It is heartening to note there are more women donning CxO hats in top firms around the world but there is a strong feeling that a gender bias still exists in organisations, more so in India.
Over the past few years women have risen faster on the career path than what it was a decade ago. If their numbers don’t match up to men it doesn’t mean only gender bias is the reason. It is evident that men far outnumber women in organisations and obviously the competition at top is not a match given the leadership criteria for both the genders are the same.
Example, from an Indian context: The number of technical graduates coming out of IITs and top notch engineering colleges has less than 10% women engineers even today and hence it is low at the entry level in technology firms.Their low % about two decades ago determined the no of women vying for top positions today. Note, this percentage is already mandated by Indian Govt to be > 20% and that is really gratifying.
In IIMs, it is much better with women management graduates passing out at a ratio of 25% and below about a few years ago to a healthy 33% today. These are the women who will be ready to take leadership up positions in 10-15 years from now and they will be more women occupying senior roles.
Worry not about the present but be positive that you, our society and I will make it an even match in the future.
#womenCxO
Source :
THE PULSE by Sivakumar Gopal 