“Creating newer images”- 17 June 2015.
I have little patience with women who treat their careers casually. It has taken a long time for a woman to be taken seriously at the work place, says the legendary Anu Aga, retired Director of Thermax, Pune.
Such a powerful statement! It is imperative that women take their careers seriously for thousands of our sisters have militated for a hundred years and more to give us our human rights that we take for granted today. The rights that we enjoy today in this modern world, such as the right to vote, the right to education, right to own property, to work and to get equal wages are the fruits of our sisters who have given their lives in the struggle for freedom for women. Let us be more serious with our lives hence not forgetting their struggle and allowing it to go in vain.
We had one of the most interesting and lively interactive sessions the other day on women entrepreneurship. What was interesting was the quality of women present there. There is a definite paradigm in the mindsets of young women which is visible. They are definitely more focused on themselves and their personal growth. Women are serious about their lives and their personal development. Their beauty is just not skin deep but mind deep. The core of the women is being strengthened with good thoughts about themselves and positive thoughts about how to live life. There was total absence of frivolousness and triviality in the hall. The atmosphere in the workshop was damn serious as women thought about their business ventures with thoughtfulness. And the hall full of women exuded positive energy and good vibes. It was an exciting day for me. The change in the younger generation was significant.
I find a dramatic difference in the thinking of the women from the older generation to the younger generation. And the change is not only welcome but adorable. One young woman was clear in her mind when she stated that work is not just an economic activity but also a psychological enhancement. It is also an advancement of the self and self esteem. It has a spiritual dimension to it as well as success in work and personal achievement uplifts the spirit and takes it to a level of self actualisation. Wow! That’s what I was looking for all this while, for the refinement of the individual soul and the evolution of the mind.
Women have suffered from many negative stereotypes for centuries. Unnecessarily! ‘Women cannot do business- it’s a man’s job. Women are sentimental and hysterical- and cannot manage tough decisions. Women are from Venus and cannot read maps and do mathematics! Women are good for soft skills only and not for hard things like money.’ The list is endless. These negative stereotypes have impacted the self image and self esteem as women have been conditioned by these social images that have been propagated for centuries. At the workplace too women have been subject to variety of slandering. ‘Women are not serious about work but come for earning pocket money. Women gossip and women while away time on the work place and taking it easy. Women are women’s worst enemy. Women are jealous of women. Women are bitches and what not.’ Anu Aga chides women not to be casual about their jobs but to be damn serious about it so that she sends the correct signals to the world.
It is happy to note that times have changed. Women are and can be women’s best friend. Women do not gossip about others women. Women enjoy time with each other. Woman is another woman’s best support and guide. Women only can understand the other women.
It is up to us women to create good images about our personalities, about our commitment to our work and our jobs, about our body language and how we present ourselves and conduct ourselves in public sphere. The images of women are bound to change with time if we consciously work towards it individually and as a collective. Women who work outside have a huge responsibility on their shoulders as they are our representatives in the workforce. Women should take their careers with utmost seriousness and should aim high on the scale of achievement. Women will ultimately set new standards in career making as they climb newer heights.
