Kerala discusses advancement of women at workplace

Even though the subordination of women at workplace is almost a universal phenomenon, the challenges women face in Indian and the reasons behind them are a little different. Focusing on these issues, a panel discussion was held in Kochi earlier this week.

Organized by the IEEE Kerala Section, that focuses on the possibilities and challenges of women leaders in Kerala, and titled, ‘When Women in Kerala Lead - Insights to Budding Lady Professionals’; the discussion observed that one of the main reasons women aren’t successful in leading organizations is because they let men empower them.

It was pointed out at the discussion that women either follow the masculine way of leadership, or allow men to overpower them. The experts defined this as the ‘put yourself down syndrome’, which they said was a social construct.

They said, “The newly defined ‘effective leadership’ focuses on listening, empathizing, multitasking and recognizing people, which ultimately build up a good team. Family being the basic team in society, women who do the team-building task at home are blessed with the leadership skills,” reported The New Indian Express.

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Women have a different way of leading, which has proved to be just as effective, but due to the traditional practices, men are mostly appointed to leadership positions. To combat this, women need to identify their inherent leadership skills, and lead in their unique way to become successful.

The various strategies suggested by panelists included improving time management skills, communication skills and negotiation skills. Empowering women with a better support system that would help them achieve a better work-life balance would create a more women friendly environment. Steps like flexible working hours, an option to work from home, sufficient maternity leave, would be highly beneficial for them as well.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: The New Indian Express

http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/‘Leadership-is-More-About-Influencing-than-Controlling’/2014/11/05/article2508436.ece