Entrepreneurship is going to be a game changer for women as it is a vital component, giving transformational, social and personal outcomes for women. According to McKinsey Global, India can potentially add US$ 700 billion to global GDP by increasing women’s participation in the labor force. A Boston Consulting Group’s report says that start-ups founded or co-founded by women generate 10% more cumulative revenue over a five-year period. Some major startups run by women are BYJU’s, Nykaa, Mobikwik, Zolo, Thrillophillia which our readers can check out to know their inspirational journey.
SINE is proud to have witnessed, supported and incubated women entrepreneurs as well and be a part of their exemplary journey. As we come to the end of Women History Month, we are glad to share the journey and thoughts of one of our incubatees, a pharmaceutical scientist turning into an entrepreneur – Dr Nisha Yadav from Edhaa Innovations Pvt Ltd. It is a MedTech startup focusing towards improving maternal and child health through designing smart solutions.This Govt. of India, BIRAC supported startup has been developing innovative POC devices to improve the quality of health facilities.
What are her thoughts on multiple aspects of women’s inclusion in the entrepreneurs club.
1. Consciously or unconsciously, whether gender plays a role in professional opportunities or advancements in general and in specific to your personal experience.
Yes, indeed gender plays a role in professional opportunities or advancements. Sexual harassment, inequitable work environments, and subtler forms of sexism place a huge burden on women working toward their goals.
During my early days of career, I was the only postgraduate girl in my department. Despite the extra-ordinary academic record and performance, I had to wait for around 2 years for getting my due promotion just because my team leader thought that I might not survive the work pressure and might take up a much “relaxed” career option. So, he decided to test my sincerity and “stick around” attitude for my job. I think that was totally unfair and demeaning. Such deeply ingrained attitudes and biases against women keep professional women from getting their deserved respect and finding opportunities for advancement.
2. Overcoming societal and familial barriers in professional life.
Unfortunately, a lifetime of socialization that has taught women to seek perfection in themselves can also make them more averse to risk and therefore less pursuant of advancement. Unlike boys, whom adults typically teach to take risks and act bravely, society typically teaches girls to act cautiously. Women often hesitate to push for career advancement, citing lack of confidence and fear of backlash.
Women often face significant challenges balancing work and family. Their family responsibilities can limit their ability to pursue leadership positions. That’s because despite the fact they have full-time jobs, they also frequently have the lion’s share of household responsibilities, such as caring for young, sick, or elderly family members.
Nonetheless, by tapping into leadership programs, cultivating relationships with mentors, colleagues, family and people around you, and learning to effectively advocate for own goals and needs, women can and do achieve their professional goals.
For organizations, it is important that Human resource policies encourage women to advance or be promoted just as men are. In so doing, women are more likely to be considered serious candidates for advancement to higher levels within their organization. Also, organizations have to apply/promote gender equality policies, especially in order to avoid women feeling excluded or/and marginalized. It is also crucial to combat gender stereotypes by maintaining some strict rules and regulations against adverse unprofessional acts. It can also implement sensitization programs that all employees learn and adopt the values of respect for all, social knowledge and expected good behaviors.
3. Acceptability of women as leaders across hierarchical levels of organizations.
Despite efforts to achieve equity in the workplace, professional women face barriers to becoming recognized leaders. There are various reports stating that women make up only a small fraction of senior leadership in organizations across the country. But I think, by leveraging their strengths and tapping into the right resources, women can tenaciously push ahead and build equitable work environments where they thrive.
4. Did you have to put in more efforts to achieve the same level of acceptability compared to your male counterparts?
YES. I think till today, every woman needs to put extra efforts to prove themselves. The path is never straight forward, especially as a woman.
As mentioned earlier, when I was starting out, I was one of the only women in the room, or at least in the minority. I was convinced of my abilities and was motivated enough to not lose hope. I just wanted to prove my capabilities. During that time, doing night shifts was limited to males and I was the first female who worked whole night to endure the execution of batches and timely monitoring. My efforts resulted in a fantastic outcome and I was finally noticed. It was a big learning experience and Luckily for me, after my long awaited promotion, I worked with many incredible people over the years, who have encouraged me to achieve my goals. It is partly due to this support that I was convinced about my decision to enter an entrepreneurial role.
5. Your take: “Empowering women for external role” or “Sensitizing men for domestic role”
Besides and in addition to the obvious barriers that women face around the world, women can often be their own worst obstacle to progress — whether it be because of self-doubt, overthinking situations, or seeing others as competition. Women should never feel like they cannot achieve an ambition simply because they don’t see people like them in the careers they want.
Lastly I would say that the issue around gender inequality should be tackled from both the fronts. “Sensitising men for domestic role” is as important as “Empowering women for external role”. Both are two different sides of the same coin.
Dr. I appreciate a lot for taking such initiatives. I wish that your organization takes adequate steps for bringing, atleast one innovation to commercial scale at the earliest. All the best.