It was a real wonderful experience to be a part (as an awardee) of the World Women Leadership Awards which is hosted by the World Women Leadership Congress (WWLC) annually to identify and celebrate the outstanding leadership and achievements demonstrated by Women leaders that are reflected by the distinct innovations and initiatives brought by them in various private and public sectors. The award ceremony was followed by panel discussions on various topics like ‘Wonder Women –Power and Quest for perfection’, ‘Women in Leadership-Investing in others/investing in yourself’, ‘Saying Yes to You, the courage to play big’ etc. The panel discussions were the most interesting and enlightening part of the event and brought into focus a lot of issues related to working women, the challenges we face in the male dominated industries, advantages at work, work life balance, how we deal with our achievements and failures, the courage to play big, the chains that bind us, and the expectations we try to meet etc.
Some women achievers shared their life experiences on stage that are worth reckoning. They spoke about how they had a tough time balancing home and work fronts and how at many times they returned from a point when they wanted to throw in the towel. Also there was an inspiring story of one of the awardees where she narrated how her family supported her to build up the career of her choice. She was encouraged by her husband who turned into a full time home maker, so that she could achieve her dreams. There were discussions about the compromises women make for the home and family, and how we strive to strike a balance between the two. We commonly agreed that women cannot be Wonder Women and the term ‘Wonder Women’ is in fact a myth as there are continuous challenges that women face and that they need to deal with them all the time. Rightly said. Women should make their choices clearly and go ahead consciously and with awareness as regards their priorities and the choices they make. Women can multitask but it is not humanly possible to excel in everything they do. So the best possible way out is to outsource stuff we cannot do (like cooking and cleaning etc.) to others in order to have a peaceful atmosphere at home and work place.
I believe that women should also stop competing among themselves, pull each other down and instead help each other grow. We should not be in denial of our innate talents and capabilities and should foster the strength and determination to pursue our goals with confidence. There was a story of one woman who was expected to compromise in her work place in order to climb up the ladder of success. She stuck to her guns and today she is proud to see where she stands, on the basis of her merit and without compromising on her ethics. She hence broke the glass ceiling with sheer determination. I strongly feel that in a male dominated work place one needs to find out ways to excel and also to keep up her dignity and never ask for favours in the job she does. I think, women should not shy away from the word ‘Feminism’ (the advocacy of women’s right on the ground of the equality of the sexes) and instead use it more often to feel empowered. Women, as mothers, should teach their boys to respect women, for what they are and value what they do. A lady who heads an NGO called ‘He For She’ spoke about how we should partner with men instead of treating them as competitors, in achieving our career goals. The need of support from our male counterparts cannot be ruled out. It’s the need of the hour to teach the boys to respect women and the girls to understand that they should not play second fiddle to anyone. We talked about the loneliness one faces ‘AT the TOP’ and ways to remain grounded in spite of the soaring careers. At the end of the day, we go back home to our families who are our real support and hence it is important to maintain a balance between the two and not compromise on either. The keynote speaker, Padmashree, Mr. Alayque Padamsee, spoke about the need to address the spirit of universal ‘Personhood’, wherein everyone helps each other grow, join hands irrespective of gender, colour, community differences. The basis of all growth is Nurturing…if we nurture with care, we can create Magic. This was a brilliant platform where we got a chance to interact and share our views with women achievers who have been very successful in their career pursuits, yet have displayed high moral values, integrity and did not compromise on their family life, relationships to climb the ladder UP. We need such role models to inspire our girls who are ready to leap over the threshold in search of their career goals.
When I look back upon this day, I feel a sense of pride in being a woman. It has been one of the most wonderful days of my life and I am convinced yet again that women have the power to achieve what they want, irrespective of all the challenges they meet on the way. Kudos to the Spirit of Womanhood….
“Everyone believes the world’s greatest lie…”says the mysterious old man. “What is the world’s greatest lie?”the little boy asks. The old man replies’ “It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie”. ~Alchemist.
Vasavi Acharya
(vasavi2005@yahoo.com)
This write up was published in The Assam Tribune, Sunday Reading on 6.3.16.
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