Yesterday, as it was Wednesday and I was reading Times of India’s accent columns and I found something that was absolutely appealed me; that was a name in Accenture’s advertisement.
Why did it appealed me so much?
I will tell yo why...
How many of you agree and believe that "we all have dreams…" Yes? So as I… and I always believed that I am special and matchless. I always tried to resolve the challenges by my self, although I didn’t do this intentionally… today I look back to a decade and I realized- I never felt from heart and soul that there must be some one all the time to help me in dealing with my challenges in life. Many a times it so happened that I didn’t even shared what I was going through with anyone but just got my way out. I certainly had my share of challenging episode in life. But through it all, I direct my way to perceive, learn, persevere and implement the change, which was required.
Why change?
Without change one cannot expect different result. Change is horrifying some times, as it is like entering into unknown area leaving your current comfort zone. With every challenge I got into new level in my life- personally and professionally. Along with all these I recognized that there is very less support given to females in our society. Fortunately, I was bought up in an environment where we got a moral education especially from my father that internally made me very strong. Today I realize that it was my immense power that was guiding me, boosting me with courage and wisdom, keeping me in positive way and all these things have helped me in my decision-makings. I am here today with what I dreamt of a decade ago. If you ask me – what were you then? What were you like? What were your hopes and dreams? Are you today were you wanted to? I would say… YES!!! And I am glad… I could face my challenges and come out of it successfully.
Just few days ago, I was analyzing my past few years and I felt I must contribute my knowledge to the Women kind, as I said there is very less support given to women in our society. So, to tackle with challenges and move a head in life and especially in profession; women needs to be stronger in terms of physical and mental strength. Even though, there is 33% of reservation allotted to women in India, but still India has the lowest percentage of women employees i.e. 25.4%, wherein again…maximum females are working as employees and very few could make it as entrepreneurs. And who ever are working; are not consistent due to several social reasons.
There are different standards of behavior for men and women that carry over into the work environment. Women are expected to be chaste and especially modest in all actions that may constrain their ability to perform in the workplace on an equal basis with men. Another related aspect of life in India is that women are generally confined to home thus restricting their mobility and face seclusion. The women face constraints beyond those already placed on them by other hierarchical practices. These cultural rules place some Indian women, particularly those of lower social group, in a paradoxical situation: when a family suffers economically, people often think that a woman should go out and work, yet at the same time the woman's participation in employment outside the home is viewed as "slightly inappropriate, subtly wrong, and definitely dangerous to their chastity and womanly virtue". When a family recovers from an economic crisis or attempts to improve its status, women may be kept at home as a demonstration of the family's morality and as a symbol of its financial security. As in many other countries, working women of all segments of Indian society faces various forms of discriminations. Even professional women find discrimination to be prevalent: two-thirds of the women in one study felt that they had to work harder to receive the same benefits as comparably employed men.
A section of Indian women--the elite and the upper middle class-- have gained by the exposure to the global network. More women are engaged in business enterprises, in international platforms like the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and have greater career opportunities as a result of international network. Freer movement of goods and capital is helpful to this section. But most women continue to remain marginalized as they are generally employed in a chain of work and seldom allowed independent charge of her job. Sharing of responsibility at work place or taking independent decisions is still a remote possibility for them. Economic independence of women is important as it enhances their ability to take decisions and exercise freedom of choice, action. Many of the workingwomen, who control their own income, do contribute towards the economic needs of family as and when required. They often participate in discussions at their work place and their views are given due weight age before any final decision, which is a good move. But what about those women who feel helpless, even though they have education, skills, multi-tasking ability, although suppressed due to lack of self-confidence and inability to position themselves.
Over a period of time, being Human Resource Manager, I have met many women like this and always I felt I must do something for them and I did. I did how much ever was possible from my end. But still there was always a quest in me, which was pushing productively to aim of doing something Big and constructive for womanhood. Until few days ago, I had a vision that was not shaped. Now, I have clarity…
As I have a habit of jotting down my ideas, thoughts in my book- I gave a shape my vision just few days ago i.e. on 09th of this Feb 2011 along with my motto. How I am going to contribute to womanhood? How I am going to reach out those helpless, and guide & motivate them to take proper decision in their lives. Because, I still remember few decisions of mine have literally changes my life. They got me to new level every time. I kept changing myself as the time demanded; I inculcated new skills to communicate to different kinds of mindsets. I changed my strategies and extended my limitations; along with all these I got stronger and stronger emotionally, physically that again helped me in much better way in my relationships, financial incomes and in subordinating my time. Now, I know what, when and how much to say. I learnt to be silent sometimes and being silent is not weak but sometimes it just means you are strong enough to let go things. Above all the power to take decisions, this again led me to set my goals for next ten years that I already did on 9th Feb. and my reticular activating system started working on it. I got to see similar site in this Accenture’s advertisement, which was my basic strong reason – that the ad was so much appealing to me… https://microsite.accenture.com/vaahini/Pages/default.aspx
I felt overwhelmed reading the success stories of these powerful women.
As they say: Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.
I pray to the Infinite Power in me and to the Powerful Universe to support, provide me with all necessitate things to achieve my new goal…Thathastu!!!
Vahini Muniganti
Vahini Muniganti
