How can executives and managers help gender diversity at the workplace?

 Women today are marching towards success, knowledge gain, power, responsibilities in their field of work. It also follows how the organisations and societies have moved towards the inclusion of the women in their position of responsibility.

Let’s have a look at how women are embedded with such skills. As many will agree, Women are born managers, thanks to our family systems, women start to learn managing home at a very young age, be it family or running a household.Together with confidence, modern education and value system, women are grabbing all opportunities presented to them and fear no more to seek such opportunities. Women are increasingly becoming a part of the active workforce and are not just handling work successfully but are also running their homes in a commendable manner. Another reason for women’s ability to manage work and life is the way they set up their priorities. Men have been considered the bread earners of the family for ages. So, they tend to be concerned only about their work and career, to a large extent. Women, on the other hand, know that family and home are equally important. So, they try to ensure that they are able to balance work and life in such a manner that both get equal importance and quality time.

Across all organizations in the United States, 51% of those in professional & management positions and 23% of chief executives are women. Women make up 32% of employed workers in India. It was believed that earlier, Women faced a glass ceiling in their careers. This solid barrier blocked women from rising to high positions. However, much has changed since then. Today, women have become the face of social change.

The next question is how we can sustain such an equation with the help of our managers and the fellow associates. Managers need to be more sensitive when it comes to Female associates: They need to be treated with a little more respect when it comes to their private or personal issues. They need to given freedom in assessing their work and do not impose arbitrary targets which are based only on manager’s hunch or wishes and whims. Men need to stand up for their female associates when they require help at work. It’s not that women are not efficient; it’s just that they have a few constraints when it comes to work timings, children and safety.

Women need to be welcomed with open arms when they are back from the maternity. It’s a vulnerable phase of a women’s life. They need to feel their need at workplace; they don’t want to be treated like they have been secluded when they are back from their leave. They need to be informed about the happenings at work so they don’t feel left out. Minimum Sufficient time must be given to them till they get back to the regular work style. She should not be denied leaves because she would not take leave unless it’s really important for her family.

Institutions and Organisations that discriminate against women have to unfortunately select from a smaller pool of talent, reducing their ability to find top performers .Equal division of responsibility for both gender of the employees serve the purpose, Importance should be given to experience and also talent to carry forward the task. Keeping women associates away from responsibilities will only imbibe in them a feeling of out-caste. Involve them in all the necessary topics concerning the development of the team. Encourage them to give their opinions as well since they might have a different way to pursue things which may end up being more efficient and productive. And moreover, they can represent all the female associates in the team, putting forward their thought. 

 Safety of the women employees should be top priority when they stay back for work after the regular work hours. This can as well be applied to all associates since men are no safe from getting robbed or mugged. Arrangement should be made to facilitate the transportation of these associates by Cabs or the Shuttle facilities.

So lets not forget , in order to have a 360 degree view of a topic, its necessary to have the views and opinions of both men and women. Together we achieve higher success rate ,benefit and learn from one another.

There goes a saying from Henry Ford , "Let’s not forget ,Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success."

-Kavitha Muniraj