Deepshikha Kumar is the Founder of SpeakIn and is based in India. SpeakIn is Asia’s finest and largest AI-enabled network of speakers and thought leaders.
What according to you are the successes of gender equality movement which gathered momentum towards the end of the last decade?
As I reflect on the last decade, I think of the many powerful ways that women’s movements are shaping conversations, practices, and ultimately policies—relentlessly pursuing crucial efforts to advance human rights for all, despite tremendous opposition.
The year kicked off with women in India literally standing hand-in-hand to demand equality. On 1st January, 2019, in one of the biggest movements for women’s rights in India, 5 million women lined up across the length of Kerala, demanding an end to violent agitations against women trying to enter Sabarimala temple. This was followed by the ruling by the Supreme court in September which forced the temple’s doors open to women of all ages. The sight of the 385 mile (620km) “women’s wall” – one of the largest ever congregations of women in the world – rekindled hopes for a genuine movement.
There were several other legal wins, strategic breakthroughs, and moments of resilience like the Indian courts upholding the right of an unwed mother to apply for sole guardianship over her minor son without prior consent of the child’s absentee biological father.
Women’s movement made gains in Chile and Ireland, where abortion—previously banned completely in both countries—was decriminalized. We also saw women in the Middle East rally for equality in inheritance and citizenship laws and who can forget the viral image of the 22-year-old Alaa Salah, a Sudanese student and anti-government protester who became a symbol of the revolution after a video of her leading chants in traditional white attire went viral symbolizing uprisings in Sudan, Lebanon and Iraq.
Looking back on all that was accomplished reminds us of the incredible power, resolve, and boldness of women around the globe, and inspires us to bring that same spirit forward into 2020.
At the start of this decade, what would be your three priorities for gender equal workplaces?
Having been a part of the corporate sector for more than 15 years, I have seen that despite the strides made in improving gender equality in companies, female workers are still paid significantly lesser than their male counterparts, and women continue to be underrepresented in senior management roles. And I have taken a conscious effort to ensure that we have a gender equal workplace.
- We ensure that job responsibilities are assigned based on competence, not gender. There is no stereotyping of activities, tasks or jobs and all decisions are based on professional competencies and personal capabilities.
- The concept of equal pay is an important element to consider. Pay in our company has always been reliant on job role, and we have introduced a regular pay structure to improve transparency and to eliminate discriminatory pay rate issues.
- Gender equality can only be achieved at the workplace when the employers, process owners, managers, and team leads have a broad and open-minded policy and we are proud to say that we have such people with us in the team. We also have strict and effective Policies against Harassment and Workplace Offence.
How important is the role of men in this movement and what according to you should organisations do to involve them?
Men have always played critical roles in the women’s movement but there is still a long way to go, and we’ll only get there by drawing more men into the conversation. There is a need to recognize that patriarchal norms damage us all. While confining women into a subordinate position, they also force men into ultimately repressive gender roles.
Despite attempts in some quarters to paint gender equality as a zero-sum game, there are plenty of win-win propositions for these men to advocate. Better parental leave for fathers would be a good start. Sweden and Norway show us that the introduction of the period of parental leave reserved specifically for fathers has a positive effect on male take-up of parental leave, and then on men’s long-term involvement in household work and childcare. This reaps economic dividends, as women’s talents are no longer lost to the labour force, and having an involved father has a positive effect on children’s wellbeing.
How important is the concept of “Sisterhood” in accelerating change?
We’ve been hearing a lot about this word lately: sisterhood. It is evermore present in our language. However, the term is actually over 50 years old. And I don’t think it’s just an inspiring label; it seeks to strengthen us and push us forward. The concept of sisterhood goes much further than friendship. We’re talking about a sisterhood, female complicity, an ethical, shared principle.
This conscience needs to be shared with each woman we come across in our day-to-day lives. Supporting them, inspiring them, and repairing fragmented femininity with our eyes looking toward mutual empowerment.
The #MeToo movement is a prime example. According to several surveys, around 81% of women experience sexual harassment in their lifetime. However, many of those women did not speak out about their experiences until a mass amount did so. With the support of each other, women began to speak up. That’s sisterhood right there.
Do you think we need a young champion like Greta Thunberg for this cause as well?
I am in awe of Greta and all the young people calling attention to these very real and urgent problems. She has emerged as a standard bearer in a generational battle, youth activists across the world fighting for everything from gun control to democratic representation. We should all applaud them for doing what they can, in big and small ways, to combat bigger issues at stake.
Thunberg and other young female activists finally have the world’s attention. But as Thunberg herself has pointed out, hearing these voices is only part of the battle — whether people in power actually do something in response to their words remains to be seen.