A discussion from our Warp & Weft group on Linkedin

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A long way to go for the Indian woman to shatter the glass ceiling in the corporate world re-iterates the recent article in the Times of India. Extensive surveys and research in the report indicate that the percentage of women in corporate boards or executive boards is a mere six percent. This is at least ten times lower than the percentage found in our global counterparts.

This survey raises very vital questions some of them being:
1.       Is having a handful of women at the top like Chanda Kocchar (Head of ICICI Bank), Vinita Bali (CEO of Britannia) and a few others, enough to represent the power of Indian women.
2.       What happens to the several women graduates who pass out each year?

The Mc. Kinsey survey reports that at least 45% of Indian women leave the workforce each year citing needs of wanting a better work life balance or quoting family problems. Many women succumb to the pressure of juggling the priorities of work and family and tend to quit their jobs or stick to entry level or mid-managerial roles. The survey put out these facts and numbers painting a very bleak picture for Indian women in the corporate sector. Makes one wonder if the Indian woman is being punished for nurturing or taking the role of primary role giver in the family too seriously. These facts also reflect poorly on the dynamics of the society. Questions that arise from this survey are worth a thought and will make a lot of difference to our approach to a mutually inclusive society at the workplace

1.       Is this imbalance in numbers a good example for our little girls? Are we depriving them of role models? Are we teaching them that it is a norm to give up their career or ambitions of being gainfully occupied to bring up a family?

2.       Why is care-giving or looking after a family so gender specific? Why is society imposing such biased stereotypes? How do we change the cultural influence and the traditional mindset?

3.       How can we empower women to stay on in the corporate world and excel in their chosen profession? How do we feed the corporate pipeline with more women leaders who are happy individuals with happy families?

Join our discussion group, Warp & Weft: Threads of Diversity & Inclusion in India on Linkedin and share your thoughts.

Interweave in news: Knowledge @ Wharton

A Bullish Outlook for India’s Female Entrepreneurs

Nirmala Menon, founder and CEO of Interweave Consulting, a Bangalore-based firm that focuses on diversity management and inclusiveness in the workplace, points out that there is a lot of visibility and acknowledgement of women entrepreneurs as reliable partners and vendors. “Some organizations are encouraging them as part of their corporate supplier diversity programs. This is spurring other women to enter the space as well.”

Menon adds that Indian women inherently have an important entrepreneurial trait — resilience. “Women in India have had to traditionally manage with limited resources and that native intelligence helps them manage creatively with frugal resources available,” she notes. “They reuse, save, negotiate, find alternatives — all of which contributes to their success as an entrepreneur.”

But what are some of the challenges that they face?

Menon suggests that women find it more cumbersome than men to navigate the regulatory and procedural complexities. She attributes this to “a fairly complex process managed mostly by men.” Menon adds that while women entrepreneurs have domain expertise, they often lack profit and loss experience and by consequence could struggle with the “business-side” of an enterprise. However, the biggest challenge for women entrepreneurs in India, she says, is coping with societal expectations. “These are changing, but still have some way to go.”

Read full article at http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu/2012/06/a-bullish-outlook-for-indias-female-entrepreneurs/



Interweave in the news: Desi Cos Help Women at Work

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The #1 Habit of Great Dads

You want your kids to be just as fit as you, right? Well, quit missing family dinner—frequent family meals mean healthier eating and a lower body mass index in children, according to a new review of 68 reports on the subject by Rutgers.

Whether you're a schoolteacher or a pro athlete, we know how work gets in the way. So here are from tips on how to get dinner at home to the top of your to-do list.

If You're Always on the Go

"It's so inconsistent when I'm home because I'm traveling so much," says Kevin Robinson, professional BMX rider and dad of three (calling us from China). Beyond riding internationally, Robinson speaks at events all over the country, and is at the helm of his apparel company, Grindz. "When I'm home I try to time riding and events around my children's school day," he says. "They have no idea what I just ran around doing all day."

Your move: Try to book the afternoon flight, not the evening one, back from business travel. "If I get back too late, it's just one more day they don't see me," Robinson says. Got little guys? Steal Robinson's trick: "We count our days by 'night nights,' not days," he says. "If I'm going to be gone three days, that's only two nights."

If You Have Teenagers

Cook together. It requires communication, says Gary Erikson, co-owner and co-CEO of Clif Bar, and father of three -- including a teenager. Read: Teens will be forced to grunt a few words and descend from the bedroom. "One of the best side effects of preparing a meal with your family is that everyone is in the same space sharing an experience."

Your move: Speed things up by assigning duties -- one person sets the table, another tosses the salad, and someone else grills the fish. "When our family works together in the kitchen, we can have a meal ready to go and on the table within a half an hour," says Kit Crawford, Gary's wife and co-owner and co-CEO of Clif Bar.

If Your Job Is Demanding

"Working in software is competitive. It's intense. It requires lots of long hours," says Vic Gundotra, Senior VP at Google who oversees the company's social efforts, and father to two children. "It's also engaging -- it's easy to let the hours slip away." When you were a post-grad, hanging out with your office buddies until 10 p.m. was standard -- but with a family, that's just not possible, Gundotra says.

Your move: Prioritize. "Men understand priorities," says Gundotra. "We make tradeoffs all day. If family is as important to you as work is, then -- like you would for any business priority -- you make it happen." Simply say, "I have to leave, they're waiting for me." (Of course, the right approach also helps.) Dinner together isn't just about quality time; it's about what the quantity of that time adds up to. "You can make a lot of mistakes in business and you can correct them -- it's very hard to go back and fix missing time with your kids," Gundotra says.

Source: http://living.msn.com/family-parenting/the-number1-habit-of-great-dads

The Changing Role of Fathers!

Interweave recognises that the 'modern day' father comes in various forms. To support the new breed of fathers across the country, we have launched a module on parenting for fathers. 

Sharing a short and interesting article that also recognises the changing role of fathers.

"It is a wise father that knows his own child" - Shakespeare's words continue to resonate in the modern world where fathers are moving away from being strict, disciplinarian figures to a source of emotional support for their children.

"My father is not just my father! Of course, he is strict at times as far as my studies are concerned, he gives me limited money like all stingy fathers...but he is also a great friend. He takes me out on weekends, we go bowling, we discuss my personal life, he guides me...and he is a fantastic counsellor!" said Abhinav Sethi, a 17-year-old college-goer here.

Many fathers have started going out of their way to understand their child - once the preserve of mothers.

"I think it is very important to connect with the child; otherwise they will always be in fear of you. If we try to be friends with them, they will share a lot of stuff with us, as they do with their friends. There's so much stress these days, so much competition...so if we start pressurising them with the typical father ways, it's not going to help at all," says Arvind Singh, a father to two boys.

Films reflect society in many ways and it seems to be true in terms of the portrayal of a father on the big or small screen. The entertainment industry has attempted to portray the more compassionate side of fathers in recent times.

Ekta Kapoor's recently launched TV show Bade Achche Lagte Hain shows actress Sakshi Tanwar's on-screen father as more loving, considerate and understanding than her mother. In Pavitra Rishta , Sushant Singh Rajput's character has a father who is more compassionate than his mother.

Earlier shows like Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin or Astitva - Ek Prem Kahani showed protagonists enjoying better communication with their dads respectively.

Cut to celluloid and films like Wake Up Sid !, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham , Waqt: The Race Against Time , Apne and Yamla Pagla Deewana have portrayed the father's vulnerable side.

A recent survey by online matrimony site jeevansathi.com revealed how a father is moving towards a role where the child can look up to him for a feedback and be the confidant while choosing a life partner.

About 45 per cent of the 25,000 respondents, who were independent youngsters looking for a life partner on their own, depended on their dads to help them make a decision.

"The new generation of children of marriageable age are starting to lean towards their parents for opinion. Traditionally it was the mother who played the influencing factor and the father the decision maker," said Rohit Manghnani, business head, jeevansathi.com.

Today the roles are changing and the survey shows that young men or women take the decision and parental feedback is a key influencing factor, said Manghnani, adding, "The father has also started playing the role of the influencer rather than the decisionmaker."

But there are some who belong to old school of thoughts. Popular sarod players Ayaan and Amaan Ali Khan, who have a guru in their father, sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, says their father likes to maintain a certain protocol.

"It took us time to draw the line as to when he was a father and when he was a guru. This realisation obviously happened as we grew older. We feel ecstatic to think and realize from time to time that our guru is our father. As classical musicians, music for us was not just a profession but a complete way of life.

Abba is an old timer with regard to many things. For one, even though he is a dear friend to us, a certain protocol in the relationship is always maintained," said the duo

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/parenting/The-changing-role-of-fathers/articleshow/8901418.cms

Interweave in the news!

.........The idea for Interweave came directly from Nirmala’s experience with IBM where she was part of the global management development team that focussed specifically on Diversity and multi-cultural inclusion. Having worked with IBM for five years in several countries around the world on this initiative, she was the Diversity and Employee Relations Lead for IBM in India when she quit in 2005. In 2006, she had the idea of pioneering work in this space on a larger scale in India. Ironically, IBM was her first client and Interweave has gone on to work with several other Fortune 500 companies over the last few years.

Interweave began as a proprietorship – a one-woman army actively crusading for a culture change well before D&I was a subject of conversation at business meetings in India. “Challenging work and the thrill of creating niche offerings and the excitement of being pioneers in the space were what kept us going for a good part of the initial three years. We registered as a Private Ltd. company in late 2007 with two employees and have since grown to be a team of 10 across Bangalore, Gurgaon, and Mumbai,” says Nirmala......

Prashant, Kalpana, Nimmi (L to R)

Read more about our coverage in yourstory.in by clicking on: http://yourstory.in/2012/06/interweave-provides-diversity-management-and-inclusion-solutions-for-your-workplace/

We are hiring!

Looking for a role that helps you learn, grow, ideate? Looking for a job that allows you work with the best names in the industry?

 If you are, drop us a line with your CV. We're a young firm working in the space of Diversity and Inclusion and we're looking for people with at least 2-3 years of work experience; in fact, if you are returning from a break this might be ideal for you . We work with a number of large MNCs, defining strategies and delivering programmes to meet their business needs. Each day presents unique opportunities for us to explore and become leaders in a space that is here to stay.

If you're enthusiastic, organised and interested in HR research, you will enjoy working with us. If you think logically and enjoy a challenge, mail us today and let's work together! People with an understanding of the corporate work environment, HR practices and the space of diversity will be given preference.

We are also open to taking Summer Interns on a project-basis.

Check us out at www.interweave.in. 

Write to us at interweavesolutions@interweave.in.
Tele: 91-80-41482787/ 91-80-25932516

Barkha Dutt @ Women's Conference!

An inspiring talk by Barkha Dutt at a client's annual women's conference. Interweave India was the Knowledge Partner for this conference.

For more pics and details, stay tuned....

Barkha Dutt with Interweave Team

Legal/Moral?

“A pregnant employee who was fired from her retail job after giving her supervisors a doctor’s note requesting she be allowed to refrain from heavy lifting and climbing ladders during the month and a half before her maternity leave: That’s what happened to Patricia Leahy. In 2008 a federal judge in Brooklyn ruled that her firing was fair because her employers were not obligated to accommodate her needs……... It happens every day to pregnant women in the United States, and it happens thanks to a gap between discrimination laws and disability laws. 

Federal and state laws ban discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace. And amendments to the Americans With Disabilities Act require employers to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled employees (including most employees with medical complications arising from pregnancies) who need them to do their jobs. But because pregnancy itself is not considered a disability, employers are not obligated to accommodate most pregnant workers in any way.” – Deccan Herald, 2 Feb 2012. 

Where do we draw the line between what’s legal and what’s right? If an employer is not held legally accountable for firing a woman who was pretty much fired for being pregnant, do you think that would affect the company? Is there a solution to this sort of thinking by the employer?

Is being a yes girl the right strategy? - by Monalisa Das (Mail India, Feb 2nd edition, Pages 24 & 25))

Meenakshi Nayar had the right mix of talent and dedication to take her places in the advertising world. After graduating from a leading media institute, Meenakshi took on a job with full zeal at an ad agency. She didn't mind the 14-hour days or work-filled weekends. No matter how over-burdened she was, she never refused work. "Saying no to boss was unthinkable," she says.

While her strategy seemed to be a good one initially, over time it backfired. Despite several promotions, Meenakshi feels she is treated like a doormat in office. "My team members and boss just keep dumping work on me but never ask for my opinion. I can't recall the last time I went home for Diwali or took a day off," she declares. "It really hurts that despite my initiative and dedication, I haven't earned respect. Even my juniors have a bigger say in matters than me," she says. Meenakshi admits that being a "yes girl" has been a big mistake.

Speak your mind
Experts say Meenakshi's frustration is shared by most working professionals, especially women, in the Indian corporate world. "Blame it on cultural upbringing or the pluralistic society, women haven't yet learned to speak up. They may be extremely hard working but don't claim credit for their work or negotiate properly. They also find it difficult to say no," says Srimathi Shivashankar, associate vice president, diversity & sustainability, HCL Technologies.

Nirmala Menon, founder and CEO of Interweave Consulting agrees. "Most women have a tendency to please others. Unlike men, they want to be seen as "nice" and are scared of confrontations or upsetting their colleagues with a no. But they need to unlearn this trait once they step into the corporate world, especially if they intend to assume leadership roles."

Menon's 20 years of experience in HR roles in India and the US have taught her that saying yes to every request may not always be right. "If you keep compromising on situations, the time will come when co-workers start treating you like a pushover," she says. Being over-burdened will ultimately affect your performance, which will end up being the company's loss too.

Assertiveness helps
Speaking up when faced with an unfair situation-be it the inequitable distribution of work or uncalled for comment-is crucial. "If you have gained the organisation's confidence and can clearly articulate your rationale, people will be willing to listen," says Mumbai-based Kanika Bhutani, senior manager, FIDS, Ernst & Young. Failure to speak up is often mistaken for a lack of competence or knowledge. "Women must learn to showcase their own competencies, abilities, achievements or simply just speak up more often in meetings," says Archana Bhaskar, global HR lead, OTC, Shell. While most women hesitate to speak up, those who assert themselves may go over the top. Hence, women come across either as yelling and dominating bosses or as submissive employees.

"You need to consciously practice how to express yourself politely but firmly without offending others. Another person's age or position should not bar you from speaking your mind," points out Meena Suri Wilson, senior enterprise associate, Center for Creative Leadership who comes with 15 years of work experience in the US and Asia. And if you have to say no, do it after careful consideration. "Saying no must be based on some facts, evidence or rationality else it will sound arrogant and unconvincing. People respect you when you sound reasonable," says expert on diversity issues, Shivashankar.


Glass ceiling exists
Another concern is the subtle bias that exists against women. "You are made to feel excluded in subtle ways. Organisations start giving you lighter roles after marriage and kids, assuming that you won't be able to deliver," says Menon. "This makes women so insecure that they hesitate to say no even when they need to. They end up committing beyond their capacity. Hence, confusion about where to draw the line prevails," says Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, vice president & partner, Stanton Chase International. It's the confusion that makes them either over commit, under commit or quit.

There is no denying the fact that women are under more pressure than men to strike a work-life balance. As a professional, however, a woman needs to be extremely clear about her priorities and stick with them. "Women must try to shift attention from gender issues to performance and work delivery because ultimately their talent really matters," says Bhaskar.

The best way to say no
Striking a balance between between agreeing to take on tasks and turning them down is very important. Gaining courage to say no to tasks in the workplace doesn't translate into shirking your professional commitments.

Also, if you have just taken on a job and start saying no to assignments right in the beginning, this won't be acceptable. You first need to prove yourself and create a reputation before you start raising objections. "It's about striking a balance between being naïve and saying yes to requests, and being arrogant and say saying no. You should be able to assess the situation and the relevance of your response to your career," suggests Shivashankar. The following tips will help.

Avoid responding immediately to requests to take on a new project, role or opportunity. It's best to sleep over it since a quick response doesn't ensure long-term foresight.

Next step is to create a mind map. "Assess if the new project is going to move you up in the career ladder. It could be in the form of new learning, networking with the senior management, better experience or simply a feel-good factor," says Shivashankar. If you decide to say no, frame it constructively with clarity and vision.

Acknowledge the good work you have done as this helps build your reputation and also makes it easier for your boss to deal with your no. "After every assignment, analyse how it helped you grow as a professional and how it contributed to the company's success," advises Wilson.

Share your learning with your boss- thank him for assigning you the task. "This will create the image of a proactive responsible professional. Saying no to certain things one off will become much easier if you appreciate a lot of other things regularly," she says.


Mail India 2nd Feb edition

Shouldnt each of us be responsible for our own actions rather than making women and their lifestyle a yardstick for our society's respect and moral standards?

BU Panel Head Wants Dress Code

Women's Networks... really the need of the hour??

A recent press release talked about a company celebrating diversity & inclusiveness and how as part of this effort, its women’s network is organising events in different cities around the country. 
Diversity & inclusiveness on the same page as women’s network? Isn’t this defeating the very purpose of treating women any different than male employees? Promoting a women’s-only network, is segregating women into a club, making them stand out rather than blend in. 

What can the network offer that can’t be accessed without? If pubs and bars that exclude women are offensive then aren’t women’s network the other side of the same coin? 

At a healthcare global major’s women’s network meet recently, Vinita Bali, CEO, Britannia Industries voiced her displeasure quite explicitly, asking working women not to expect to be treated any differently than men. In doing that, women are already setting the tone for a differential treatment, which eventually leads to them becoming victims of various stereotypes in the workplace. 
Nirmala, you would have graced many such women’s events in the various MNCs you work with. What are your thoughts on the need for such networks?

Use or abuse of diversity?

Bangalore’s Namma Metro has proudly said that 5 of its 32 operators will be women.

When companies publicize the fact that they hire people of specific diversity groups (women, physically challenged etc), especially in roles typically not held by those groups, does it create a feeling of goodwill among the public, or feel like the company is simply trying to make itself out to be a more sympathetic employer than its competitors?

Does it look like a hero, or an ordinary person posing as one?

Is weight the new race?

Along with other dimensions such as race and gender, obesity has emerged as a new concern that calls for inclusion and diversity training. Overweight and obese people are often subject to discrimination in hiring, promoting and recruiting due to preconceived biases.

It is easy to understand why issues about obesity discrimination are being raised more frequently these days. Countries across the world are grappling with obesity issues. According to the American Obesity Association, 127 million adults in the US are overweight, 60 million are clinically obese, and 9 million are severely obese:  figures that constitute roughly 66% of the US population.

With one of the fastest growing diabetic population in the world, coupled with the modern sedentary lifestyle, India will soon face the reality of a workforce battling weight issues. Additionally, obesity carries huge social stigma, making it crucial for employers to address social stereotypes related to weight, such as laziness or lack of discipline, in the workplace.

Companies must sensitise managers and employees to the fact that weight issues are medically attributed to social, cultural, physiological, metabolic, and genetic factors; rather than negative stereotypes. As with any other discrimination, obesity related diversity begins with providing an environment that doesn’t encourage prejudice.

What you can do:

·         Practice diversity and inclusion right from recruitment through to training and management levels

·         Examine merit on individual basis

·         Making existing facilities used by employees readily accessible to and usable by overweight or obese people such as larger ergonomic chairs or specifically designed ladders and harnesses in factories

·         Job restructuring and/or modifying work schedules

·         Promote a healthy lifestyle within the company through healthy food choices in cafeterias and vending machines

·         Offer voluntary health risk appraisals through health plans and health professionals to obtain baseline data

·         Hold sessions on wellness, stress management, and other weight related ‘triggers’

Many organisations have recognised the reality that a combination of high-stress lifestyle, unhealthy foods and low exercise affects the mental and physical wellness of employees. However, while health programmes are a good idea, avoid those that specifically target obesity. A health programme should focus on health more than weight, so that there is no stigma attached to the programme.

Stigmatising on the basis of weight has the same detrimental effects on your business as with any other form of discrimination – it reduces the impact of your diversity and inclusion initiatives.

If your organisation is planning initiatives around diversity & inclusion, we at Interweave would be happy to help. 

Breaking Stereotypes

Zoya Akhter’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara(ZNMD) has broken many mind-made/societal shackles we live by to show us that true happiness doesn’t come dressed in the colour of money one makes, the country we come from, or one’s so-called ‘cool’ appearance. It comes, simply from recognising and accepting the difference around us, doing away with stereotypes, and opening our hearts and lives to the richness of diversity around us.

Right from the onset, the film is a lesson in diversity and inclusiveness, which corporate India can easily leverage. The three friends on the bachelor party are poles apart… two of them don’t even have an easy equation to begin with, but they stick it through to experience life like they never have before. And therein lies one of life’s biggest success lessons.

There is also the adventure sport each protagonist plans – the rule, everyone does what is chosen, come what may. So while we have Hrithik shivering with fear as he deep-sea dives, we see Farhan biting his nails when he skydives. But the lesson is a clear one – they accept that another’s choice could be different and go ahead and try it. The result – exhilaration and pure joy. Because, sometimes the path chosen by another is not the way we see it; nevertheless, give it a fair chance and one never knows what roads open ahead!

In fact Zoya breaks stereotypes in almost all frames. Who says a pretty girl of Indian origin (Katrina), working out of London, cannot take a break of 3 months to teach deep sea-diving in a remote corner of Spain? We’ve been fed on films where the Hindi film hero is Mr Perfect but not in ZNMD where each protagonist confronts their own fears in different ways, making them real and human.

And, just when the moment of realisation happens for Hrithik (the one carrying the maximum number of pre-fixed notions of who should do what: he is judgmental, difficult, and pretty much today’s corporate high-performer), Zoya does something beautiful – for the first time in Indian cinema, Hrithik’s right hand (which everyone knows, has a 6^th digit) is used to describe the gush of emotion he feels. This, to me is big, because in Hindi cinema (and in the everyday workplaces), imperfection is a dirty word. If one is not perfect at something, they’re no good… not worth a second chance. The director breaks a huge stereotype here for cinema-goers – Hrithik finally discovers his element and revels in it… nothing could depict the moment better than him being comfortable in his own skin. What the audience experiences with him breaks the barriers that we’ve carried in our minds for so long. Suddenly, appearances don’t mean anything, the experience does!

There is ample learning throughout the film… but the biggest one I have chosen to take away is the above. Because, not a day goes through when I don’t see occurrences in the workplace where someone is not given an opportunity due to a stereotype logged in a manager’s mind. Just the other day, I heard of a lady who was denied a visit to a client location in the US, because she had had a baby six months ago and the manger didn’t think she would be willing to travel yet. She however, would have been happy to make arrangements for the 5-day visit.

Then again, how many times have expecting mothers been denied plum roles in a team, when she is soon going to be on maternity leave? Or how often are good-looking women hired for the front-office desk – or even a position on the sales team? Even at schools, I see children facing discrimination when parents cannot be excessively involved with the extra-curricular activities as the school demands – mothers of course are asked to play a larger role… do fathers even get asked to teach something extra to the children? And what does a child do if their mother has a more demanding career than the father and can’t make the time?

Walk into any 5-star property in the city and watch the difference in the doorman’s salute to those who step out of expensive cars in posh clothing, versus an inexpensively-dressed family, who might actually be carrying the money to dine in the restaurant there.

These well-recognised stereotypes are strongly conditioned indeed. While it is difficult to make the immediate change, being aware of it itself is a good start. Somewhere we will begin to check ourselves at it. Because until then, someone somewhere is losing out on opportunities, on a maximised experience, on life…because of the pre-conditioned mindsets we all carry.

The movie has managed to convince some people that they are ready to change. But the big question is, is India ready? Because, unfortunately a film, which leaves us with so much, grossed only 30% at its opening on the box office and is called a ‘flop’ where all the other films that opened with it, were ‘hits’. Has it become another victim of stereotype?

August 2011 Newsletter

Is pregnancy sure to deter our career advancement? How much is this up to us and how much support can we expect from our company? How do we handle employees from different generations working together? How do we manage employees who are change-resistant? All this and more!
Presenting our August 2011 newsletter - We welcome your thoughts and ideas!

http://interweave.cc/newsletter/aug2011/newsletter.html

Why Are Indian Women So Stressed Out? Interweave in an 'Knowledge @ Wharton' article

Women in urban India have easy access to domestic help: A full-time maid, cook or driver are not uncommon in their households. Of course, these are luxuries that most working women in the rest of the world can only dream about.

But a recent survey by global research firm Nielsen illuminates another picture. Covering 6,500 women across 21 developed and developing countries, the study’s results show that women in India are the most stressed out. Of the respondents in India, 87% said they felt stressed most of the time. They are followed by women in Mexico (74%), Russia (69%), Spain (66%), France (65%) and Italy (64%). In the U.S., the number is at 53%.

What exactly is weighing on women in one of the fastest growing economies in the world? The Nielsen survey’s respondents point to the requirement of managing multiple roles.

One could well argue that this particular condition exists for women across the globe: Juggling roles at home and work are a given. There is a difference in India, however, says Nirmala Menon, founder and CEO of Interweave Consulting, a Bangalore-based firm that focuses on diversity management and inclusiveness in the workplace. Menon notes that even as career opportunities for women in India are on the upswing, the support structure and social mores have not kept pace. “Nor has the internal psyche of the Indian woman,” adds Menon. “Despite ‘modern’ times, traditional expectations of women are still conveyed in subtle but consistent ways. The Indian woman has far more familial interfaces to manage than her western counterpart.”

According to Hema Ravichandar, human resources advisor and formerly the global head of HR at IT firm Infosys: “Regressive mindsets in society and the workplace; a culture that rewards performance based on effort — with the number of hours spent [working] as proxy indicator — rather than result; rigid work policies which do not factor in the need to spend extra time at home during critical phases like childbirth, adoption, etc., are unique to India.”

There are other reasons, too. Technical infrastructure support and enablers are at a nascent stage in the country as compared to the developed economies. Options like working from home, flex-time, telecommuting and so on have arrived only in the recent past in new industries and are still evolving. “Even in companies which have these facilities, it is not construed as the right thing to do if you are serious about going up the corporate ladder,” says Ravichandar.

A lack of women in executive roles mirrors this. A report by Standard Chartered Bank points out that women constitute only 5.3% of the total number of board members in the top 100 Indian companies by market capitalization on the Bombay Stock Exchange. This is much lower than in other countries, including Australia (8.3%), Hong Kong (8.9%), the U.K. (12.2%), the U.S. (14.5%) and Canada (15.0%). The number of Indian women in middle and senior management roles is not much higher.

Meanwhile, the latest employment data show that worker participation (the ratio of workers to population) fell to 39.2% in 2009-2010 from 42% in 2004-2005. While the decline is marginal for men — from 55.9% to 55% — it is significant in the case of women — from 29.4% to 23.3%. Analysts say that one reason for this is that as men in the family start earning more, women, especially in the lower middle class, opt out of the work force for reasons of social status. In his column in the daily newspaper Times of India, Swaminathan Anklesaria Aiyer noted: “Social mores, especially in the lower middle class, give superior social status to households where women don’t work. When a family with rising income decides to keep females at home, it literally buys social status with the income foregone.”

But the survey’s implications go beyond individuals or families. All of this has wide ramifications for India’s continued economic growth. If the support structure and attitudes towards women, both in the workplace and in society at large, don’t change, women will either simply opt out of the workforce or — faced with endless stress — be far less productive than their true potential. This will result in a sharp blow to the country’s demographic dividend, which though touted as a key factor in India’s growth, is under its own stress. The window for growth is small and, as Ravichandar points out: “Having women as part of your workforce is no longer a nice-to-do but a must-do.”


Source: http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu/2011/07/why-are-indian-women-so-stressed-out/

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Whose concern is it?

The article “Let Us Continue Work in Bar, Say 3 Women” in the July 8^th issue of The Times of India talks about how these 3 women have petitioned to let them continue working as bar stewards. Now, safety of employees, according to the law, is the responsibility of their employer. So how does the government, being the upholder of the law, have the right to suddenly decide that women can work at five- star hotels but not bars? Especially when the women themselves say that accommodation and safe transportation have, in fact, been given to them by their employer.

On one hand, the government claims to have the safety of these women in mind while on the other hand, it has unfairly pushed them out of this space of employment while they want to continue working in it.

Should there be a line that the government should not cross, between ‘protective’ and ‘stifling’? Or should the women be grateful that someone finally has their welfare in mind?

She is worth the wait!

Women form a significant part of the workforce today, bringing into focus the need to manage unique issues such as pregnancy and post-maternity, a business priority. 

Issues facing the post-maternity women workforce need to be addressed because when inadvertent discrimination occurs, not only do companies lose out on trained and existing talent, but they also face the costs of replacing staff and hampering a productive work environment.

A recent report by NASSCOM estimated that companies can generate a return of around 8 per cent by adopting family friendly policies. As talent becomes scarce across all levels in the organisation—women power if leveraged, can bring significant benefits to all stakeholders.

At Interweave, we recommend that organisations:

• Addressing the needs of the post-maternity employee, begin by acknowledging her contribution and empathising with her new roles.
• Formulate comprehensive maternity policies as well as build support systems to help her stay connected with the organisation during the period of maternity. Women should be allowed to return to work when they are ready and when adequate child-care arrangements are in place.
• Formulate empathetic and inclusive policies such as gradual transition into workload, staggered working hours, working from home, and child care to help your employees work and perform better.
• Enable the women to have their work life balance by providing the appropriate support systems and permit women to have flexible schedules that will help them remain productive.
• Create a clear productivity measurement model, amenable for women to work from outside the office. Women friendly policies have to be deployed in a fair and transparent way, resulting in neither misuse nor discrimination. 
• Companies can invest in technology infrastructure so that women can work from home or from satellite offices when needed, operate on flexible work schedules especially during the pre- and post-natal periods. 
• Remember to check frequently to re-assess the employee’s readiness and work satisfaction levels. Employees who feel supported through personal milestones are likely to be more productive and efficient.

At Interweave, we take pride in assisting organisations to invest more time and resources in helping women employees develop, participate, and contribute fairly and equitably. We recently helped a large global MNC launch a series of handbooks for their managers and employees to understand and work with maternity better. The request for this had specifically been generated when Business Units internally noticed that managers needed support to work around expecting mothers. Companies that take efforts to develop and retain competent women benefit immensely, not just through home-groomed talent but by being able to attract fresh talent as well. 

Not only does an inclusive work environment spell wonder for your company’s branding (yes, go ahead and ask the happiest women employees you see and you’ll see that their workplace boasts of rich women-oriented policies) but research has indicated that diverse and inclusive organisations show characteristics of improved problem solving, creativity and innovation.