Mind-set and stereotyping are significant barriers for women in leadership roles
Published on : Sunday 08-03-2020
What prompted you to pursue a career in engineering?
Since my school days I have always been inclined towards science. When I was asked to choose a stream, unaware of the fact that it would change my life, I instinctively chose science. After I cleared the entrance exams for engineering, I was advised by all to opt for Computer Science and IT, which were booming streams and many said that being a girl it is the best option for you. But in my mind I was sure what I wanted. I loved being in the chemical industry where in daily life we deal with the basic elements which make all known life on Earth.
My first job was in the Petrochemicals industry, a manufacturing site. In this male dominated world, nobody would take a women seriously so I had to prove myself time and again. Against all prejudices, my manager was my greatest support as he saw the potential in me and helped me grow. He was the reason I kept going. For example, when I had to come in night shift, he made sure that all the arrangements are done for me from transport to safety, etc. I never felt that he thought it would be easy for him assign the job to a male counterpart. Such incidences encouraged me and boosted my confidence.
Invariably there are pulls and pressures – travels, projects, deadlines – how did you handle these?
Travels and deadlines are inevitable in today’s competitive working environment. The 3 Ps, viz., Prioritisation, Pro-active and Planning, have helped me in managing the work without being stressed out and I am able to carry out my work in an efficient way. This way I also get time for self development.
Today we know the importance of well-being in corporate. One of the most important parameters for well-being is work life balance and everybody nowadays is talking about it. In my opinion – and I am saying this from my experience so far – there is no such thing as work life balance. When you have to work/travel, personal life has to adjust and compromise and vice-versa. It’s all about prioritisation, governing how as a working woman we manage our work and life both. It is our own choices that shape our career and life-style.
A woman also has a greater role in managing the home – how supportive is the family?
This statement can’t be truer. Working women have a double shift job. Not only as a wife or mother but also a woman who has to fulfil duties of a daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, friend and many more. My family has been very supportive throughout. My husband is in sales and
is travelling for work most of the times. Mostly it is me and my daughter at home. Without my family’s support I wouldn’t have been able to survive this far. Apart from family, I have put a system in place so that during the day when I am not home everything is manageable.
On a lighter note, I have implemented the training giving at work for managing work and deadlines. It has worked wonders for me. I am able to finish my work within 8 hours and get back home to my daughter in time. It’s all about time-management.
Often projects demand stay away from home. How is that experience?
Traveling for projects is a part of my job role. I have to make arrangements with my parents to come and look after my daughter in my absence. But there are times when they are unable to support. I am thankful to the organisation I work, my manager and work culture that supports me when my family is my priority.
On second thoughts, did you ever wish you had chosen a different stream?
Like I said I am where I wanted to be. But yes there are days when I feel that I have potential to do better in my work. There are projects that I let go because my family would suffer because of travelling involved. I still would have chosen the same career.
Have you ever missed a career opportunity of promotion due to the gender?
Luckily I have never been in such a situation. Gender diversity is important in all roles in at the workplace across the organisation. Bringing more awareness in the organisation can prevent unconscious bias.
Are workplaces today more sensitive to gender issues than say, a decade ago?
It is still fairly common to see fewer women in leadership roles or in workforce which have been male dominated such as in Oil & Gas, or manufacturing and engineering. Gender diversity doesn’t mean your company needs a 50/50 mix of males and females in every job in the company. It does mean, however, that all roles should have a fair representation of both gender.
It also means that every hiring manager should strive to hire the best person available for the open position, without assumptions or prejudices about it being a man’s or woman’s job (traditionally speaking). I believe that we still have a long way to go. I still find gender-coded words in job descriptions and job postings.
It is not only at workplace that we find such mind-set; our society has set job roles for us. I hear it often that I am not a good mother and my daughter lacks mother’s care only because I chose to work. Even at work I have often been told that a mother should not work. This is not
because they see me struggle or know my situation, but because I didn’t follow the rules of society!
Are there areas at work that still restrict women when it comes to leadership role?
I am very sensitive to this topic and have strong opinions about it. Mind-set and stereo-typing is the most significant barrier and a major reason that we don’t see women in leadership roles. We make assumptions about men and women at work. Society has defined jobs for men and women. We see this in everyday life, e.g., a male nurse cannot be an excellent caregiver; or a women cannot be a great military leader due to her femininity.
Society sees women as the primary caregiver and men as the bread winners or providers. We need to break the mind-set that women/mothers cannot be committed to work including travel when it comes to leading a project or leadership roles. And this would happen only when both men and women are educated that they are given equal opportunities and have the right to make their own life choices.
What worries me more is that the bias in unconscious. These hidden, reflexive preferences shape our views and can affect how welcoming and open a workplace is to different people and ideas. In order to overcome this situation what I do is proactively and consistently communicate my desires to advance, travel or take a new assignment. This type of communication has helped me achieve my goals and brought satisfaction when it comes to my career.
What would be your message to the youth, your children for that matter, in career choices?
I strongly believe that prejudices and assumptions are hard to break. A women has to prove her worth and it’s a never ending battle. I have a daughter and I have never taught her the traditional rules of society like ‘this is how a girl behaves’ or ‘this is a game for boys and not girls’. It’s us as a parent who need to teach our children about equality. We should teach our children that household/kitchen is not only for women and men are not for only earning bread. If we teach and inculcate this in our children then next generation will not have to face this situation.We have to bring awareness and break prejudices about women be it either women driver or women in leadership roles.
If you have to mention your career, or life in just 3 words, what would they be?
Ambitious, Flexible – and I recently found out that the meaning of word Amazon – female warrior in Greek – strong and powerful. That would the third word.
Tushar Chandra, an Instrument Engineer by qualification, began her career in 2007 with the petrochemicals industry where she spent 5 years. Since 2012, Tushar is working for Haldor Topsoe as Senior Engineer, where she works with refineries and ammonia, methanol, hydrogen and environmental technologies. Her job includes travel for client meetings and site activities. Tushar Chandra is married for 8 years now and has a daughter who is 4 years old.
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