According to Gender Diversity Benchmark for Asia (GDBA) 2014, the average percentage of women workforce is an alarming 26.6%. At the junior-level it is 30.3%, the mid-level 16.4% and women in senior positions is only 10.6%. From lower to middle level there is a 45% drop, and the drop between middle and higher level is 35%. Grim statistics! Women do not get a fair deal in the corporate world, and until that happens, businesses are unlikely to get optimal results. Reason? Lack of male-female energy balance in the business universe!-
Males – rationality, logic, linear thinking, and understanding
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Females – nurturing, caring, compassion, and emotional qualities.
And hence an intrinsic need to balance employee ratio within an orgnisation.
Women and their designated jobs: how fair?
In the past, women were offered lower ranking, lower paying jobs; or were seen fit for only temporary / part-time positions. They were largely viewed as family makers. Married women were considered distracted by family commitments. Single women could not be trusted to last long in the light of their eminent marriage. What was missed from this equation is the true ability of a woman to nurture a business – her soft skills and inherent aptitude in breathing more compassion to an otherwise cut-throat industry.
New ways of working: flexi hours, office creches , second careers and more
The winds of change are blowing towards women empowerment. Even as a woman’s role in a family is more recognised, her role in the corporate family is getting cemented. She is now looked upon as more understanding, providing and supporting. Conscious corporates are also becoming flexible to accommodate a woman in her various avatars, whether as a mother, the lifeline of her home, a daughter, or simply her own self. As a result, women are outperforming their own expectations. They’re gunning for executive positions and shattering doubts about their efficiency.
Men are changing too, becoming more supportive
The lines between personal and professional lives are blurring. It is the same person inside out. As women increase at work, and men become more aware and sensitive in their communication in the office, they become better husbands back home. This is why gender diversity is even more important for the smooth running of a happy healthy society. When this man becomes a high-achiever in the office, the effect rubs off at home resulting in a happier family and a happier society. We create a community that is more at ease with female energy and a finer balance is achieved.
Accepting diversity: from aggressive go-getter to composed achiever
It’s time that corporates wake up to a greater balance. Times are changing. It is no longer a rat race where the fastest and most aggressive companies win. A more balanced, calmer and more nurturing work environment is emerging where calming effects are flowing over into life outside of work. Leaders need to champion the cause and drive the change. Corporate plans needs to be re-crafted around women, with their motivation and needs in mind. More counselling and consulting roles need to be assigned to women to celebrate their inherent understanding of people. HR needs to be more innovative and supportive towards its female resources to bridge this gap. Then, we are headed towards a balanced and happier society. Godspeed!
About Veech Shahi
