Often it is asked why women-specific questions still arise in 2022 when women are in every profession around the world – a CEO, a minister, an officer, a soldier, a pilot, a businessperson, an investor – simply whatever field they are interested in. Well, the matter has to be understood by delving deeper into it and analysing the structure of any economic, social and governance system where disparity exists.
In continuation of our blog on women’s day, SINE takes pride in introducing to you some women entrepreneurs who took the ownership of their career and their passion of contributing towards the country’s growth, who took the risk of failing multiple times before tasting success,
It is going to be a series of women entrepreneurs each week with a different story and different take on women’s achievements.
Akshita Sachdeva, co- founder of Trestle Labs which is an assistive technology company empowering persons with blindness and vision-impairment towards inclusive education and employment. They offer different products enabling people and communities to unlock their aspirations by building assistive technology solutions.
Ms. Akshita has talked about her journey as an entrepreneur which was empowering to her, she met many powerful women along the journey that encouraged her to do more and go beyond her limits.
Listen to her opinion in her own words. `
We asked Akshita about her journey and here are the details she shares to initiate an important dialogue for women.
1. Consciously or unconsciously, whether gender plays a role in professional opportunities or advancements in general and in specific to your personal experience.
Honestly, Gender does play a role, but, unlike old times, it has now changed towards positively propelling women entrepreneurs forward – be it family support, guidance from experienced mentors or Women Entrepreneurship focused programs. Both Media and Societal Recognition are paving the path for professional opportunities and advancements for women leaders.
2. Overcoming societal and familial barriers in professional life.
I have seen my family transition from – “How should we answer when people ask us what is she doing?” to “We are proud of what you are doing as it makes you happy, while creating social impact”. I believe constant communication, personal financial-independence, company growth and media recognition have played a key role in making this possible. They are growing with me in this journey – everyday, milestone by milestone.
3. Acceptability of women as leaders across hierarchical levels of organisations.
It’s growing really fast. Men are now being more used to having women leaders around at various levels of the hierarchy. Every change is hard in the beginning, messy in between and now we are slowly transitioning towards the ‘it’s worth it’ phase. And, in some years, it will just become so obvious as men and women realise their collective strengths and the results they can produce together – both at home and at work.
4. Did you have to put in more efforts to achieve the same level of acceptability compared to your male counterparts?
Conventionally, people are not used to having a lot of expectations from women, while for male counterparts, it’s not just accepted but also expected. So, for me it was not just about acceptance, but also about setting expectations. All women in my post-wedding family had always been homemakers and I took it upon me to shift this perception. I was blessed to have their acceptance right from the beginning, thanks to societal acceptance of working women. But, I know I have to grow every single day, setting expectations – higher and higher – not just for my family but for everyone who fails to have expectations from women. And honestly, I have seen them evolve – from accepting working women to expecting their daughter (in-law) earn alongside their son, travel the world and receive awards and recognitions for her work. They are changing, so will the society – bit-by-bit – example-by-example.
5. Your take: “Empowering women for external role” or “Sensitising men for domestic role”
I think this huge mindset shift is neither a one-day thing, nor a one-way thing. It has to be both ways and everyday. Kids don’t just need to see their Moms working outside, they also need to see their Dads doing home-chores. We need more movies, more TV shows, more books, more media coverage – highlighting this. And we are living this transition right now – it’s bound to come.