Misha Dange CEO, First&Second.com
Says Misha Dange, CEO, First&Second.com, "It feels wonderful being on the board and participating in important policy decisions, especially now with HR policies revolving around managing and retention of talent taking centrestage. A woman is better able to understand psychological issues which swing employee entry, departure and work morale." Dange was the only woman in an all-male team when she joined DCM Daewoo as assistant manager.
"If there are support systems like flexitime, part-time, maternity benefits, paternity work-life balance, choice of mobility, women aspirants for boards can do it even if the odds are stacked against them," says Prema Sagar, who, despite stiff parental opposition to a business career, is today the founder of Genesis Public Relations, a leading PR consultancy.
Besides lack of social infrastructure, breaking into the upper echelons of most owner-promoter companies remains the biggest challenge. This is more so in traditional sectors like manufacturing (AV Birla, Videocon, Essar Group, Vedanta) and automobiles (M&M, Bajaj Auto).
Says Barua: "They will be the slowest in accepting the concept of women directors. The maximum sensitivity and flexibility on this will be seen in companies like Infosys, Citigroup, ICICI Bank, Dr Reddy's, Marico and Hindustan Unilever. Interestingly, leading public sector companies like ongc and Indian Oil seem to be very open to encouraging women in leadership positions."
Whatever the panacea, a government proposal seeking 33 per cent reservation for the fairer sex on boards of companies, rejected by SEBI, is certainly not the way to ensure a fair deal for women. That is not what women corporate leaders support anyway. Gita Dang, head, Global Technology Markets, Korn/ Ferry India, dismisses any talk of quota. "Boardrooms should represent business needs. As business profiles, companies and activities undergo change, they will recognise a need to reflect this change in the boardroom. To ensure it is seen as a serious effort, it has to be business-driven and not an artificial filler."
With quota out, blue-chip India is rolling out the red carpet for ladies who can provide solutions. It's affirmative action with a very practical gender twist. As Shaw sums it: "There is no dearth of talented women in the business world. There is, however, an enormous challenge to climb up the corporate ladder." Millions of aspiring women will say amen to that.
