Industrial Automation profiles six women and invites their views on various issues on the occasion of IWD 2023.

DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality – is the theme for International Women's Day 2023, announced by UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
 
Industrial Automation has been celebrating IWD in its pages for the last five years, having covered several leading personalities from the world of business, technology and academia. We are now seeking names and suggestions of women achievers with 10 years of Industry Experience to feature in our forthcoming edition.
 
Today, women are present in every field of employment from fuel station attendants to cab and auto drivers; they drive heavy-duty commercial vehicles as well as railway locomotives and metro trains, are employed by the thousands in electronic assembly units are also being trained in skilled welding tasks where again their are found to be better than their male counterparts. They also serve in senior executive positions across the Indian corporate sector, some even heading the businesses from segments as diverse as Finance to Fashion. The Indian armed forces have finally accepted women officers in regular permanent cadres in combat roles. Earlier women were given permanent commission only in medical services. In the Indian Air Force women fly the latest multi-role fighter aircraft, and in the Indian Navy, women are also serving on warships besides flying combat aircraft, thus conquering the ultimate male bastions.
 
So what does the International Women's Day mean to these women who have carved a niche for themselves?

“I feel that womanhood is not something that can be celebrated just in a day or for a day. But just like we celebrate our birthdays, anniversaries, or festivals to mark the importance of certain days in our lives, we celebrate Women’s Day to realise how much women mean to the society. It is a day to celebrate our being, our achievements and feel blessed to be a woman,” says Neelam Singh, Practice Director at Quadrant Knowledge Solutions.

For Sakhee Chandrayan, President INBAC Association and Social Entrepreneur, there are many work scenarios when the gender need not be relevant, where brain power plays as a strength/weakness. “My goal is to get recognised beyond gender in such fields. I know, it’s far more complicated than it seems, considering the social and emotional structure in the world. I think the entire society needs to be empowered to make equality a habit – like, sharing household responsibilities. Every year, this day brings me closer to this goal,” she says.

“Women’s Day means accountability after a year of actions taken by each one of us in the preceding year to empower fellow women,” says Roop Loomba, Legal Practitioner and Business Leader. “We must all introspect about the last 12 months whether we became a reason to give happiness to any fellow woman, did we empower any woman or did we mentor any woman,” she adds.
 
What about aspirations regarding career? Did they have an aspiration to follow this field already at an early age? What was the source of inspiration for them?

“Science has always been my passion ever since my childhood days. I lost my father when I was 11 years old. My mother was a homemaker and seeing her struggle to make her ends meet gave me determination to be financially independent. My aptitude towards science paved the path for me to move into engineering,” says Shalini Verma, Senior General Manager (Engineering), Engineers India Limited. “EIL has been my dream job ever since I entered engineering college. After joining this organisation there has been no looking back. EIL has not only facilitated my professional growth but has given me the platform to perform and excel,” she asserts.

“I have always been driven by the idea of being amongst bright young minds in the field of technology and giving my best in bringing a positive change to my work environment and be part of the force shaping the amazing future,” says Sqn Ldr Supriya Bhosale (Retd), DSGS Program Directorate and CSR Leader, Dassault Systemes. “My stint with the IAF as an Aeronautical Engineering Officer was more of a serendipity but yes, I did have a passion for things that fly and my Mechanical Engineering background only fired up my urge to take Aeronautics as a preferred career path,” she adds.

“I have been lucky to have mentorship from leaders who helped me identify this at an early age and also the clarity to pursue my dreams,” states Anita Kukreja, Head of Marketing and Channel Sales, IceWarp India.
 
For women, it is a balancing act as they are also expected to manage the home apart from a career. Compromise is a word often used and abused in this contect. So what does this mean to women in their professional and family life?
 
To Neelam Singh, it is an alternate word for prioritising and it is not just women, but everyone prioritises. “If I have a very successful career and I am rising from one pedestal to another, there are people in my life like my husband, kids, parents, parents-in-law who would make compromises (prioritise me over their needs), and I also do the same. For me there is no difference between a professional and personal life, I just play a different role at different points in my life,” she says, matter of factly.
 
“Honestly, I’m naturally a guilt free person, as I focus on making right choices by taking enough time to decide. I don’t think I worked around compromises, it is too restrictive for me, I work more by creating priorities at the given time and situation,” says Sakhee Chandrayan.
 
According to Roop Loomba, we all make compromises at a certain level. “I have made very few compromises as my parents brought us up in a very enabling environment even though I was the only sister to two brothers. My parents brought us up like equals. My brothers stood and till now stand behind me like a rock,” she says. Reality, though, is far from the ideal. “However when a woman is judged for being professional in certain stages of her life that is inequitable and painful – I love my work and any remark against my work pains me,” she adds with a hint of regret.
 
For women the most irritating thing may well be the suggestion of some professions being more suitable for them. What do the ladies think? Are there professions which are easier for women to pursue? What makes the other professions more difficult?
 
“There are no professions which are easy or difficult. Stereotype notions and perceptions hamper the growth and progress of women in certain fields. There have been myths associated with what women can choose as a career in order to have a good work-life balance and take care of their family. But frankly, there aren’t any professions which women cannot pursue,” states Shalini Verma, with conviction.
 
According to Supriya Bhosale, this is a question which can be generalised for everyone and not just women. “Conventionally, there were professions which were ‘unsuitable’ for women but given the strides that technology is taking every single moment and turning into the ultimate equaliser, I am sure the future will not see any field devoid of women,” she says. To Supriya, difficulty is a highly subjective term. To add perspective on this, she draws attention to professions like military aviation that have inherent risks due to credible consequences to human life. “They are mitigated through consistent and repeated training which can be applied to any other field as well, the more ready you are through consistent practice and simulated challenges, the less actual risks and difficulties surprise you,” she elaborates.
 
“Traditionally there have been certain professions that are more accessible to women than to men. For example, professions in the healthcare field like nursing and teaching are typically dominated by female professionals. These professions often offer women more flexible hours, less stringent requirements for physical strength, and can be more easily combined with family life. Additionally, there is often less of a gender wage gap within professions that are traditionally female-dominated,” says Anita Kukreja. “Having said all of that, I do believe that nothing is impossible for women if we are determined enough. And today with women reaching to space and rising and shining in every field it’s no more biased towards a man-oriented profession,” she states.
 
The pandemic caused a serious disruption in routine life and brought into focus the concept of Work from Home. How did women experience work from home – as a boon or as a burden?
 
“I think it was very situational and personal. Work from home during Corona was difficult, primarily because we lacked human meeting, personal touch and seeing each other in the eyes. Working from home being a boon or burden is purely dependent on who you are talking to. A new mother, who is trying to balance out everything, would want to work from home more often to take care of the baby, save time on travel and still be equally productive. It’s again about prioritising it right,” says Neelam Singh.
 
For Sakhee Chandrayan, it was certainly, a boon! “I love my family and I’m fortunate that my family loves me equally. My parents, husband and daughter have a strong bond and support for each other. There have been situations where I had to create awareness on equality as our social templates are male dominant. But, that’s it! Everyone strives to change the templates and create new habits at my home,” she says.
 
Adding another perspective, Roop Loomba opines that work from home became cumbersome especially for women who had to strike a balance between home chores and work. “Even though for me there was not much work (home chores) as I divided the work between family members but personally I do not enjoy work from home. I am an office person and I enjoy working from the office,” she states.
 
If there is an elephant in the room, it has largely been ignored; but not anymore. Today, women are more assertive, and policies, more conducive. Have you ever missed a career opportunity or promotion due to multiple demands on you as a female? If yes, were you able to voice your thoughts to those who mattered?
 
“No. Being a female has never been a deterrent for me to have missed any career opportunity or promotion. Our organisation has always provided opportunities to grow, irrespective of gender. My family has supported me in all respects. In fact my husband and myself have always adjusted our travel plans to ensure one of us is at home to take care of the family while the other is travelling for work,” says Shalini Verma.
 
“I have been fortunate enough to be part of some of the most gender neutral and inclusive organisations that have always supported me to perform to the best of my abilities and overcome challenges as a valued member of the team. The one that I consider the most outstanding was: When I stood on that concrete tarmac with massive gleaming fighter jets lined up ready to take to the skies and I was told by my Senior Engineering Officer that this is your playground now,” says Supriya Bhosale. “As an officer I realised that serving the nation was more than just an abstract concept and in that moment it meant leading a highly motivated team of men to make those machines fly at the best of their abilities irrespective of your gender,” she adds.
 
Anita Kukreja is of the view that since the turn of the millennium, there has been noticeable progress in the workplace with respect to gender issues. There is more awareness and conversation around gender issues in the workplace today. “Due to the greater representation of women in leadership roles, there has been a gradual increase in the number of women in leadership positions in recent years, with more women occupying senior management and executive roles than ever before. This has helped to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces and has provided role models for younger women,” she elaborates.
 
What do women feel about the need for more women in leadership?
 
“Women are very organised, disciplined, and empathetic. They run organisations/businesses like they would run their own families. In today’s times leaders need to be more humane and emotionally intelligent, than just pure money-making machines,” says Neelam Singh.
 
“Well, when women are empowered in the social circle, in schools and universities, at workplaces and most importantly by her family including spouse and children, there will be more women in leadership roles. It is certainly important as “SHE” is 50% of the world and the world needs “HER” perspectives,” Sakhee Chandrayan emphasises.
 
“Balance is always better. Women bring in tolerance, empathy, resilience, multitasking and different perspectives and values on the table. It is time now to give diversity a different shape by not only hiring women, but further retaining them and making sure that they are groomed to leadership positions. Women leaders should take this responsibility more than anybody else. Each Leader should pool in efforts and dedication in grooming women leaders in the system,” asserts Roop Loomba.
 
“Women have a natural trait of multitasking, which is the prime ingredient of sound leadership. Women always exhibit a balanced approach towards working on solutions for any problem. They rely on the facts and figures and evaluate all the risks involved, before giving a decision or a solution. Empathy is also a strength that women exhibit, which is the essence of any successful team work. Women leaders defeat many workplace barriers caused by gender biases and are thus transformational role models. Their challenging journey towards success allows them to develop themselves remarkably. This leaves very little room for anybody to challenge the need for more women in leadership,” explains Shalini Verma.
 
“Women in leadership are a prerequisite to create mutually inclusive workplaces and organisations. Women leaders act as guiding beacons to fellow women to follow and reach to their dreams. Women in leadership positions break the barriers of conventional gender based roles, as in my case, when I stood on the tarmac commanding those 200+ technical staff working on highly sophisticated fighter jets, it was something that let them know that a woman can lead. It was definitely something that they took back with them and, I believe, got exposed to the nuances of gender equality that couldn’t have been possible in any other scenario,” says Supriya Bhosale.
 
“Women in leadership are important for a variety of reasons. They bring valuable perspectives, experiences, and skills to the table that can help businesses succeed. Having more women in leadership positions can also help to create better working environments, improve diversity, and foster inclusivity. Women in leadership roles can also provide role models for other women, allowing them to see what is possible if they are willing to work hard and make the necessary sacrifices. Additionally, studies have shown that having more women in leadership leads to higher profits and more successful companies, showing that the impact of female leadership cannot be understated,” Anita Kukreja concludes.