Prachika Saxena, Director-Human Resources, Conrad Pune believes that women professionals have to continually battle bias, starting with the glass ceiling. They have lesser opportunities to climb the ladder, and more often than not it is to do with their personal commitments.
Often there are erroneous perceptions associated with them. A married woman is considered to be at ‘risk’ of starting family, while a mother is at ‘risk’ of reduced commitment levels.
Performance evaluation bias is another challenge. With reduced domestic obligations, men are geographically more mobile, which makes them a ‘preferred’ high performer.
Moreover, since a higher population of C-suite executives comprises males, there is a natural tendency to promote brotherhood. Lower visibility of women in higher roles further depletes their chances of rise.
This International Women’s Day, Saxena urges her fellow sisters to stop being self-depreciative. Most women who make to the top are affirmative, without losing touch with their feminity.
She gives the instance of Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand. She cradled her infant toddler inside the parliament and pulled up a KFC worker for irresponsible behavior with equal aplomb.
So, the underlying message is simple, be yourself and the world will adjust itself to accommodate your dazzle.
