Women in Leadership: Perspectives, Problems and Pathways
Women have been occupying a place of prominence in various sectors. There are many women leaders who have led the country and the government in diverse political and socio-economic contexts. Women have also exhibited their abilities in leading corporate organisations, social groups, self-help groups, and other community based organisations, reflecting the magnitude of liberality among people in accepting the leadership role of women in public life. However, in spite of the achievements made and the various measures taken to promote empowerment and emancipation of women, numerous fault lines still exists in our society.
In the domestic sphere, women of the household not only have fewer resources, but also face disproportionate burden of unpaid house-work. In the political sphere too, participation of women is limited, both in terms of active involvement as representatives and also as a group to be represented. Such underrepresentation of women in various spaces and in leadership positions is a global phenomenon, which extends across public and private sector industries and professions. In addition, gender stereo types and presence of invisible barriers, questions the fitness of women in leadership roles and prevents a woman from executing her choice and enjoying the freedom that she values. Further, patterns of social hierarchies, dominance of patriarchal systems, religious and cultural norms, deny the right of women in making strategic choices. It is thus argued that women empowerment in the real sense is hindered in various visible and invisible ways.
Nevertheless, despite the hurdles, women have emerged as effective leaders in different set up surmounting social and cultural barriers. They have not only reached top positions breaking the grass-ceiling, but have also pursued the role of leadership with success in diverse fields. For instance, women leaders who have led the government in countries such as Taiwan, New Zealand, Germany, etc. seem to have played a significant role in effectively managing the current pandemic situation. Significant differences are also brought about by women leaders at the grassroots level, in comparison to the male counterparts. A study carried out by Chattopadhyay and Nobel Laurette Duflo highlights that while male panchayat leaders invest more in infrastructure related aspects, the focus of female leaders have been on ensuring easy access to drinking water.
Given this setting, where there are trails of both problems and prospects in women leadership, there is a need to make a revisit and deliberate on the connotations surrounding women’s leadership, their negotiating power, experiences and challenges. It is in this context, that the commemoration of the International Women’s Day 2021 organised by the Council for Social Development under the banner of the Social Development Forum (SDF), would like to deliberate on the way women lead, through a panel discussion on the related theme.
The outline of the Panel Discussion is as follows:
8 March 2021
3.00 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
Webinar through Zoom
Registration Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkd-uvqzsqE9TL06YJyp5NjkroHNDZhgUB
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting
Welcome Note: Prof. Nitya Nanda, Director, Council for Social Development, New Delhi
Chair: Prof. Govind Kelkar, Visiting Professor, CSD, New Delhi
Speakers:
Dr. Venkatanarayanan. S, Assistant Professor, Christ University, Bangalore
Patriarchy and Hurdles to Women Empowerment in India
Dr. N. Mythili, Assistant Professor, National Centre for School Leadership, NIEPA, New Delhi
Women in School Leadership
Prof. Nitya Rao, University of East Anglia, UK
Rural Women’s Leadership for Food Security
Vote of Thanks:
Dr. Poornima M, Assistant Professor, CSD, New Delhi
