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?

Climbing the Corporate Ladder - Our Experience

Recently, we, at Interweave, met a high-energy and vibrant group of women.

This group of professional women had been nominated by their organsiations for our Open Program, Climbing the Corporate Ladder.

This program, aimed at identifying and addressing the unique challenges that professional women face, saw a powerful interaction not only between us and the women but also among one another. We recognize that each group of professionals brings a set of their own challenges to the workplace.

This program, however, explored the challenges that women deal with. The group explored concepts like assertiveness, learning to say no, dealing with power and conflict among others. We also facilitated the group to identify strategies that will help them effectively deal with such barriers so they can reach their full potential at work. Introspection naturally flowed into the session as more and more participants saw where they were being unfair in their high expectations of themselves, to perform well at both the work and home fronts. Listening to other participants share how they had dealt with the situation in their own way, brought new ideas to the table. The sense of camaraderie was quite high.

The program energized not only the participants but also us at Interweave!

We are looking forward to having such enriching experiences with more groups in the times ahead.

Climbing the Corporate Ladder

Find out about our one-day workshop, designed to help women build and sustain their personal power, in the invite below. Make sure you avail the Early Bird Offer!

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?