Every year, August 26th is celebrated as Women’s Equality Day. You’d be surprised to know that despite modest gains in representation over the last eight years, women are still dramatically underrepresented in the corporate industry. This is especially true in senior leadership. As per McKinsey, only one in four C-suite leaders is a woman. Currently, equality of economic opportunity for women is highest in OECD high-income economies but important reforms have continued in developing economies While several achievements have been acquired in the field of women’s equality, there is still much more to do.
Celebrating Women’s Equality Day is a reminder of the advancements that have been made in gender equality. It also highlights the challenges faced by women in different aspects of life, including the workplace, education, and politics.
On that note, we have some insightful views on ‘Embracing equity’ by some remarkable leaders in the industry.
Please find the quotes below:
“Women’s equality helps organizations unleash the full potential of a significant part of their workforce. At Carelon Global Solutions, we are a strong team of over 18000 associates, and nearly 40% are women. Breaking down barriers enables talented associates- regardless of gender- to reach higher levels of leadership. This also provides benefits outside of the organizations; it creates a generation of young girls and society with role models. Through our diversity initiative, Women Inspired Network, we created a place for women to network, collaborate, and help each other grow. We host mentorship sessions, learning opportunities, and upskilling initiatives for women in STEM to help them rejoin work after a break or grow their careers by learning about technological advancements. Our inclusive policies and flexible work model help us foster an inclusive culture that values and embraces diversity in all forms.”
Chalourmi Mukherjee, Director of Technology at Carelon Global Solutions
“India has a robust STEM culture that offers ample opportunities for the growing talent base. Within the country’s thriving ecosystem, India’s mid-market businesses have 36% of women holding senior management positions, which is 4% higher than the global average of 32%. A strong 21% of the female workforce in India work in core tech companies. While we celebrate these remarkable achievements, there’s more work to be done. Women in the industry still tend to face challenges like equitable representation, work-life balance, pay gap, gender bias, societal norms, and more. The true mark of progress is measured not by the pace of innovation, but by inclusivity and diversity. We must consider that the quality, relevance, and impact of the technology solutions we build today, can be improved by having more women on the team. This Women’s Equality Day, it is essential that all of us embrace equity and recognise women’s contributions, spotlight on the need for support on mental health, provide work flexibility and help create opportunities for women to lay the foundation of an equitable future. In the long-term, learning & development initiatives will significantly enhance women’s role as force multipliers behind an economically empowered country.”
Olga Lagunova, Chief Technology Officer, GoTo
“In the ever-evolving tech industry, transformation has been our steadfast guide, shaping an exciting journey of growth. It’s been a roller coaster ride, opening opportunities for diverse career growth. Once marred by disparities, the tech landscape is now seeing a seismic shift. Women now stand at the forefront of tech innovation – stepping into pivotal roles, driving change, and enriching the industry with their unique perspectives. With abundant resources and the powerful strides made by women, creating a stronger gender-equal future and inclusive workforce is ours to create. At Altimetrik, we are committed to ‘Embracing Equity.’ We are not just imagining an inclusive future but actively molding it. We strongly believe in a future-forward vision, committed to empowering women and fostering a culture of inclusivity. Initiatives like WINGS (Women’s Initiative for Networking Growth and Success) and MentHerUp, among others, form the bedrock of our culture to foster and celebrate the values of inclusivity and equity. As we celebrate Women’s Equality Day in 2023, we want to reaffirm our commitment to empowering our women employees to achieve their highest potential. While we acknowledge that there is still a long way to go to achieve truly equitable representation, with the right technology and a desire to be inclusive, organizations can start making a difference today.’’
Krishna Muniramaiah, Altimetrik Head of HR for APAC region
“The past few years have witnessed an increase in conscious women talent hiring, especially in the technology sector. Although change is underway, there is more to be done. Organizations need to understand that pursuing women’s equality goes beyond moral principles. The sector must embrace the concept of equity to address the imbalance of opportunities available to women. Along with pay parity, equality should be measured by identifying underlying trends such as unconscious bias, diversity divide, decisions governed by stereotypes, and implicit bias. As technologists, we should consciously try to overcome these notions and create a level playing field.
At Commvault, we believe in making a combined effort to empower women to grow, achieve, and exceed their personal and professional goals. Our ‘Women in Technology’ (WIT) program is aimed primarily to help women unlock their true potential and reach newer heights, by providing them with valuable networking and learning opportunities. We encourage the power of collaboration over competition to break glass ceilings and create a collective voice. Our Mentorship circles allow women in the workplace to collaborate and combine their strengths, leading to collective empowerment and growth.
Going ahead, we will continue to foster an equitable workspace – where career aspirations are discussed and supported, where differences are celebrated and unique opinions are always appreciated, and where innovative strategies are built to create platforms and opportunities for our women Vaulters to feel empowered. A place where we all can make an impact together!”
Ramesh Kalanje, Vice-President, COE, Commvault
“Starting from my early experiences in software development and progressing to the role of a senior leader, I’ve realized that one’s aspirations should never be confined by gender. In technology, it is important to be adept at effective problem-solving and bring fresh ideas with out-of-the-box thinking; and that is not gender specific.
In organizations, having equal representation of women prevents potential gender bias and brings in diverse perspectives. Organizations must ensure that women are represented well across levels and build the right ecosystem for women to thrive. We must actively challenge biases, create opportunities, and empower women to take every opportunity and become leaders. Sensitivity training to help manage gender bias and creating more women role models could help bridge the gender gap and pave the way for more women leaders.
I’m glad to be part of an organization such as Lowe’s where diversity is crucial, and ‘equity’ is more important than equality. Several of our programs including Bring-Her-Back, Do-It-Herself and our business resource group for Women empower women associates to unlock their full potential.”
Sumathi Bhaskaran, Senior Director, Software Engineering at Lowe’s India