Men Rule The World, Says Sheryl Sandberg: Bizwomen Give Their Take

Sheryl Sandburg, Chief Operating Officer at Facebook, believes that despite bringing more and more women in the workforce, men still rule the world. A lot of reasons can be attributed for the same. Lack of support from families, insensitivity towards women's problems and harassment at workplaces are all deterrents that thwart a career woman's growth.

SheThePeople.Tv spoke to some women entrepreneurs to know their perspective:

Latika Wadhwa, Founder of Mastyle Care, agree with Sheryl Sandburg's words and talks about the bleak scenario in India. Familial obligations limit a woman's choices, forcing her career to take a backseat.

"As per the current scenario, yes the statement is somewhat correct, the world is still bound by the shackles of patriarchy.  Across the industry verticals, there are very less number of female candidates who are actually able to reach up the ladder, as by the time they are able to make to the top positions, they have to quit their job due to motherhood and marriage."

Society is becoming more and more aware but the number of women who leave a mark in their chosen field is abysmally low - Latika Wadhwa

Striking a contrast between working conditions of women in urban and rural areas, she adds, "At the urban workfront, with the coming of policies, the visibility is increasing but if looking at the rural workfront, women are still marginalized and are living in the periphery."

Kusha Kalra, working as a life-coach, is an ardent believer of the fact that right guidance can encourage women to move ahead in life with elan.

"As rightly said by Sheryl Sandberg, men still rule our world, but the caveat is we allow them to do so. Indian women need to see more live examples of successful female mentors and role models to be able to get the confidence for leaning in. This does not mean to say that men cannot be good role models or mentors. It is just to reaffirm the capability of women to be equally contributing to the corporate/business world."

Men rule the world and women allow them to do so - Kusha Kalra

Read also: The Working Women's Woes : 5 women share their experiences

Kusha is optimistic about the future. According to her, a lot of progress has already been made.

"The corporate world is still ruled by men, however online businesses have seen more women taking the plunge and making a difference globally." She adds that work-from-home options for women can make it easier for them to juggle between multiple responsibilities.

While Kusha talks about helping women believe in themselves, founder of Rugs and Beyond Sakshi Talwar opines that developing a strong support system among working women can combat the problem to a large extent.

"Women are surely under-represented and there's an urgent need to step up and take charge. It is important for women to support other women in the workplace. The best way to do is to hire more women and uplift one another."

It's time to change the ultra chauvinistic slang, it's a man's world and replace it with "it's a woman's world" - Sakshi Talwar

Read also: Gender Stereotypes In Ads Must Go; Says Sheryl Sandburg

Niharika Dabas, a Political Science Student From Delhi University, says that we should focus more on the progress made and not on the loopholes that exist.

"The other day, I was attending a conference in college organised to surprise us with the kind of enormous success women have been making in different fields. One can't expect drastic transformations to take place within a single day. Rome wasn't built in a day. The struggle for equality is a long one. But what's the harm in celebrating achievements that come our way? It is time to lay more emphasis on what works than what does not."

While a lot needs to be done to elevate the status of women in India, the good news is that entrepreneurship gives women the chance to fulfill their pursuit of having an identity of their own without compromising on their family time. According to a survey conducted, 4 out of 5 women in India wish to be entrepreneurs because of the flexibility and creative freedom this career path offers.

Read also: 9 Quotes By Sheryl Sandburg That Will Inspire You

Charvi Is An Intern With SheThePeople.TV