I always wanted to have a seat at the big table. Even as a kid I used to want to sit at the adult’s table. There was some fascination I had with the high chairs which were almost within my reach. The exclusivity coupled with the impossible, made me want to explore the world beyond my reach.

This desire manifested professionally, as I grew up. I wanted to be at the big table in the offices. The conference rooms where tough decisions were heatedly debated and agreed upon. I took every opportunity, I had to have my voice and opinion heard. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not. I even wrote a screenplay for a short film in day, just because it would be showcased in the Annual Meeting, where I could not go.

I wanted to break the gender roles, so much so that I had once asked my immediate senior in a law firm, to allot tasks to me irrespective of my gender. He reluctantly (or spitefully) agreed. Then I was running around from courtrooms to conferences and offices constantly, apart from doing a lot more work. It was physically strenuous for a while, yet I was happy to have tried denting the glass ceiling, on an individual level.

But, it is not easy to shatter the glass ceiling in real life. Generally, if you want the seat at the big table, you have to cross a lot of hurdles. More so,  if you’re a women. It will take you much longer and a lot more effort to get the same result.

No need to believe me. Just, trust the numbers and the statistics.

According to The World Bank report, there has been a decline in the women participation in the labour force from 27.9% in 1990 to 24.5% in 2017. The Global Gender Gap Report 2017 of the World Economic Forum suggests that  despite higher education, the labor force participation rate for women in 2017 was 28.5%  as compared to 82% for men.

With such skewed numbers, there will be a gap in the pay between men and women. According to the Global Gender Gap Report, women earn 62% of what their male colleagues earn for performing the same work. This is when the gap is closing up!

Both men and women start at the same starting line. In the entry-level jobs, the numbers are usually at par, in both private and public sectors. But something happens by the time they reach middle management levels- there are fewer women than the beginning! Is it because women tend to change jobs more when they get married or have children or that they uproot their lives and move where their significant other lives?

So, it’s a social problem, right?

Then what about the women in the mid-management levels. Why are there so few in the decision making roles? Shouldn’t we ensure that the women who have clearly focused on their competence and ambitions, get the right opportunities? Why are the projects assigned on personal rapports or ‘likability’, instead of competency?

The mindset with respect to work and efficiency is closely associated with the gender roles.

Don’t believe me? Look around.

Where do you see the women in the grand scheme of things?

How many women are there in the decision making positions? Not the token positions. Actual decision making roles which makes a difference in the outcome for any organization.

Don’t take my word. Look at any sector and you’d see that more often than not the men are in charge of the meatier, decision making roles. I was once privy to a hiring manager’s conversation, where he had clearly said that they would rather hire a male employee for a particular position because there is no issue of switching jobs upon marriage or take six months long paid maternity leaves! So, there are organisations which does not want to train and invest time in their female employees because they may choose marriage or children?

How is that fair?

The gender roles are so deeply ingrained that even when we think we have defeated the discrimination, it creeps in.

In several of my interviews, I have been posed certain questions, which I believe will never be posed to a male candidate. I have been asked questions like, when do I intend to get married. A married female friend of mine was asked during an interview, when did she plan on having a baby! The sheer lack of professionalism and sensitivity is appalling.

There is a clear disparity in women participation in the economy. If the same persists, we will be unable to realise the full potential of the labour force. The representation of females in different professional roles is necessary. According to a report, on a global level, 140 women held 12.4% of board seats and just 3.2% of board chairs in 2017. That is an abysmal figure indeed.

But, what can we do to empower women, when even the people who make decisions for a living, the members of the judiciary, have a skewed gender ratio? According to a report of Vidhi Centre For Legal Policy, there is a gender imbalance in the lower courts, with only 27.6% women judges in the lower courts across India!

But is that all we can do? Blame it all on the stereotypes, society and everything else? We cannot expect the mindset of the people and society to change overnight or anytime soon. Then what can women do in order to make themselves indispensable to the organisations?

Women can start building domain knowledge, develop skill sets in the upcoming fields to stand out from the crowd. They can acquire skill sets that make them essential for any organisation.

Being from the legal industry, I am keenly aware that there is an urgent need of qualified lawyers in the evolving industries of technology laws, cyber laws, media laws, etc. If women build their domain knowledge and develop specialised skill sets for these industries, they could shatter the glass ceilings in no time.

There are online courses available for developing practical and theoretical knowledge of such specialised fields of law.

Women have also entered the startup space with brands like Nykaa, Zivame, MobiKwik, Sheroes, Yatra, etc. They have carved their niche in various industries. A study by McKinsey Global Institute stated that India’s GDP could increase anywhere between 16% to 60% by 2025 if more women participated in the workforce.

With at par skill sets, equal opportunities and remuneration in different industries, we can hope to have more women break the so-called social norms, and contribute to the labour force and economy.

Persistence is the key to effect change. Let us all push towards gender equality in the true sense of the word. So that when women bring such great value to table and demand the seat at the big table, they cannot be turned away so easily.