Nari Shakti: Book Explores The Economic Impact When Women Take Centre Stage

The power of womanhood has been extolled in poetry and prose, both ancient and modern. Throughout history, women have played, and continue to play, a significant role in the advancement of civilization. Yet, their contribution remains hidden from most of us. To address this anonymity, an effort has been made to bemoan the loss to any culture that denies women the opportunity to contribute. The inadequate participation of women in public spaces and platforms also hurts our economy, much more than we can at times fathom. Seldom it is that large figures are quoted about the immense value that women can add, and now, the time has come for an empowering vision and robust action to make change happen.

Nari Shakti: Women Take Centre Stage is a contribution to the body of knowledge in this field and is particularly relevant at a time when Indian women have contributed nationally and globally. The focus here is on how Indian womanhood has evolved and the factors that have shaped their status in society. Various authors have presented different points of view addressing the challenges and opportunities for women in different strata of society.

Here's an excerpt from Nari Shakti by Uma Ganesh and Ganesh Natarajan

 Succeeding in a Man's World: Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson & CEO, Salesforce India 

It has been almost a decade since I retired from more than 40 years of service as the top official of State Bank of India, India's largest bank. My tenure made several headlines, turned heads, and forced people to take note that in the 218 years of existence of this esteemed organization, I was the first woman to have ever led it from the front. Yes, that is more than two centuries. 

Thus, the reception of my book Indomitable: A Working Woman's Notes on Work, Life and Leadership (2022) made sense to me. My story resonated with readers, who often cite it as inspirational for not just women but for everyone looking to build a career that blends conventional success and unconventional choices in the modern business world. However, my story is not very different from that of any young or middle-aged woman or man today who is trying to balance their personal lives as they pursue their goals. 

In all honesty, during my school years in Bhilai and Bokaro, I never dreamed I would grow into a business leader, one who would be honoured with a few national and global awards. But here I am today, always grateful, and seeking opportunities to share and give back. Years have passed since I started out as a probationary officer. Yet, even today, across the globe, and in particular in our society, a greater number of obstacles are placed in the paths of women as they step out and engage with the world. Women's boundaries and limits are both decided for them and more than often, we ourselves accept, without a doubt or question, the ceiling that has been set for us. 

This patriarchal mindset pervades all spheres of life, and makes it easier for men to be successful as defined traditionally— professionally and financially. This is not to say that men do not have their own struggles. Patriarchy harms both, and this realization is necessary to forge ahead together. True progress will require the participation of everyone, not just women or other isolated gendered groups. Henceforth, drawing from my own journey, what I share here is a practical guide for employers, and more importantly, for the Indian career woman, to facilitate success in an environment where the odds are not in her favour. 

There is no denying that we have come a long way. From an era when even the question of educating girls was considered a taboo, India is at a point in history where females in higher education increased by 32% in 2021-221; the numbers are equally encouraging at the entry levels across sectors as well2. But this heartening trend weakens just around the time women are ready to take on mid-management roles. In my 47 years as a working professional, I can count on the fingers of one hand the companies in India that have upheld a gender parity agenda through the ranks. 

The picture is slightly more encouraging at the topmost tiers where after years of government reforms, especially after the introduction and implementation of the Companies Act of 2013, Section 149 (1), the number of women board members increased from 1 in 20 to 1 in 5. Sadly, the representation is still far from parity3. This perplexing landscape reflects global trends. For nine years in a row, research conducted by McKinsey on women in workplaces in the United States and Canada has identified that the problem is not the glass ceiling, but the broken bottom rung of the ladder1. In 2023, for instance, research found that for every 100 men promoted from entry to managerial level, only 87 women were promoted in what has been an unchanging trend. 

The above-mentioned trends do not exist in a vacuum. An overpowering presence of rigid social and cultural norms play a vital role in shaping our psyche. For centuries, women have been stuck in a vicious loop wherein they are restricted to the private sphere, enforcing a gendered division of labour which continues to be reinforced at every stage of their lives, allowing for restrictions to be imposed on their aspirations. 

Patriarchy instils in women, from birth, the need to prioritize others over our own choices, and family over work, irrespective of our aspirations and talents that, in turn, leads to young girls and women unquestionably accepting the widely-held belief that they are supposed to take care of the home and that their realm is limited to the private sphere, thus making them complicit in their own subjugation. For many women, and men, their societal and familial conditioning affects their behavioural and economic outcomes. The roles and norms imposed on women in our households leave a lasting impact on the psyche of girls and young women, causing them to step back from their careers. When a woman is indecisive on this matter, chances are she may be guided by her personal support system who are likely to share and reinforce the same beliefs of choosing her family over her career. 

Extracted with permission from Uma Ganesh and Ganesh Natarajan's Nari Shakti; published by Rupa Publications.