This week, We Women Want takes a look at women and the workplace, taking up issues of pay parity, gender sensitivity amongst colleagues, and also laws that women can take recourse to when these are not met. On the show are Anuradha Das Mathur, Founder and Dean of the Vedica Scholars Programme for Women; Latika Tandon, Executive Coach, Leadership Advisor, and Strategy Consultant; and Alkanshree Dhar, Managing Partner at Law Offices of India. In the audience were young working women and scholars from Vedica who asked some pertinent questions to the panel and also shared nuggets about their work experiences.
PERTINENT QUESTIONS
Questions such as whether or not to take period leave, how to find support groups among other female colleagues, and what the law says about equal pay were discussed. The panellists also cited anecdotal evidence, data, and the law to explain their case.
DON’T QUIT
The general takeaway being that there are always options, and hence, before simply quitting, the women must explore all her choices. But she can only do so if she is aware of what these are. The hashtag #DontQuit is one that needs to be adopted by all working women because quitting should not be their first choice.
SHARING THE LOAD
Interestingly, the panellists also talked about how the women are given the option not to work, but the men do not have that option. And if this stereotyping is done away with and men get to share in child care and elderly care as well, then the woman would be more free to pursue her work life, and a balance can be struck where each gets to do what he or she is inclined towards. It was a lively discussion and also a reassuring one, for it showcased a “never say die” spirit as well as some very practical solutions for our times. The show was moderated by ITV Network’s Senior Executive Editor, Priya Sahgal. We Women Want is a show for women where we curate conversations that deal with issues, biases, and struggles that women go through in their everyday lives. We also celebrate the wins and empathise with those who are still struggling. This is not just a show, but a support group.