Making work priority: 3 successful women entrepreneurs in India

As we talk about women empowerment in recent times, we talk about the changing attitudes and familial and social support women get from families in India today. However the degree, to which this support is extended, is rarely discussed. Rashmi Bansal, writer and entrepreneur told Economic Times, “Fact is that Indian society still thinks in terms of 'allowing' a girl to work as if that choice is the family's and not that of the girl herself. While we are educating girls, encouraging them to have a professional life and raising their aspirations, we are parallely forcing them to rein in their ambitions.”

Some women in the country though, have managed to rise above all these hurdles that bring them down and are excelling in their professional fields. Few of these women are:

MEERA SANYAL

The Chief executive of RBS India, Sanyal ran as an independent candidate during the general elections a few years back. Last year, she took an extensive tour of 120 villages across India. During her journey, she came across many solo entrepreneurial women in rural areas: who were working to provide a living for their families- who she believes are role models for working women across the country.

Coming from a family where both her mother and mother-in-law were professionals, she was encouraged to work. However, she highly condemns the TV shows that portray modern women as stereotypical homemakers.

ANITA DONGRE

A fashion designer by profession, Dongre owns several fashion labels such as, AND, Global Desi, Timeless and Anita Dongre, amongst others. When she disclosed her plans to be a fashion designer to her family, she faced resistance. Nonetheless, she was determined to have her way and is now one of the most successful designers in India.

About the struggle women often have to go through she says, “The root of this is the way a woman's role has been defined in the Indian male's psyche… Many still believe a woman's place is at home and her role is to beget heirs. Fortunately these mindsets are changing and more and more women are achieving success in their fields and thereby showing the path to others.”

ANITA BHOGLE

After co-authoring a book with her husband, Harsha Bhogle, Anita decided to start her own personal venture. In 2011, she founded an online content library called, Bizpunditz. Her husband’s career took off before hers did and since his profession required him to travel a lot, she had to make compromises. But now, Bhogle is entrepreneur and is working on a project independent of her husband.

She told the Economic Times, “The question really arises when the children arrive or one of the partners gets a transfer. This is when women take a break. They fall behind and so to do their salaries. From then on pure economics decides all decisions in the man's favour.”

ORIGINAL SOURCE: Economic Times

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-09-29/news/42482076_1_women-entrepreneurs-successful-women-woman/2