Women need to add to their growing repertoire self-learning ability, innovation mindset, learn deep, focus, prioritize well, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
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“We have kickstarted an initiative encouraging women who had a career break because of the family and willing to restart with a strong desire to learn and contribute. Such women can start working part-time with a minimum of five hours a day.”
Anupama Kadambi,
Chief Experience Officer,
GOFRUGAL
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The International Women’s Day was celebrated with the customary pomp and fanfare this month a few days back. Despite all the buzz surrounding women’s empowerment and conversations on gender diversity in tech, women are still underrepresented and often discriminated against in the tech industry, if we go by the numbers. But the silver-lining in the cloud has been the recent strides taken by the fair sex in various walks of life, including the IT industry.
In commemoration of the International Women’s Day and in celebration of and gratitude to Women’s Power, we have embarked upon cataloguing the achievements and voices of leading women in the tech industry.
In a special interaction with SME Channels, Anupama Kadambi, Chief Experience Officer, GOFRUGAL, reveals her views on gender parity; how women can reach leadership positions in the IT industry; what it takes to handle business-critical roles; and how to strike a balance between personal life and critical professional roles. Edited excerpts…
As a society, do you think we have been able to ensure gender equality? What needs to be done to attain this?
Gender equality is not achievable in one single day. It is a continuous journey and conscious effort from each one of us. Organizations need to work on how women leaders can inspire and groom other women at work. It is the responsibility of every stakeholder in the organization. With India’s growing GDP and talent war, there is an increasing need for skill and talent. We need to use this right opportunity and the right time to bridge the gap by hiring and training women.
Please shed some light on your work environment. Would you dub it women-friendly?
At Gofrugal, we believe in giving people freedom and empowering them to learn, innovate and execute their ideas. We provide equal opportunities in hiring from different backgrounds, with a great emphasis on attitude, listening skills, and self-learning capability. We encourage them to learn everyday, own/drive a learning plan for their growth. Because of this continuous upskilling, we have 15-20% of women as coaches/managers. 30% of them are less than 25 years old. We aspire to increase this because diversity inclusion is not about age or experience, but skill defines growth.
We also had kickstarted an initiative encouraging women who had a career break because of the family and willing to restart with a strong desire to learn and contribute. Such women can start working part-time with a minimum of five hours a day.
In the IT industry, there are still very few women in leadership positions in India. What should women do to reach leadership positions?
Women are more vulnerable when they enter their mid-30s or late 40s when they take a career break for the family. The pandemic has broadened this gap resulting in a few percentages of women being forced to drop out. Women struggle to get back as they lose their confidence slowly, not aware of how and what to skill up.
Organizations need to provide equal opportunities to grow and take responsibility, recognize and promote them. Women need to add to their growing repertoire self-learning ability, innovation mindset, learn deep, focus, prioritize well, develop critical thinking & problem-solving skills.
On your journey as a career woman, have you ever faced gender stereotyping?
No
Working women in the IT industry are still juggling enormous challenges at workplaces, what should they do to break the bias and overcome those challenges to be successful?
How do you balance your personal life and critical professional roles?
Learn every day, learn deeper from peers, market, industry experts. Subscribe to your favorite podcasts, newsletters, blogs, videos, and keep yourself updated. Solicit feedback – learn by doing joint work. Be the first to take the challenge.
The First and most important way to enjoy work is to identify your goals. Prioritize and learn to say ‘No’ so that you do one work perfectly rather than doing multiple tasks. Always start your day with a small meditation and plan for the day ahead to bring energy for the entire day and a happy work-life balance.
