Indian Talent, Global Content
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Indian Talent, Global Content |
November 2008: What's in the breeze |
Stay-at-home moms: Under Leveraged Talent Pool
Post Indian independence saw the emergence of a new face of the Indian woman. Slowly but steadily, the traditional roles changed. This happened very gradually. The 60’s set the trend for industrial growth in cities of India. Qualified engineers, graduates and other skilled technicians were in demand. So the educated boys from the interior villages of India migrated to these cities in search of greener pastures. When these boys married, typically the girls were from the villages too. These cities exposed all such women to the life in the metros & they were amazed at the opportunities available for all. These women, raised in small towns and villages of India did not want their daughters to follow their footsteps. They encouraged the girls to study and have an identity of their own. Sure enough, the girls willingly did well academically and many pursued some of the typically male dominated fields like architecture, advertising, pharmacy, and engineering. The result was a new generation of women who were smart, qualified, capable and totally different from the previous generation. Women took up challenging & demanding roles in the corporate life. Many women juggled home, kids, work & in-laws quite well. To be accepted as an equal with men at work was indeed an achievement in a male dominated society like ours. Given the family dynamics in India, it slowly became tougher & tougher to juggle both the worlds. Having a job did not mean that she had a respite from the household work. Unlike her western counterpart, she could never expect any help from either her in-laws or husband. Hence another offshoot slowly and steadily emerged. Women who felt stressed willingly gave up their careers to manage their homes. I belong to the latter group. After enjoying the life of a career woman, I gave it all up to raise the kids. Years fly by very fast & children eventually grow up. Many women resign themselves to the fact that they are just 'housewives'. A few adventurous ones do set out to make a mark for themselves and find their place under the sun. It is a very tough and onerous task to get back into the mainstream. Some of the hurdles she faces are quite disturbing; these challenges get even tougher when she moves to countries like USA. Yes, it’s easy to get any kind of job here, but what happens to women who want a job that uses their dormant technical skills. Back home, one doesn’t feel the terrible pangs of loneliness. Family, friends are constantly around to keep one busy and occupied. Living in apartment complexes in Indian cities, we meet many ladies who are in the same predicament. But it is not the same in the US. Many of them cannot work because of the visa restrictions. Even if they venture out to work, they are paid in cash and are exploited to the core. I know a very qualified lady who took a certificate course in US to get a job in health care. She then took up a job in an Indian owned company in the US. She was appalled by the complete lack of professionalism and the working conditions. The office didn’t even have tissue paper & soap in the toilet, in spite of the fact that it was an all women staff! The young pretty and glamorous non Indian counterparts did nothing but chat online and gossip on the cell and yet they were not reprimanded. Another friend of mine was constantly mocked because she was not very computer savvy, but they conveniently overlooked the fact that she was technically competent. I am aware of a lady who is a qualified doctor from India, but works as a medical technician in a Doctor’s office. The ladies who don’t/cannot drive also find themselves within the 4 walls of the house. Just because a woman chose to stay at home to tend to the family, she should not be looked down upon. Learning is an ongoing process; it does not stop if one stays at home. So many stay at home ladies are so well read and completely aware of the world politics and economics. A potentially untapped area is waiting to be explored. So many such women are waiting for a right opportunity to get back to work. Given a chance, they will prove to be an asset to any company. I have always wished to be a part of an organization that will appreciate and invest in the intelligence & capability of women like me. I am sure they will never regret it.
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