Gender Diversity at Workplace- A Myth

On this women's day , I wish everyone (mainly Males) Happy Women's Day. You know why? Wait till the end to find out.....

Every Large or Small Corporate boasts of Gender Equality today .35%, 40%,50%......Rubbish....Data always doesn't speak the truth.Today , let me reveal the dark side of corporates . I take the privilege to speak on behalf of women whose stories is heart wrenching to say the least. This is all from personal accounts of people. First hand shared with me.So data quality is supreme.

I have been part of some of the best organizations across the world ....and trust me it's more or less same everywhere except may be 1% exception...Degrees might vary but I hate when Male/Female leaders use the phrase "There is no glass ceiling ........".

My first advice to all young , middle aged gals out there in corporate world is " Learn to respect yourself before you demand respect from colleagues"........Stop considering yourself a female workforce , you are just Employee No. XXXX.............Why do you need Flexibility ? When u stand up for "Equal Pay " then say No to Flexibility......

Never try to nudge excuses based on gender , You are demeaning yourself by doing so and killing the way God made it " All Human beings are Equal"

Realities....You would be shocked, surprised , astonished....But underneath you have all seen it happen either with a colleague , your subordinate or even boss.......that the whole approach changes when there is female gender involved. Which organization today does not run a " Gender Diversity " workshop today....We all as we want to be seen as a Cutting Edge company who cares for its female employees...Sorry to all HR leaders reading this , but please stop it from today. Because by telling Managers , that this is the way you should deal with Male vs Female Employees , The damage is done.

I have had the priveledge of having 3 female bosses and and 6 males bosses across companies....So a 33%.......split and I do not see any difference based on Gender on how they approached me or vice versa (except couple of exceptions lately ) and thats the way it should be.

Boss 1: Asking a female employee to take a narrower role so that she can be flexible/WFH/ and not giving her an equally challenging role when she is blessed.

Boss 2 : Harassing a female employee so much , that she anyway gets into a mental trauma and quits post child birth...like enforcing timimngs /no WFH policy......Wake up leaders we are living in a connnected world.....After all family /childern are the priority and I agree. If u r in a situation , where you have to chose between getting stressed daily during n post pregnancy , I would recommend quit as your child is a blessing for you and the company /read boss is not....

Boss 3: You leave office at 6-7 pm , The boss says in your 1:1s every month , you miss after office gossips that are so critical to understand and work through at leadership positions , and be politically aligned .Might impact your Career and the way people percieve you , you dont work hard enough( He forgets the fact that the lady logs in at 4 am in morning and works for good 3 hrs before she takes up the role of the mother and also she is in offfice before everyone else as 9 hrs is the Golden rule.

Boss 4: Can you travel to US for a short term project for a year........No Sir ....I hv family in India. Repeat it twice/thrice and a perfect case of Below expectations . As an HR / Manager you do need to fit everyone into Bell curve , right? and as you cant site this reason , you put it on performance of course...

Boss 5: You lose precious 2 years of hard work in this cut throat environment as you go for a maternity leave .....You are at best a G ...Good performer

Boss 6:This one is my fav....You miss office dinners and get togethers.......in evenings.......This is the time you Network .......try to please bosses by snatching your childern's/spouses time and spend time discussing politics ....and .....Shhhh

Boss 7: You should not compromise on family life by staying separately for a year or so, see my wife doesnt work so that we stay together. It was a mutual agreement . I feel like calling their wives on conference line , to understand if it was actually mutual or forced?

I can go on..and on.....But I love brevity......So this women's day let's pledge to stop all Gender Diversity workshops, Flexi timings , Safety guidelines, He for she campaigns in a dustbin as......Ground realities are shockingly different...If you dont trust this article , just look around your team /office and you will have live examples. Better still ask your wives " Is your organization gender friendly ???"