The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum

            

“Women always had ambition – but the opportunity has blossomed slowly.”

Gender disparity has been a concern from time immemorial. Gender and cultural notions of gender have evolved constantly. From the time, when popular images depicted women as decorative and sensitive creatures, to now, when women have taken over the positions of CEOs, gender and the idea of it has been moulded and reshaped, time and again, to deal with the social needs. There was a time when people felt these divisions and definitions of gender are natural and normal but we are now, in an era, where women are seen as the agents of social justice and social change. It is considered that without women’s emancipation there would be no social progress. Yes, the Gender agenda is gaining momentum.

Yes, the gender agenda is gaining momentum and it is showing its impact in almost every field. Where law is implementing stringent norms to prevent the injustice, the women are also not staying behind in depicting their excellence in every field, be it business, politics, entrepreneurship or any other so called “masculine” or male dominated field like military. World War II saw the participation of women in military. The eternal association of women to delicacy and beauty has evolved time to association of women to power and success.

From women on home front, women went on to work. Where in the past, great women like Madam Curie and Mother Teresa have left impressions on the walls of honour by their significant achievements and steps towards emancipation of women, today also there are women leading the world to new changes. Be it, Ms. Aung San Suuu Kyi on the political front or Ms. Oprah Winfrey as an exemplary figure on media front, women are making an impact. Within the country, also examples aren’t few. Today, look around anywhere, there is an Indian woman in the pursuit of entrepreneurial dream. Smt. Sheila Dikshit stands as Chief Minister and we have had the women President as Ms. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil. Ms. Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi talks about breaking the glass ceiling and has made India proud by her excellence as CEO of PepsiCo. Also, there are girls who have the freedom of dreaming to be one of the above mentioned or the next Sania Mirza. The women are achieving and rising. Yes, the gender agenda is gaining momentum.   

The notion of physical might has been replaced with intellect, art, culture and invention. Today, the powerful women don’t need hair does and make-up to speak for them. They are intelligent, aware and rather than just being objects of change, they are now becoming the agents of change. Everywhere you look, women are in the pursuit of their dreams. They are more ambitious and are talking about building business not just earning income. Yes, they are the leading entrepreneurs. They are asking questions on economic fronts and shaping the Austerity policies. Diane Elson is warning women to start questioning the economic reforms and Indra Nooyi is talking about breaking the glass ceiling. Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg is trying to introduce a social movement by her book on breaking the glass ceiling. Yes, the gender agenda is not just gaining momentum but also showing results.              

But what are the factors that have led to this change and where will the women be in the next 5 years?

 Over time and distance, the equal rights of women have progressed. Laws have been amended to get more stringent against any injustice against women. Opportunities have been scaled up to provide a growth environment. Media, social platforms, movies and NGOs, all are working to protect the rights of women. Studies are conducted on regular basis and bodies like UNESCO work to show the progress internationally. Media poses questions and there is pressure built to protect the rights. There are reservations to protect the rights of women and countries are now rated based on how well they are protecting the rights of women and leading to their progress. Policy changes have been implemented and women are getting the much needed liberty and they are showing results through their excellence. Their excellence is being celebrated with proper vigilance for their further progress. Any action against women is considered seriously and even misogynistic remarks are not tolerated. The world acknowledges women and respects them. Yes, the gender agenda is gaining momentum.

Looking at it globally, five years back, the world hadn’t heard of many female billionaires. The United States had never had a viable female candidate for president and the Republicans had never had a female VP on their presidential ticket. The world had never heard of an octomom nor had they heard of a woman winning an Oscar as best director. But today the world knows Ms. Mr. Marissa Mayer, Ms. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Nadya Suleman and Kathryn Bigelow and respects them.

So the next five years can have a lot in store:

·         U.S. would have seen a woman President

·         Threat to women’s healthcare would be a thing of past

·         More number of women would be seen in the higher management positions

·          World would see more number of women billionaires

·          Women like Kathryn Bigelow would become a norm on the film industry rather than an exception

·         Almost every sphere would see more women participation and excellence

·         When you’d be about to start a new day of your work, thinking about your dreams, you would have a woman in each sphere to guide your dream and be the role model.

Yes, the story of Marissa Mayer would be the story of many young girls who would dream, innovate and achieve in the future. They would be smart, stylish, business-savvy, and representative of diverse array of background and interests. Yes, they would achieve because society would let them do so. The social norms would not hold them so stringently and they would lead a life lot more liberally for their own and the society’s progress. Yes, the world would see many successful women. Yes, the gender agenda that is gaining momentum today would have an impact in changing lives of lot of young girls out there who have the aspirations to make it big. Yes, few of them have made it big in past and many of them would make it bigger and better with their hardwork in the future. Yes, the world would see these role models who would prove that it is possible to be family oriented, ambitious and successful all while being a well-dressed and well-spoken woman. The glass ceiling would be completely broken and women would live in a much free, emancipated world.

Yes, these changes instill the hope as the gender agenda gains momentum but we need to be vigilant as to what still needs a change. Now what is required is to go beyond meeting women’s basic needs to amplifying their voices as right-holders. The plight of women needs special attention in developing or under-developed countries, in lower castes, among the economically weaker sections. The policy changes to ensure education rights, work, healthcare facilities and the ones that lead to empowerment need to be implemented. They need to be empowered to decision making levels where they can voice their opinion and bring about the change. There’s a need for some changes in the corporate policies to make organizations’ environment more suitable for women. A survey of professional women shows there is a major barrier that is preventing women’s movement in their ladder of career growth. Inclusion of flexible working hours, safe transport facilities, medical benefits, compensatory leaves, maternity benefits are central to the idea of empowering women. All this needs to be done as she is going to be instrumental in defining development and real change in the times to come. Keeping the ground realities and such evidences in mind, global development goals should be framed to ensure that success comes to women. This will let them show their hidden potentials and prove to the world that yes, they are meant to shine and they would shine.

So, yes as the gender agenda gains momentum, more and more women grow up to fulfill their dreams, actions at each one’s individual level, will empower them more and give wings to their dreams. I wish to close this by re-iterating the statement with which I opened:

“Women always had ambition – but the opportunity has blossomed slowly,

Now is the time to use this opportunity to make women rise completely.”