In this blog post
Message From Sangeeta Malkhede, Global Head of HR, GAVS
I take this opportunity to wish all women at GAVS and GS Lab a very Happy Women’s Day.
On this occasion, I would like to to celebrate the achievements of women and pay gratitude to all those who have paved the way and blazed the trail for generations after them. I am sure it is not possible to overstate the significance of the roles that women play in the society. It has been my constant endeavor to support, encourage and champion women to excel in areas that they choose to pursue, and to challenge norms and traditional roles.
This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is #BreakTheBias. A theme that is bound to be a fascinating one, given the discourse and dialogue that has already been shared around it. While we would be inclined to focus on gender bias around this time of the year, it would serve us well to examine all our biases throughout the year and take steps to mitigate them. Breaking biases helps not just women but all members of society.
Being biased is part of being human and sometimes it is so ingrained in us that we may not even be aware of how it affects our thinking and decision making. We must understand that it’s not just the surroundings, or biases of others that hinders the women from getting ahead. Women ourselves have ingrained biases that stop us and other women from making bolder choices.
Women who conquered the world are women who believed in themselves!
Indra Nooyi, Indira Gandhi, P.V. Sindhu, Serina William’s or Michelle Obama – all of these strong and dynamic are prime examples of women who have challenged norms and paved their way to success. I will implore all women to take some time out to identify their own biases and challenge themselves to ignite the fire within them and blaze their own trail!
When I took on my current role at GAVS, I knew it wouldn’t be easy balancing both professional and personal responsibilities given that my city of work and city of residence are different. But I believe it is my confidence that has inspired both my family and my colleagues in extending the required support to me. It is all about making choices and most great things and answers are found a little away, usually outside of what is familiar or comfortable.
We at GAVS, are committed to being a place that female employees not only want to work at but also love working at. We hope to emerge as a Preferred Employer of Choice for Women. To that end, we have policies, programs, and processes in place to fulfil our aspirations – from fair and equal opportunity employer to building a pipeline from early on in the career to the executive level. We are aware that the pandemic has disproportionately affected the workload of our employees on the personal front. Keeping this and the best interest of our employees in mind we have introduced flexible working arrangements.
While women have made significant gains in representation in the past few years, we still have a long way to go! Women bring unique perspectives to the table and it is already established that diversity fosters innovation. The conscious choices we make – individually and collectively – will shape the workplace for years to come.
‘’Leadership is hard to define and good leadership even harder. But if you can get people to follow you to the ends of the earth, you are a great leader.’’ – Indra Nooyi.
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