Breaking the Stereotype

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Today’s Indian woman is making a mark across diverse fields – from business and politics to sports and social work – breaking stereotypes and smashing glass ceilings along the way. It is interesting to note that 6 of the Top 10 Banks in India are headed by women and 12% of India’s 5,100 pilots are women. Likewise, there is a huge surge in women-led start-ups in IT & Biotechnology. Witnessing this change is exciting and energizing as there is a newfound confidence among Indian women, a sense of self-belief that they can excel in any domain, compete with their male counterparts on a level-playing field, attain leadership positions and become role models for all.

Why Women on Board Make Smart Business Sense

Image Courtesy: http://indianboards.com

Is India Inc.’s new found enthusiasm to have woman board members a reflection of changing mindsets or mere tokenism?

Media reports suggest that more than 250 companies appointed women directors on Tuesday to meet the SEBI’s deadline. In fact, many companies have appointed wives, daughters and sisters of promoters and top company executives as directors in a desperate attempt to be in compliance. Is this the right approach?

India passed a law in 2013 mandating publicly-listed companies with five or more directors to have at least one woman board member.

Where the Mind is Without Fear

Fairness In The Workplace Should Focus On Gender Equality

Historically, the corporate world has been a male bastion with restricted entry to women. It is only in recent times that this “men only” club has opened up membership to women.  This has seen a steady increase of women professionals in the corporate workplace the world over and India is no exception.  Corporate India now boasts of a growing tribe of women professionals that constitute 24% of the workforce.  This trend has certainly upset the equilibrium in the work place where men are still finding it difficult to accept women as fellow colleagues and in many cases, as their bosses.  After all, traditionally Indian society and Indian men have regarded women as subservient home makers and not as equal partners in the economic mainstream.  It is therefore this deep rooted cultural and societal mind-set that manifests itself in the way men behave with their female colleagues in their shared work space.

How Free Are Women At The Workplace Today? Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw Explores

According to McKinsey, the female labour participation rate in India is 35 per cent – one of the lowest in the world. It is not surprising that women in India find it very challenging to rise to the top at the workplace, because of the gender discrimination they face. Women in this part of the world have to work twice as hard as men to succeed in their workplaces. I can recount numerous challenges I had to face while setting up Biocon, just because I was a woman. Women do get a raw deal most of the time.

Women at Work: Biocon Founder on Philanthropy, Sexism and Politics

In the first in a series of interviews with women who are leaders in their field in India, The Wall Street Journal’s India Real Time met Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the founder of biotechnology company Biocon Ltd. 532523.BY +0.16%, and one of India’s richest women.

Last month, Ms. Mazumdar-Shaw was named by Forbes as one of the most generous people in Asia.

How Bangalore can be a safe place for Women in 2013?

The gruesome gang rape of a 23 year old young woman in Delhi exposes a dangerous and ugly side of our society. This has not just outraged the capital city but people across the country. As a woman who believes that women must get out of the perception trap that makes them diffident, I am simply appalled at this growing rise of atrocities against women. As a society, we have been apathetic for far too long on the subject of sexual assaults against women and child molestation. The growing incidence of these heinous crimes is a sad reflection of the degenerating social ecosystem that echoes the past where women were suppressed for centuries, subjected to gender inequality devoid of any respect they deserved. For some unexplainable reason, even today’s society is averse to a modern, self-assured woman who dares to break the mold of the age old submissive woman.

The Delhi gang rape has caught the attention of youth all across the country and we must act now to ensure women both safety and respect in society.  I have always felt safe in Bangalore and I think we should take urgent steps to prevent such atrocities against women in our city.  I would like to suggest some measures that we need to take to make Bangalore a safe harbor for women:

A: Legal Reforms as follows:

1: All sexual assault cases to be declared as non bailable serious offences wherein offenders be jailed at the first instance until the case is heard out.

2: A special fast track court for such cases with a mandate to give a ruling in maximum 30 days.

3: Gang rape must be considered a third degree rape with sentences ranging from Life imprisonment to a death penalty in the rarest of rare cases.  I also believe that chemical castration should be mandated for any rape involving strangers who assault women.

4: Scope of sexual crimes to be increased to include people who indulge in verbal abuse of  women, as that is the starting point.  Acid attacks must also carry a grave sentence.

B: Administrative Reforms as follows:

1. All public transport like Metro, Buses etc to have an armed security personnel      like Marshalls in the US after 6 pm

2. All public and private transport to be GPS enabled and tracked.

3. Complete ban on dark films and tinted glasses on all vehicles, offending vehicles to be compounded

4.  All commercial vehicles license subjected to annual renewal post police verification and GPS capability certification

5.  Driving Licenses for commercial drivers to be issued post police verification  and all commercial driver licenses to be renewed every year

6.  Setting up of 24x7 helplines for women in distress

7.  Increase the number of PCR vans in the city after 6 pm

8.  Sensitize policemen to take immediate action against such incidents.

9.  Penalize the policemen who refuse to file an FIR

These immediate actions will start the process of bringing in positive change.

Last but not the least we need to take a serious view on mending the social fabric, we need to relook and rethink on the moral values that we give to our children. The boys of this country need to be instilled with a sense of respect for all women during their growing up years and schools must start the sensitization process. I think change of mindsets is the biggest challenge that we face today. 

Society is averse to self-assured women

The gruesome Delhi gang rape exposes a dangerous side of our society. This has outraged people across the country.

As a woman who believes that women must get out of the perception trap that makes them diffident, I am appalled at this rise in atrocities against women. We have been apathetic for far too long.

The growing incidence of these heinous crimes is a sad reflection of the degenerating social ecosystem that echoes the past where women were suppressed, devoid of respect. For some inexplicable reason, even today's society is averse to a modern, self-assured woman who dares to break the mold.

We must act now to ensure both the safety and respect of women. Here are some steps which, I think, will make Bangalore safer for women.

LEGAL REFORMS

All sexual assault cases must be declared as non-bailable serious offences and offenders jailed at the first instance until the case is heard out. A special fast-track court must be set up with a mandate to give a ruling in 30 days.

Gang rape must be considered third degree rape with sentences ranging from life imprisonment to death penalty in the rarest of rare rape cases. I believe strangers assaulting women should be subjected to chemical castration.

The scope of sexual crime must be widened to include verbal abuse.

ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS

All public transport like buses must have armed escorts after 6 pm. All public and private transport must be GPS-enabled. A blanket ban must be imposed on dark films and tinted glasses in all vehicles and offending vehicles compounded.

All commercial vehicle licences must be subjected to annual renewal after police verification and GPS capability certification. Driving licences for commercial drivers to be issued after police verification and licences renewed annually.

Helplines must work 24x7. The number of police patrol vans must be increased after 6pm. Policemen must be sensitized to take prompt action in case of crime against women.

We need to take a serious view on mending the social fabric. We need to relook at the moral values that we give to our children. The boys of this country need to be instilled with a sense of respect for all women and schools must start the sensitization process. I think change of mindset is the biggest challenge that we face today.

Educate and Empower Women to Catalyze Inclusive and Equitable Development

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, CMD, Biocon

Over the past few decades, I have come to see India's development model as a work in progress. Slowly if not always surely, we have improved some parameters of inclusive development. However, deep-rooted systemic challenges remain unaddressed. We need to act with resolute will if we are to realize inclusive and equitable growth. It is in this context that we need to seriously look at one issue that receives much lip-service but very little real attention: The empowerment of women.

Across the world, educating and empowering women has time and again proven to be the catalyst for rapid socio-economic growth. Conversely, societies where women are repressed are among the most backward on most parameters of development. We seem to be somewhere in between – a work in progress. The message for our society and government is loud and clear:

 

If we want to ensure socio-economic development for one and all – as we say we do – educating and empowering women to achieve their true potential is critical.

India is home to over 15% of the world's population and women make up almost half of that number. The development indicators that measure the quality of their life are improving: Maternal mortality rates are declining, women’s literacy rates are increasing and more women have access to healthcare and education. But change is heartbreakingly slow when seen in the context of the continuing discrimination and violence women encounter in this country. India ranks 113 (out of 135 countries) on the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index. According to India’s 2011 census, the sex ratio for children under six was 914 females to 1,000 males, a disturbing decline from 927 in 2001. The ranking of Indian women in economic empowerment is 0.3 where 1.0 is equality.

This is a dangerous state of affairs for any society. The lower economic status of women is alarming enough; their decline in the gender ratio is morally reprehensible. By denying women the opportunities they need to actualize their potential, we are underutilizing the human capital we must leverage in order to progress. Women are undoubtedly the foundation of the basic unit of society – the family. Even in traditional roles they demonstrate immense innovation, skill, and intelligence – in addition to hard work and commitment. If we can effectively harness these attributes, India can effectively roll out a virtuous cycle of inclusive and equitable growth. The education of women is therefore key to unlocking this potential.

In India, where close to 70% of the population lives in rural areas, access to educational opportunities are limited. Moreover, poverty puts the girl child at a greater disadvantage. Add to this the social attitudes towards women, and it is obvious that we need a multi-pronged approach to ensure universal women’s education.

In addressing this issue, we have an opportunity to transform the foundation of education, and rural education in particular. E-infrastructure can deliver relevant education to empower both genders in an efficient and equitable manner. E-education can address the dual challenge of quality and capacity as well as enable our youth to leapfrog into the internet age.

Skills development and life lessons in basic necessities like healthcare and sanitation are also integral to education. When we educate and empower one woman, we set off a chain reaction that transforms the life of her family and the community she lives in. An exemplary model is the network of ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers created under the NRHM. As trained female community health activists who engage with villagers, they have played a crucial role in improving the health of women and children across India.

Equally important is vocational training that can be the key to women’s economic independence. The inspirational efforts of Sewa (the Self-Employed Women’s Association founded by Ela Bhatt) and other successful self-help groups have seeded the spirit of entrepreneurship in hundreds of women. Sewa’s women members are path-breakers, redefining themselves even as they add value to their families and the nation. Empowering women in this manner can enable inclusive socio-economic development and transform India.

In India gender barriers start operating from birth. These prevailing societal perceptions are often the biggest hurdle that shape women’s perception of themselves and society’s expectations of their role. Across all strata of Indian society, people still believe that women are capable of performing only certain types of jobs and that marriage must take precedence over career. This mindset, of both men and women, needs to change if any progress is to be made. We must focus on the girl child and break stereotypes to help her go beyond the traditional mindset and set free her potential.

Take women in science as a case in point. The societal mindset is that women are less capable of understanding science, although all evidence is to the contrary. I faced seemingly insurmountable road-blocks on my path to building Biocon into the institution it is today. As a young woman with hardly any work experience in a male-dominated business environment, it was challenging to set up a biotechnology enterprise to say the least. I can credit my success to my education and upbringing that had helped instill a strong sense of self-belief and a never-say-die spirit in me. Today, I am proud that Biocon is an equal-opportunity employer where women thrive in every role including scientific research. While we do not believe in hiring women for the sake of their gender, we provide the facilities and environment they need to ensure that they are enabled and empowered.

I believe that by neglecting the development of women, we will compromise the future of the nation. By investing in women and their education, we are investing in our present and future. This is a promise we need to keep.

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Women Leadership: Improving the quality of life through innovation

• What can be the ways through which corporates can encourage women participation in strategic decisions?

• Do you observe any great change as far as gender equality in India is concerned?

My own views on this matter are as follows:

I have seen a positive shift in gender equality in Corporate India.  I do believe that women are being provided greater opportunities to participate in strategic areas of management.  The main concerns that continue to plague women mangers is mobility and transferability.  Women are forced to give up senior management responsibilities if their spouses are transferred or if marriage influences this.  Women are also less willing to undertake extensive business related travel and both these put them at a disadvantage.  As a woman employer, I have lost many a senior woman manager to either marriage or to a spouse being transferred either overseas or to another location in the country.  One can argue by saying that men can also leave organizations if they opt for jobs elsewhere but the point I am trying to make is that the reasons for female attrition are not necessarily job related whereas attrition among men is job related which can be addressed by HR.  I hope this helps. Maternity leave is something I think all corporates can deal with but very often women opt to take a few years off which again impacts companies.

Women Empowerment

Have women broken the glass ceiling? If yes, in which sector?

Indian women have come a long way since I started Biocon in the late seventies. At that time women were considered a ‘risk factor’ in business and I faced numerous hurdles because of my gender. No bank wanted to lend me capital and I found it difficult to find people to work for me. Today women get a lot of support from the government as well as from financial institutions.

Over these decades, women have made a mark in diverse fields such as business, the media, financial institutions, and pharmaceuticals through their sheer courage, hard work and conviction. Inspiring respect for taking their institutions to greater heights, woman business leaders such as Indra Nooyi, Chandra Kochchar, Kalpana Morparia, Swati Piramal, Anu Agha, Naina Lal Kidwai, Shikha Sharma, and Mallika Srinivasan, among others, have become role models for all to follow, irrespective of gender.

We have enormously talented women in our country who can rise to the top. However, they need to be willing to take on leadership challenges, balance work and family, and even change their attitudes. Women must use their spirit of enterprise and scale heights achieved by their male counterparts. I honestly believe that the glass ceiling is a perception and women with talent, determination and conviction can keep on chipping away at it till it is smashed.

Which sectors lag behind and why?

Sectors that require working at odd hours or in multiple time zones, traveling to on-site locations or to industrial units in interior parts of the country have fewer takers among women. Examples are the IT and IT-enabled sectors, manufacturing and traditional sectors like automobiles.

What is the role ahead?

Women who have made it to the top have proved that they can be as capable as men. They are naturally endowed with qualities like compassion, empathy, honesty, commitment, and the ability to work hard and multi-task which can be leveraged to their advantage. Companies need to do their bit by designing enabling organisational structures such as flexi-time options and choice of mobility that can help more women excel in the field of their choice. For example, Biocon encourages women not to work at odd hours and has a well-equipped crèche. We also provide a male escort for women who need to travel into the interior parts of the country.

Solutions such as reservations for women in boards have been floating around but I don’t think it is the answer. In fact, I would not appoint a woman for her gender alone but for the role she is capable of playing. Women have the ability to climb to the top but they must realize that responsibilities and challenges that come with it. At the same time, they need to be supported and encouraged by their organisation and family to attain their potential.

What are the road blocks which are yet to be overcome?

Perception is the biggest hurdle for women. A large number of people in India still believe that women are capable of performing only a certain type of jobs and that marriage must take precedence over career. Many times, women find it difficult to find jobs because of gender discrimination even when they are well qualified. This mindset, of both men and women, needs to change if any progress is to be made.

A second obstacle for many women is the pressure of balancing work and life. Since women are good at multi-tasking they can manage with panache the many roles they are expected to take on. However, they need support from their families and their employer.

Another major roadblock is the scant regard we pay to a girl child’s education. Reservation of seats or scholarships alone will not help unless the attitude towards their education and career doesn't change. We need to foster a culture that encourages women to pursue careers.

Is the break big enough or are we just touching it?

Although we have made enormous progress of late, the number of women who have reached the top is negligible and it would be foolish to think we've made a sizable crack in the glass ceiling. However, it is encouraging that there are many top woman professional executives in the country, not just women who have inherited leadership roles through their families. For the glass ceiling to truly shatter we will have to ensure gender equality, better educational opportunities for the girl-child, devise a support system for the working woman, change our gender attitudes, and ensure that society is not insecure about a woman’s success.