Friday, September 29, 2006

Stultified to the core..i am not able to verbalize my thoughts...but still i have to satiate my blogs hunger for some words....so here is something which i wrote and presented at a seminar some seven months back on the occasion of International Women's Day...
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Role of women in blending tradition with modernity.

Udita, a successful IT professional working in an MNC at Bangalore arrives home at 8 P.M. The husband is still sweating in his office. “Hey mom I have an exam tomorrow. I need help” These are the lines of her six year old son Rahul as she enters the lobby. Well now what would she do? Ask him to wait for his Dad. No! She just cooks herself some quick bite and gets down with her son. Well this the new look Indian women. Self dependant and yet responsible towards the needs of the family. No matter how high is the ladder of her career, she still has to look after the kids, do the cooking, supervise the household, attend the PT meetings at her kid’s school and last but not the least bargain with a vegetable vendor.

"Try to realize the strength within you; try to bring it forward, so that everything you do may be not your doing, but the doing of the Truth within you"

These remarkable words by Sri Aurbindo reflect the power of the feminine gender. From a doctor to an engineer, from a CEO to a marketing executive, women have achieved all the pinnacles of glory in this world. But she has never snapped away from her roots that define the true nature of her existence. Life gives its chance to every human being on this earth and whenever there has been an opportunity in life, women have proved their mettle.

When I look at the face of the modern India, I see metamorphism, a transition from the orthodox state, to a sea of new ideas and thought process. And all this is reflected through the outlook of women. Here I refer to the Indian women and not outside the borders.
Women in India are working day in and day out not to match the men, but to achieve their goals and ambitions in life. At the same time, they look after their responsibilities in the most appropriate manner.


Know what’s the real measure of power? When it doesn’t come by virtue of an office held, but is given unto you for being the real, if unobtrusive, force behind a powerful personality because the person behind you has not just helped create an environment where your powers can bloom, but has actually contributed to its potency. In corporate India, more often than not, such shadow sovereigns tend to be the wives of powerful corporate chieftains. They are not just the alter egos of their powerful husbands, but also accomplished women in their own rights; women with vision, courage, ambition and energy. The shadow sovereigns are Nita Ambani, Tina Ambani, Parmeshwar Godrej, Sudha Murty and the list continues.

Women with more education however show greater desire for independence and an opportunity to perform managerial roles. Increasing number of Indian women are looking up for professional careers.
According to an Indian proverb, “All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today.” Taking an example, Margret Alva, a memberof parliament combines many roles but is proud to be a wife and a mother, devoting a good part of her time to domestic duties as well.

A woman working in a nigh shift BPO always tries to prepare the meals for the whole family before leaving for her job. The looks have changed too, from long black hair to golden streaks. But the tradition of covering the head with a dupatta while infront of elders has still not changed. Women in these modern times are moving fast paced and are playing the dual roles with utmost perfection. From a home maker to a peacemaker (Kokilaben Ambani is living example of this), she has touched all horizons.

“The bank that runs on woman power.” Well no prizes for guessing, it is the ICICI Bank. The workforce that includes names like Kalpana Morparia, Chanda Kochhar, Shikha Sharma, Renuka Ramnath has certainly got the thrust to take any organizstion to the highs of corporate world. These women are not just big named MDs, CEOs GMs, they are wives, mothers, daughters as well. A

I go no far, but take the example of my own mother. She and a lot many women like her sweat the whole day at their respective work areas and in the evening she has to perform an all together different job. Women are not more bound to the vital and material circumstances than men are. On the contrary, as they have not, in general, the arrogant mental pretensions of men, it is easier for them to discover their psychic being and to allow it to guide them.

The software industry has been the most looked after job for most women. Long working hours, erratic schedules, no time to make love, all these account to the world of Indian women working in IT industry. But the reality still remains intact. Ultimately the woman has to blend herself into a mould suitable for her work and social life. She still calls home during every break, goes for shopping even if she is dead tired, and follows all the Indian customs. It’s the grit of the women folk that has made this possible. The amalgamation of her social and professional life does take a toll on her though. But I would quote here, its not that she is doing this all alone. The husband or the father is always there for backing her up.

Every revolution starts small, so small that most people do not realize there is one underway. By the time they do, it is too late. The number of women in senior executive positions seems to be on the rise, especially in business such as banking, finance and IT services. It will be a while before men become the other sex at the workplace- realistically speaking, it may never be- but right now, it is time to forget everything else and celebrate our Power Women. They deserve it.

With this I end my speech. And one last wish that may there be equality on this earth. Not only in terms of gender but of thought and existence. You can’t draw lines which don’t exist.


Thank you and have a great day!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You can't draw lines that don't exist!


:)