विश्व जनसंख्या दिवस पर जारी आंकड़े बताते हैं कि भारत में परिवार नियोजन की पूरी जिम्मेदारी मुख्य रूप से महिलाओं के कंधों पर ही आ टिकी है। राष्ट्रीय परिवार स्वास्थ्य सर्वेक्षण (NFHS) और विभिन्न राज्य स्वास्थ्य समितियों की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, पुरुष नसबंदी (Vasectomy) की तुलना में महिला बंध्याकरण (Tubectomy) के आंकड़े चौंकाने वाले स्तर तक अधिक हैं। कई जिलों और राज्यों में तो यह अंतर 73% से भी कहीं ज्यादा आगे निकल चुका है।

महिलाओं की नसबंदी: आंकड़ों की कड़वाई

भारत में वर्तमान में केवल 0.5 प्रतिशत पुरुष नसबंदी कराते हैं, जबकि महिलाओं की संख्या इससे 73 गुना ज्यादा है। देश के विभिन्न राज्यों में महिलाओं की नसबंदी के आंकड़े भी इसी पैटर्न को दर्शाते हैं। भारत अब दुनिया का सबसे ज्यादा आबादी वाला देश है, जहां 140 करोड़ से ज्यादा लोग रहते हैं। यह जनसंख्या सिर्फ एक संख्या नहीं बल्कि एक चुनौती भी है। अगर देश की युवा आबादी को सही दिशा में बढ़ाया जाए तो यह भारत की ताकत बन सकती है। लेकिन इसके लिए ना सिर्फ जनसंख्या वृद्धि पर नियंत्रण जरूरी है, बल्कि परिवार नियोजन की जिम्मेदारी भी समान रूप से बांटी जानी चाहिए।

महिलाओं पर भारी परिवार नियोजन का बोझ

पिछले कुछ सालों में जनसंख्या वृद्धि की रफ्तार धीमी हुई है, लेकिन कुल जनसंख्या में बढ़ोतरी जारी है। विश्व जनसंख्या दिवस का यह अवसर हमें जागरूक करने का है कि किस तरह से परिवार नियोजन और स्वास्थ्य जनित मुद्दों का महिलाओं पर दबाव बढ़ता जा रहा है। सरकारी आंकड़ों के अनुसार, 2023-24 में पुरुष नसबंदी का आंकड़ा केवल 0.5% है, जबकि महिलाओं में यह 36.5% है। इसका मतलब है कि स्थायी परिवार नियोजन का भार अभी भी महिलाओं पर है।

राज्यवार आंकड़े: चौंकाने वाली तस्वीर

राजस्थान के भरतपुर जिले में अद्भुत आंकड़े सामने आए हैं। मई 2026 तक केवल एक पुरुष ने नसबंदी कराई, जबकि 544 महिलाओं ने यह ऑपरेशन करवाया। पिछले पांच साल में यहां केवल 0.13% पुरुष और 99.87% महिलाएं इस प्रक्रिया का हिस्सा बनीं। वहीं, मुजफ्फरपुर में पुरुष नसबंदी की उपलब्धि शून्य रही है। ऐसे राज्यों की संख्या में कमी लाने के लिए सामाजिक सोच का बदलाव अत्यंत आवश्यक है।

तेलंगाना की उपलब्धियां

अगर बात करें कुछ राज्यों की, तो तेलंगाना ने पुरुष नसबंदी में अव्वल स्थान प्राप्त किया है, जहां 3.6% दंपतियों ने इस प्रक्रिया को अपनाया है। इसके बाद हिमाचल प्रदेश (2.3%), सिक्किम (1.8%), और छत्तीसगढ़ (1.4%) का नाम आता है। यह सभी राज्य राष्ट्रीय औसत 0.5% से बेहतर प्रदर्शन कर रहे हैं।

राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर भारी अंतर

राष्ट्रीय सर्वेक्षण के आंकड़े दर्शाते हैं कि देश में लगभग 37.9% विवाहित महिलाएं नसबंदी का रास्ता चुनती हैं, जबकि पुरुषों में यह आंकड़ा मात्र 0.3% के आसपास सिमट कर रह गया है।। एक हालिया रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, महाराष्ट्र में बीते चार सालों में नसबंदी कराने वाले प्रत्येक 1 पुरुष के मुकाबले करीब 27 महिलाओं का बंध्याकरण हुआ है।

पारिवारिक योजनाओं में धीमी प्रगति

हालांकि दूसरे राज्यों का प्रदर्शन कमजोर बना हुआ है। मिजोरम और अंडमान-निकोबार द्वीप समूह में पुरुष नसबंदी का आंकड़ा 0.0% है, जबकि अन्य राज्यों जैसे अरुणाचल प्रदेश, गोवा, और उत्तर प्रदेश में भी यह काफी कम है। यह दर्शाता है कि पुरुष नसबंदी के प्रति झिझक खत्म नहीं हुई है।

पुरुषों के पीछे हटने के मुख्य कारण

पुरुषों की इस बेहद कम भागीदारी के पीछे चिकित्सीय कमियां नहीं, बल्कि गहरे सामाजिक और मानसिक कारण जिम्मेदार हैं।  अधिकांश पुरुषों में यह गलत धारणा बैठी हुई है कि नसबंदी कराने से उनके शरीर में कमजोरी आ जाएगी या वे भारी काम नहीं कर पाएंगे। समाज में फैले मिथकों के कारण पुरुषों को लगता है कि इस प्रक्रिया से उनकी मर्दानगी या यौन क्षमता प्रभावित होगी, जो कि पूरी तरह निराधार है। परिवार नियोजन को केवल महिलाओं की जिम्मेदारी मान लेना इस पितृसत्तात्मक समाज की असमानता की सबसे बड़ी जड़ है।

पुरुष नसबंदी क्यों है बेहतर विकल्प?

स्वास्थ्य विशेषज्ञों के मुताबिक, महिला बंध्याकरण की तुलना में पुरुष नसबंदी (NSV – नो स्केलपेल वेसेक्टॉमी) तकनीकी रूप से बहुत ज्यादा सरल, सुरक्षित और कम समय लेने वाली प्रक्रिया है। इसके लिए किसी बड़े चीरे या टांके की जरूरत नहीं होती और अस्पताल में भर्ती होने की भी आवश्यकता नहीं पड़ती है। बढ़ती आबादी को नियंत्रित करने और महिलाओं पर से इसका बोझ कम करने के लिए अब स्वास्थ्य विभाग पुरुषों की काउंसलिंग करने तथा जागरूकता बढ़ाने पर विशेष जोर दे रहा है।

बदलाव की राह: जागरूकता और समझदारी जरूरी

इस असमानता को खत्म करने के लिए जमीनी स्तर पर बड़े बदलावों की जरूरत है। स्वास्थ्य केंद्रों पर सिर्फ महिलाओं को नहीं, बल्कि उनके पतियों को भी परिवार नियोजन के फायदों और सुरक्षित तरीकों के बारे में समझाना होगा। गांवों और कस्बों में प्रभावशाली पुरुषों और स्थानीय नेताओं के जरिए जागरूकता अभियान चलाने होंगे ताकि लोग खुलकर इस पर बात कर सकें।

जिम्मेदारी का अहसास

समाज को यह स्वीकार करना होगा कि परिवार नियोजन किसी एक की नहीं, बल्कि पति और पत्नी दोनों की साझा जिम्मेदारी है। जब समाज में यह समझदारी आएगी कि पुरुष नसबंदी महिला ऑपरेशन की तुलना में कहीं अधिक सरल और सुरक्षित है, तभी आंकड़ों का यह बड़ा अंतर कम हो सकेगा।

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The post विश्व जनसंख्या दिवस: नसबंदी में पुरुष पीछे, महिलाएं आगे, जानिए चौंकाने वाले आंकड़े appeared first on The CSR Journal.

1. Support STEM Education for Girls

One of the main barriers to gender diversity in STEM in India is the lack of access to quality education and resources. Corporate philanthropy can help bridge this gap by supporting programs that promote STEM education for girls. This can include funding science camps, sponsoring robotics teams, and providing educational materials and equipment to schools and community organizations.

For example, the nonprofit organization K-12 STEM, which provides education and resources for STEM students in India, has received significant support from corporations such as Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys. This support has enabled the organization to reach over 20,000 students with its STEM education programs, inspiring a new generation of women to pursue careers in technology.

2. Mentorship Programs

Another way corporate philanthropy can improve gender diversity in STEM in India is by supporting mentorship programs. These programs connect women in STEM careers with mentors who can provide guidance, advice, and support as they navigate the workplace. Mentorship programs can also help address the lack of role models and female representation in STEM industries.

For example, the organization Women in Technology (WIT) India provides mentorship and networking opportunities for women in technology in India. WIT India has received support from companies such as WIPRO, HCL Technologies, and Tata Consultancy Services, which have committed to diversity and inclusion initiatives.

3. Promoting Work-Life Balance

A major challenge for women in STEM careers in India is balancing work and family responsibilities. Corporate philanthropy can help address this challenge by supporting programs and initiatives that promote work-life balance. This can include funding flexible work arrangements, providing on-site child care, and supporting family-friendly policies.

For example, the company Infosys has been a leader in promoting work-life balance for its employees, including offering flexible schedules, telecommuting options, and paid parental leave. By promoting these policies, corporate philanthropy can help make STEM careers more accessible and appealing to women in India.

4. Advocating for Gender Equality

Corporate philanthropy can also play a role in advocating for gender equality in STEM in India. This can include supporting research and policy initiatives aimed at addressing gender-based discrimination, promoting equal pay for equal work, and addressing the gender pay gap in STEM industries.

For example, the organization Association for Women in Science (AWIS) India, which works to promote gender diversity in STEM, has received support from companies such as IBM, Intel, and Microsoft. This support has enabled the organization to conduct research, develop policy recommendations, and advocate for gender equality in STEM in India.

5. Investing in Women-Led Startups

Finally, corporate philanthropy can help improve gender diversity in STEM in India by investing in women-led startups. By providing funding and support to women entrepreneurs in STEM, corporations can help break down the barriers that women face in starting and growing their businesses.

For example, the organization Women Entrepreneurs of India (WEI), which supports women entrepreneurs in various industries, including technology, has received support from companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. This support has helped to promote the growth of women-led startups in the technology sector and inspire a new generation of women to pursue careers.

In conclusion, corporate philanthropy has a significant role to play in improving gender diversity in STEM in India. By supporting education, mentorship, work-life balance, advocacy, and women-led startups, corporations can help address the challenges that women face in STEM fields and promote gender equality. By investing in initiatives that promote STEM education for girls, mentorship programs, family-friendly policies, and women-led startups, corporations can help create a more inclusive and diverse STEM industry. Additionally, by advocating for gender equality and promoting policies that address discrimination and the gender pay gap, corporations can help create a more equitable and supportive environment for women in STEM. By working together, corporations and nonprofit organizations can help break down the barriers that prevent women from pursuing and succeeding in STEM careers in India.

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Later in the year, ‘Asia Dialogues’ will gather thought leaders and experts from across countries to engage on topics like Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Sustainable Finance, Digital Transformation and Climate Change, among others.

The Diversity and Inclusion event was organised by SpeakIn in partnership with HDFC ERGO’s Sharing Circles, which is the general insurance company’s sustainable initiative aimed at true inclusivity. It had a keynote address by Sunam Sarkar, Executive Director, President and Chief, Business Officer, Apollo Tyres. The Panel Discussion that followed featured industry thought leaders that included Renee Tan, Business Transformational Leader, MD, HashTaqs; Alexander Krasavin, Chief Commercial Officer, Human Capital Solutions, APAC at Aon; Sudakshina Bhattacharya, Chief Human Resources Officer, HDFC ERGO General Insurance; ArvinderGujral, Former Managing Director (South-East Asia) of Twitter; Anthea Collier, Managing Director (APAC) Randstad; and Michael Brown, award-winning author and entrepreneur based in UK.

Deepshikha Kumar, Founder and CEO, SpeakIn, moderated the discussion. The themes covered by the speakers included cognitive diversity, cognitive bias, and creating a safe and secure environment for people to thrive at the workplace. The panel underlined how organisations can grow to their full potential when there is equality and zero bias.

The event recognised top 10 diversity and inclusion champions from the Asian region for their outstanding contribution in furthering the D&I cause. They included Sophie Guerin, Alisha Fernando, Preeti D’mello, Duncan Hewett, Lynette Pathy, Nandini Sarkar, Bianca Stringuini, Kaveree Bamzai, Daniel Clarke, AngelKilian.

Commenting on the first edition of Asia Dialogues, Deepshikha Kumar, Founder and CEO of SpeakIn said, “We have always been at the forefront of dialogues on matters that can not only initiate the change but drive the business, social and policy ecosystem overall. The intent behind Asia Dialogues is to bring forth much-needed discussions on a wide array of topics that can impact the world’s largest continent that Asia is.”

She said: “It was a day full of learning, and rich perspectives on D&I. Our expert speakers not only stressed the need for cognitive diversity but shared how it needs to be included from the very beginning of employee experience. We look forward to having more such conversations in the near future and hope Asia Dialogues will be the most meaningful platform for it.”

Delivering the keynote address, Sunam Sarkar, Executive Director, President and Chief, Business Officer, Apollo Tyres, said, “For the full potential of D&I to be unleashed many myths about it need to be busted, among them the notion that it means lowering the bar and that’s a barrier we must get rid of.” Diversity, he said, is like being invited to the party and inclusion is being asked to dance.

Taking part in the panel discussion, Arvinder Gujral, Former Managing Director (South-East Asia) of Twitter said that if organisations cannot connect diversity and inclusion to eventual business outcomes, D&I remains an amorphous concept. “While we try to remove long years of unconscious bias and accept D&I,” Mr. Gujral said, “it is time to to look beyond diversity only in terms of colour and creed, we need to embrace diversity of opinions in the objectives and key results of our organisations. That’s real diversity and inclusion.”

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If companies deprioritize Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) during the Covid-19 crisis, the impact is felt not just on the bottomline but also in people’s lives. Research and experience warn us that diverse talent can be at risk during a downturn for several reasons, including that downsizing can have a disproportionate impact on the roles typically held by diverse talent.

As companies experiment with remote and hybrid work shifts, this could reinforce existing exclusive behaviours and unconscious biases and undermine inclusion. In addition, unequal sharing of childcare and homeschooling responsibilities, and unequal availability of home workspace and access to broadband could be putting women and minorities at a disadvantage during this time of working remotely.

Benefits of D&I in this era

There is ample evidence that diverse and inclusive companies are likely to make better, bolder decisions — a critical capability in the crisis. For example, diverse teams have been shown to be more likely to radically innovate and anticipate shifts in consumer needs and consumption patterns — helping their companies to gain a competitive edge.

In this context, the shift to technology-enabled remote working since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, presents an opportunity for companies to accelerate building inclusive and agile cultures — further challenging existing management routines. With its benefits of increased flexibility, remote working can facilitate retention of women and minorities, who are often shouldered with a disproportionate share of family duties. It thus widens access to an array of diverse talent that may not have been available to companies previously.

Moreover, a visible commitment to I&D during the crisis is likely to strengthen companies’ global image and license to operate. In times of crisis, stakeholders typically interrogate a company’s purpose and values even more closely, potentially even more so in the current pandemic. Those that tap into the growing sense of solidarity that is a characteristic of the crisis — by reaffirming their commitment to I&D, supporting vulnerable talent who are at greater risk of infection, and reaching out to local communities — could strengthen employee motivation and win lasting approval.

D&I in India

Companies and their leaders can seize this moment — both to protect the gains they have already made, as well as to leverage D&I to position themselves to prosper in the future. The process is already in full swing worldwide, and India is catching up. One development on their frontier was the India Diversity Conclave held in April 2021. It was the first conclave of India Diversity Forum (IDF), a section 8 company formed to create awareness about diversity and inclusion.

The Conclave witnessed the support of over 50 companies as diversity champions and AGS Health and Skillsoft as Associate sponsors. Among them was Ankit Bansal, Founder and CEO of Sapphire Human Solutions, and on the Board of Advisors of IDF. He said, “IDF will work with its members to collectively raise the bar on D&I in India with a strong focus on achieving tangible, quantifiable results that lead to economic and social benefits to our members, industry and nation at large” while Dr Ritu Anand, Chief Leadership and Diversity Officer, Tata Consultancy Services — also an Advisor of IDF — stated: “When barriers of minds are removed, the economic success follows.”

Real world example: Sindhu Gangadharan

Since 2011, SAP has planned to increase women leadership by 25% in 2017 and 30 percent by 2022. Sindhu Gangadharan, Senior Vice President and Managing Director at SAP Labs India, is a testament to SAP’s advocacy on equality and inclusivity. An SAP long-timer and as the first woman to lead SAP Labs India, she is breaking the glass ceiling not only in the tech space but most importantly in India where women empowerment has just started to gain momentum.

Gangadharan started her career in the CRM Middleware space as a young developer in SAP Labs in Bangalore back in 1999 before moving to Walldorf in 2001. Uprooting her family in India and mastering the foreign language, she built her career in Germany for 18 years witnessing the growth and development of SuccessFactors, Fieldglass, Concur, Ariba, the cloud platform, S/4, and Digital Business Services. In 2019, Gangadharan was called for a leadership role back in SAP Labs India as Managing Director to replace another SAP veteran Dilipkumar Khandelwal.

Diversity Winner: Wipro

‘Begin Again’ is Wipro’s Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) initiative for women who are looking to relaunch their career post a break – be it for a sabbatical, motherhood, elderly care, travel, passion, or any other personal reasons. For the LGBTQ+ community at Wipro, the goal is to create a workplace and environment where they are welcomed, feel safe, treated with equal respect and acceptance and not subjected to bias. The company has a comprehensive framework “Pride” that guides their initiatives and programmes in this space — right from promoting an equitable workplace, reviewing existing policies, involving leaders, driving change through awareness sessions and engaging with the community and allies to build a strong network. Through their ERG, Wipro Pride aims to reinforce the importance of inclusion across the organization by creating a space where employees can share relevant information and best practices, meet other LGBTQ+ and Ally employees, discuss workplace concerns and more.

Diversity Winner: Accenture

Wherever possible, Accenture provides identical employee benefits to same-sex and opposite-sex partners. The company is leading change in the country with policies and benefits focused on the caregiver rather than marital status or gender. Partners of their LGBTI employees enjoy insurance benefits; transmen who can bear children can avail the 26-week maternity leave; and all secondary caregivers no matter their gender are eligible for paternal, surrogacy and adoption leave. The company is also breaking barriers with programmes like the Accenture Inclusive Internship, which is all about hands-on experience and relevant work experience to build future careers for young transgenders and other marginalized youth.

For people with visible and invisible disabilities, Accenture is thinking accessible—whether it’s deploying assistive technologies or providing reasonable accommodations with workplace adjustments and transport arrangements. Currently, 75% of the company’s applications are accessible. With programmes like Abilities Unleashed, Accenture is helping PwD (persons with disabilities) employees explore career opportunities they may not have considered before and become authentic leaders and role models.

Inclusive hiring in hospitality

Organizations in the hospitality industry like Lemon Tree, InterContinental, Sarovar and ITC have identified suitable roles basis the disability in Food & Beverage (F&B) service, housekeeping, security, laundry, concierge through various NGOs across the country. Big Bazaar too is closely connected with various NGOs that work with PwDs. These NGOs become the recruitment pools from which Big Bazaar hires. Jubilant Food Works runs the ‘Inclusive Employment Programme’ for PwDs. Till date, they have recruited more than 200 people having hearing and speech impairment across the country in their restaurants.

McKinsey & Company, in their report ‘Diversity Wins’, took a close look at the companies in their data set that are achieving higher levels of diversity — and benefitting from an increased likelihood of financial outperformance. The common thread for these diversity winners is a systematic approach, together with bold steps to strengthen inclusion.

Not only do diversity winners articulate a bespoke, business-driven case for D&I change and set themselves general representation targets, they also thoughtfully consider what forms of multivariate diversity to prioritize, and why. They focus on advancing various forms of diverse talent specifically into executive, line-management, technical and board roles — not only addressing leadership appointments but also fixing the ‘broken rungs’ of the corporate ladder along the way.

This article appears in the January 2022 magazine by The CSR Journal. To grab your copy, click here

The post Who are the Diversity Winners in the Pandemic Era? appeared first on The CSR Journal.

At a time when companies deplore the lack of enthusiasm for the managerial function and when the younger generations expect managers to behave differently from their predecessors, could women be the future of management?

For the new generations, a manager whose authority is only statutory has little chance of succeeding. Young people want a manager whom they will respect for his/ her competence and who will guide him/ her in the development of their skills. We have moved from an authority of status and control that cannot be discussed to an authority of competence with inspiring management. This requires a posture of authentic, respectful, honest, humble, transparent and close accompaniment. In short, a well-intentioned and inspiring management… A transformation that represents a real challenge for companies!

In this regard, a study by the EDHEC NewGen Talent Centre, which examined nearly 66,000 personality and motivation tests, reveals the professional behaviour of women who are authentic, flexible, sensitive and altruistic. In other words, attitudes that are all assets in view of new managerial expectations.

The strength of this study lies in the originality of its methodology. It is not a specific questionnaire for women on their abilities and willingness to manage, which inevitably leads to bias, but an examination of the answers to tests taken by individuals to get to know themselves better.

Emotional intelligence

Women inspire trust: women are committed to transparency (+12%) and authenticity, and are 13% more likely to be objective in their work than men. Women, who are sincerer, are therefore more likely to be trusted by their superiors and colleagues. Moreover, this tendency is reinforced with experience, and this trust facilitates their ability to manage.
They are also better peacekeepers in conflict situations. Indeed, they are more likely to find common ground and 13% are more flexible than men at work. This greater ease in resolving conflicts is undoubtedly reinforced by their greater extraversion than men (+8%). This extraversion tends to increase slightly with age and will be essential in managerial negotiation situations.

Compared to men, women are 38% more likely to show emotional sensitivity at work. Being able to be calm and distant as well as passionate depending on the situation, women have access to their emotions more easily. This inclination allows them to demonstrate a high level of emotional intelligence and empathy, which are essential qualities for managers, especially for the new generations who are keen to receive regular feedback on their work.

Finally, on a behavioural level, women are more instinctive when it comes to making decisions. They have a better grasp of situations and do not hesitate to use their intuition. Coupled with their past experiences, this inclination can facilitate the fluidity of managerial decisions.

Do women really want to manage?

Where men have stronger preference for competition, women are more interested in stable situations. They declare that they prefer professional stability (+17% compared to men) to professional development. While this attitude does not always favour their career progression, it also reflects greater loyalty and fidelity to their company, which is essential for assuming a managerial role.

They are also more likely to make the best of their professional situation and, as such, set an example for younger generations who tend to be impatient when things are not perfect in their jobs. While women seek clear direction and feedback from their superiors, they are also more open to criticism and questioning, an interesting feature for modernised management. They also accept more easily a rather structured environment, which is reassuring for large organisations that are still struggling to break away from their organisational frameworks.

Finally, in terms of integration and team spirit, women prefer to adopt an altruistic attitude (+14% compared to men). They are therefore an asset when it comes to welcoming, integrating and getting new employees to contribute, which is a key concern for world leaders.

In conclusion, if this study can confirm women’s ability to manage, it should also convince companies of their motivation to take on these responsibilities and thus resolve this crisis of managerial vocations.

Views of the author are personal and do not necessarily represent the website’s views.

The author Manuelle Malot has been Director of Careers and Prospective at EDHEC Business School for over 20 years. Operating from campuses in Lille, Nice, Paris, London, and Singapore, EDHEC is one of the top 15 European business schools. Fully international and directly connected to the business world, EDHEC commands a strong reputation for research excellence and the ability to train entrepreneurs and managers capable of breaking new ground. Malot founded the NewGen Talent Centre, a centre of expertise on the motivations, behaviours and skills of new generations in 2012. She is the expert on graduate programmes in France, on which she has published several studies, articles and books, and gives lectures in France and abroad.

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The sixth economic census released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) highlights that women constitute around 14% of the total entrepreneurship in India, and this number is bound to grow with more and more women jumping aboard the entrepreneurship route to success. We list the self-made tech-entrepreneurs of India who are paving the way for other women to follow.

5 self-made women tech leaders from India

1. Falguni Nayar

Founder, Nykaa

Online beauty and lifestyle store Nykaa is the brainchild of India’s first self-made female billionaire entrepreneur Falguni Nayar. With the Nykaa IPO creating a buzz in the share market, she has marked her presence in Indian startup history. After serving 20 years as a venture investor and merchant with Kotak Mahindra, she suddenly announced her departure to pursue her dream. Nykaa was founded in 2012; capitalizing on the scope of beauty and skincare products online.

Falguni is associated with one of the top B-schools in India, IIM Ahmedabad. She has been honoured as ‘Businesswoman of the Year’ at the Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence 2019, for her contribution to the Indian beauty industry, and conferred the ‘Woman Ahead’ award at the Economic Times Startup Awards in 2017.

2. Debjani Ghosh

President, NASSCOM

Debjani a veteran of the technology industry, and a staunch champion of gender diversity in corporate India, Debjani was the first woman to lead Intel India, Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology (MAIT), and now NASSCOM. Over her illustrious career spanning over two decades, she held diverse leadership roles across geographies in South and Southeast Asia at Intel.

3. Upasana Taku

Co-Founder, Mobikwik

India’s largest independent mobile payments network, MobiKwik, was founded by Upasana Taku and Bipin Preet Singh in April 2009. It allows you to shop at stores, pay bills, recharge, send money, accept payments with 1-tap and connect over 30 million users with 75,000 retailers. An alumnus of Stanford University, Upasana has over 10 experience in the fintech sector. She is the first female to run a payments company in India. Upasana’s mantra “Kick up a storm or die trying” has helped her to stay focused in difficult times. According to her, tenacity is the key. Her entrepreneurial journey has been an inspiration for many young women in tech. She has been awarded the ‘Best Woman Entrepreneur Award 2017’ by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

4. Akanksha Hazari

Founder, LoveLocal

Akanksha Hazari is a successful second-time entrepreneur with over a decade of business experience across India, MENA and the US. She founded LoveLocal in January 2020. LoveLocal is a hyperlocal e-commerce marketplace that is revolutionising how India shops by empowering local retailers and digitising the $1.1 trillion unorganised retail market. The company’s mission is to power the largest retail network in the world and deliver the neighbourhood shopping experience of the future. Under Akanksha’s leadership, the brand has grown 40 times since inception and currently serves over 35 cities across India.

The multi-talented founder is also an alumnus of prestigious institutes like Princeton and Cambridge. She has been acknowledged globally, with The Hult Prize 2011, where she was awarded $1 million by former US President Bill Clinton and Vital Voices Global Economic Empowerment Award 2016. Akanksha is also a polyglot as she can speak 6 languages from around the world and has been the only Indian tech entrepreneur to be featured in the book ‘100 Women Using their Power to Empower’.

5. Smiti Bhatt Deorah

Co-Founder, Advantage Club

HRTech startup Advantage Club, founded by Sourabh and Smiti Deorah in 2014, is an AI-enabled platform for driving employee engagement. Chief Operating Officer of the company, Smiti Deorah is an alumnus of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) and has done her Master’s in computer science. She used to work with tech giant Microsoft in the US before becoming a tech leader. She manages a lot of vertices in Advantage Club: sales, marketing, tech, etc.

Women in tech face many challenges, but Smiti takes a different view on this topic. She finds entrepreneurship to be a roller coaster ride. In one online interview, she said: “Challenges are overrated. They are simply opportunities to improve the quality of something. You shy away from the challenge, you miss out the opportunity. As an entrepreneur, I face multiple challenges everyday, it’s hard to pinpoint one given the diversity of my role. Be it something as trivial as work item prioritization to something as big as a live-site issue, work keeps throwing opportunities towards me everyday to keep constantly improving product quality.”

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Wiley is an American multinational publishing company that empowers researchers, learners, universities, and corporations to achieve their goals. They develop digital education, learning, assessment, and certification solutions to help universities, businesses, and individuals move between education and employment and achieve their ambitions. By partnering with learned societies, they support researchers to communicate discoveries that make a difference. Their online scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, books, and other digital content build on a 200-year heritage of quality publishing.

To understand Wiley’s contribution to corporate citizenship in India, The CSR Journal spoke to Prashasti, who is also Wiley India’s CSR & Diversity lead. Before joining Wiley, Prashasti served as the Director at the South Asia office of Frankfurter Buchmesse where she ran multiple international projects relating to Consulting, Brand Storytelling and Content Development.

Prashasti also developed a learning app to encourage content creators to develop content in Indian languages and upskill themselves through Masterclasses by renowned authors like Jerry Pinto. In the International affairs circuit, she has worked with German Academic Exchange Service, South Asia and was on the core team of the Indo-German Centre for innovation and scientific exchange (DWIH). She has studied Information Technology at the University of Delhi and holds an MBA degree from the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q 1: What does CSR mean to you at Wiley India?

Our CSR initiatives are driven by the purpose of encouraging young talent from the underprivileged communities, especially women and girls, to become ‘Atmanirbhar’ (self-reliant) so that they can stand on their own feet and could contribute to India’s growth and development story. Along with our partners’ support, we provide skill-based and vocational training to underprivileged children and orphaned girls and aid them in leading a meaningful life full of respect and dignity.

Q 2: You are a DivHERsity Champion 2021. Tell us more.

The DivHERsity Awards by JobsForHer recognises exceptional work done by companies to accelerate female participation and performance in the Indian workforce. The awards laud companies that are walking the talk and doing everything it takes to meet and surpass their diversity and inclusion goals, making the Indian workplace a women-friendly space.

Q 3: How does Wiley walk the talk when it comes to diversity?

Wiley firmly believes in the tenets of diversity and inclusion and places a huge impetus on advancing the cause across the globe.

Besides focusing our CSR efforts on employability skilling, the company is also engaged in shaping workforce of the future through WileyNXT and Mthree initiatives. Wiley mthree sources the talent from the non-metro towns in India; train them in emerging technologies and to help them start careers at Fortune 500 Companies. To put it simply, it bridges the gap and serve two purposes- help build a diverse, inclusive and skilled talent from tier-II/III cities in India and help companies meet their diversity and inclusion objectives and goals.

60% of our candidates in the mthree programmes in India are females. Our mthree cohorts have representation from almost every nook and corner of India which includes even north-eastern states as far as Meghalaya. More than 50% of our mthree alumni are from economically weaker sections of the society. Based on the success and broader philosophy of mthree, Wiley has won three awards at D&I Summit 2021 recognizing its efforts towards promoting D&I in a true holistic manner.

Q 4: Tell us about CSR initiatives by Wiley India. How does your CSR initiative Mitra help empower the girl child?

At Wiley, we have been actively championing the cause of ‘skilling’ and promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce. Most of our CSR initiatives are aligned with the similar objective of encouraging and building an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

‘Project Swayam’ in collaboration with ‘Jagriti’ is one of the initiatives wherein we focus on job-oriented training and mentoring for slum dwellers including children, women and youth. Wiley had built a Skill Development Centre within the Kali Basti slum area in Delhi. It is here that we host sessions and conduct training in several batches for slum residents, which run throughout the day to align with the work and school timings of the enrolled candidates. Before the pandemic, the underprivileged children at the Centre were being trained in computer, mobile repair, make-up and grooming, and spoken English/ personality development. However, taking cognizance of the pandemic and prioritizing the health and safety of people, we decided to halt the training. It shall resume as soon as the situation becomes plausible.

Wiley India also has a collaboration with ‘Little Star Home’ and the aim of this partnership is to empower the orphaned girls with skill-based training. Little Star Home is an all-girls orphanage that acts as a haven for victims rescued from flesh trade, trafficking, and many other forms of social injustices. Under this CSR initiative, the girls of the orphanage are trained in various skill sets such as in the fields of computers, culinary, beauty, fashion designing, arts and crafts, martial arts, swimming, wrestling, horse riding etc. With proper guidance and adequate support, some of these girls have made it to the national and district levels for horse riding and shooting. Till date, over 400 precious lives have been transformed via meaningful interventions.

It is only recently that we announced an employee volunteering initiative, Project ‘Mitra’. It is an extension of our association with ‘Little Star Home’. This initiative has two-pronged objectives: one is to instill a sense of security amongst the children so that they are able to lead their lives with dignity, and second is to provide a platform to our employees to give back to the society in their own little ways.

Under this CSR initiative, Wiley India’s employees act as a ‘Mitra’ (friend) to the ‘Little Stars’. They play a vital role in the social integration and inclusion of the young girls of the ‘Little Star Home’. As ‘Mitras’, employees (individually or along with their respective families) interact and engage with the little stars (kids at the orphanage) as their friends, family, and mentors to help and support them.

Q 5: Tell us more about the bridge learning solution, WileyNXT. Does it contribute to promoting STEM education for women?

WileyNXT is our company’s innovative learning solution built to bridge the skill gap. It offers professional learning and education programmes in new and emerging technologies, which are relevant for today’s workforce. Our programmes are designed by Wiley Innovation Advisory Council (WIAC), a body of 70 industry and academia leaders.

Under WileyNXT, we offer professional and skill-based learning, focused on industry 4.0 and 4.1. This is facilitated in an association and partnership with premier educational institutions across the globe.

In the latest (2021) fortune 500 list, it was revealed that only 41 companies out of 500 are headed by women CEOs, which means that just 8.1% of the leadership positions and hats are with women. At our company, we address this gender gap by imagining and encouraging a world with gender inclusive workforces.

WileyNXT programmes offer special and exclusive scholarships for women known as ‘TechitLikeher’ Scholarship. Under this, 50% waiver on programme fee is offered to meritorious women candidates’ basis an assessment test. Our vision is to encourage women upskilling and learning in new and advanced technologies to have more and more women technology leaders.

Q 6: What role will industry partnerships and public-private partnerships play in the socio-economic development in coming years?

We are living in a world where collaboration between public and private enterprises are producing world-class results and outcomes. If we were to particularly talk about socio-economic development projects, we have multiple success stories relating to PPP. When public-private entities collaborate, they bring together their own expertise and then work towards addressing a common problem or issue. The common agenda corroborated by the vision and purpose of making a meaningful difference to the lives and livelihoods of communities, then becomes the defining objective.

Based on the success of such a model, we may see more and more such collaborations for the welfare and development of the society.

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It has been noted that overconfidence is the key factor that drives CEOs — predominantly male CEOs — to underestimate risks and make rash decisions with negative bottom-line consequences. The research does not make the case that women act as moderating influences because they are less confident.

The study says that “One benefit of having female directors on the board is a greater diversity of viewpoints, which is purported to improve the quality of board deliberations, especially when complex issues are involved because different perspectives can increase the amount of information available.”

They also emphasize previous research that supports other elements of strength and confidence that women directors tend to possess. That includes a tendency to be less conformist and more independent in thinking.

Interestingly, the authors point out that independent thinking is linked to the absence of a supportive “old-boy” network, in which insiders are reluctant to challenge each other.

The result is that female directors tend to be more confident about challenging a male CEO’s decisions.

The authors chose to study CEO behaviour from 1998 to 2013, a period when women in top positions were a rarity. In the study sample, women accounted for only 2.9 per cent of CEOs and 10.4 per cent of board members overall.

As an indicator of overconfidence, the authors examined how CEOs in the study sample exercised stock options.

Overconfidence is evident among CEOs who continue to hold their options when the market price is already high. The survey showed that male CEOs were less likely to continue holding options when women were present on their board. They also found that female representation on boards correlated with the ability of companies to manage risk during the peak years of the financial crisis, from 2007 to 2009. The findings suggest that these companies were exposed to less risk in the run-up to the market collapse.

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Many rounds of on-the-job training were conducted ― the new recruits were introduced to the various facilities, trains and metro stations as part of their training, says a report in Economic Times. In terms of publicity, it also functioned as a “significant symbol of the modernity of Kerala’s outlook as a State, with the visible third sex presence in the public utility sending an important message to society at large”, according to Kerala’s Finance Minister Thomas Isaac.

Kerala was also the first state to formulate a transgender policy to protect the community from discrimination in 2015.

However, the publicity did the new employees more harm than good. Allegedly, newspapers published some of their photographs without their permission, and now their identity can no longer be a secret. It has complicated their relationships with their families. Moreover, they reported harassment on the job, as well as the inadequate salary and not being able to pay their rent.

The lack of gender neutral washrooms is also a source of discomfort. As most transgender people avoid public transport to circumvent harassment, commuting becomes costlier because they have to depend on taxis and autos or use their own vehicles, says a report by Godrej India Culture Lab titled ‘A Manifesto For Trans Inclusion In The Indian Workplace’. Within a week of the Metro’s launch, eight of the trans hirees had quit.

“Though there are many vacant houses for rent, the owners refuse to hire it out to us. We’re forced to stay in lodges coughing up over INR 600 per day. The problem of finding a shelter turned out to be an unexpected issue,” said Sheetal Shyam, a ticketing officer in an interview to Deccan Chronicle.

However, KMRL is working on feedback and trying to retrace their steps. “We have arranged for rooms in a hostel in Kakkanad, about 10km away from the metro station they work at. Twelve of them who need accommodation have agreed to move into these rooms by July 1. KMRL will also be providing them with a transport facility so that they can report to work easily,” Reshmi, a KMRL spokesperson told The News Minute. To make amends, Kerala’s Social Justice Department has proposed a toilet for transgender people at the KSRTC depot in Ernakulam.

This goes to show that only when a company hires trans people can they learn from their mistakes and fix them, because inaction and policies that simply stay on paper will continue to leave the trans community in the lurch.

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Ernst and Young reported that the female representation on boards in the NIFTY 500 companies has increased from 5% in 2012 to 13% in 2017. That is a whopping increase of almost 300% which is a lot for a patriarchal society like India. It has certainly put India on the road map to giving women equal rights and responsibilities in the corporate world.

According to PrimeDatabase, as of January 2018, out of 1723 NSE listed companies, 1667 companies had met the mandate of having at least one woman director in the boards. Of this, about 425 companies have appointed the women from the promoter group or family members. Data showed that 285 companies had more than one woman on board while 56 companies did not have any women directors.

Women in India have been fighting for equal rights since forever. They struggle to meet even their basic needs of education and food due to the social stigma attached to a woman from the time she takes birth. However, the country is slowly but surely moving towards developing an equal society.

The mandate of having a woman director on the board could start a trend wherein people would see that woman are capable enough to take up leadership. It will alter the mindset of the people in the country who still live in ancient times and associate women in India with household chores.

In order to achieve this equality in the country, the companies need to conform to this law and ensure that they don’t just tick the box of having a woman director in their boards but also give them equal opportunities to contribute positively at board meetings. By doing this, the companies are not only meeting the law and bringing diversity in their boards but are also bringing about a long overdue social change in one of the fastest growing counties in the world.

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