It’s a very hard time for women in this corporate world !
I have been in this world for 11 years now and have seen everything from the best to the worst. I have seen myself grow in this corporate world both professionally and personally. Well “grow” probably,might not be the right word here!
I must rather say I have “…evolved”.But why would I say that women struggle here ?
Well , My thoughts :

>>Women get judged with a blink of the eye !
We talk ,we are judged as too friendly .
“Oh see she is playing her bit of being a woman very well” or “she is taking complete advantage of being a woman ”
We don’t talk we are judged as we have too much of attitude.
“With such an attitude how will she ever grow ” or “she can never be a good leader- look at her attitude”

>>Women are hired/promoted not by just their skills/performance but more by their personal responsibilities / status

“so, what are your marriage plans ?” Or “now that you are married for 2 years, what about baby ? ” or ” your boy is now 3? What about the second child ?”
Note : these are not words/ questions of love or concern .
Any of these coming from our corporate folks are just to decide whether to hire you or not ! To decide ,if you should be given a promotion or not !

“So , what does your husband/ father do ” – very dangerous question I must say 🙂
The answer to this will ,apparently ,decide your dedication and sincerity to work !
-Rich husband/ dad,she might just be working for time pass.
-Family financially not too strong – great hire , she won’t leave soon and will definitely be dedicated .

“Does your husband travel a lot?” – If yes, then she can definitely not focus on her work ! Who will then manage home ?

“How old is your kid?” – yet another dangerous question 🙂
Toddler kid means that she just can’t work.The child would need her and so she can’t focus on her work.
An older kid, means that she would focus on the child’s schooling and education, so again where and how will she focus on work?

Ridiculous isn’t it? 🤷‍♀️
I am surprised at the number of well wishers we have who are so worried about us managing our families , that they ensure that they think of all of this, before adding on more responsibilities to us !!

>>Women are judged not just by their work but also by the time they spend outside work !

“Sorry I can’t come for a drink as I have to go back and spend time with my children ”
that’s it ! It is now certainly decided ,that you are not capable of taking additional responsibilities . Why ? Because ,you could not spare a few extra hours for a drink ? ! So how can one expect you to spend extra hours at work?
Definitely very very logical – Drinks and work are definitely and totally linked !

“I might leave a bit early as I have some errands to run at home” or ” have to leave early as my son is not well” or ” have to leave early as I have to be there for my sons exams to help him prepare ”
that’s it ! you are more of a family person and less of a professional! At this rate how will you manage work and home ? How can one consider you capable enough for more responsibilities?

But ,on the other hand , if I had to go partying or for a concert or just to hangout , I am definitely the cool types and a great fit !

Hilarious 😂 isn’t it?

Well there could be many other struggles, but these are the common ones I see women struggle with every other day !

We see companies today focussing on driving “diversity campaigns” !
Unfortunately it’s just all about numbers .
No one really understands why gender diversity is important.

To me , what a woman brings to the table,a man can never get. What a woman does in her personal life is actually her professional strength as well .

But sadly in the corporate race , in an attempt to compete with our male colleagues, “women become men ” !
This is where , things start to fall.
This is where, women start to judge other women on similar lines as men !
This is where women ,become the reason for other women’s downfall.
This is where women ,forget the basic foundation of our womanhood – to take care and pull our family along .
This is where women ,start to push rather than pull. This is where women , forget being selfless and become selfish!

I have seen many women leaders who have continued to be “women” and are doing the best and are looked up to their leadership abilities. I really wish to see more such Women.

To all the “Men ” of the corporate world – I am a “woman ” and will continue to be so.

I might have 5 kids and other responsibilities to take care of , but if I have decided to work , then that only means that , I know how to take care of my work ! I don’t expect you to sit there on the other side and assume things !

I would be really happy to exchange my biological roles with you , because if i don’t bend/ give in to the laws of nature , you will have no future generations. You will cease to exist ! So someone has to! Fortunately/ unfortunately we women are the chosen ones !

So to all the dear “men ” of the corporate world , ” Don’t judge my capabilities and abilities by my responsibilities ” !

Pleas Note : These thoughts are purely based on MY observations and experiences. 😊