achieve their full rights, and enter those spaces where they have been traditionally kept out. Politics is one of them. “India should pass the reservation Bill for women in Parliament. We women should enter those spaces which have a red line drawn for us,” she said.
Ali’s story should provide confidence to women wary of taking the plunge into business. It took years for the male colleagues to take her seriously, because they were not used to having a woman leading them. The chief executive of Bangladesh’s Bitopi Advertising, Sarah inherited the position from her father. But it was hard for her to gain acceptance.
“I had to work doubly hard to prove myself,” Sarah said. Under her leadership, Bitopi today has become a leading agency in Bangladesh. Her advice to women battling the career ladder is simple: Be blind and deaf to the detractors and focus on your goal.
Finally, the session on Gender Benders from India’s neighbours had Gunewardene, the modelturned-entrepreneur who founded fashion chain Odel.
The reason for women to hold back their dreams and aspirations often is fear, she said. “I really wanted to do something in retail, I was afraid a bit initially but I overcame it.” After selling the company, she now spends her time with animal welfare, her second passion.
Divya.Rajagopal
ET19MAR18

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