Neelam Saxena works as Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Pune in Indian Railways, and has authored 4 novels, 1 novella and 6 short story collections, 31 poetry collections and 13 children’s books. On gender balance, she feels lot has been achieved but much more needs to be done.
What, according to you, are the successes of gender equality movement which gathered momentum towards the end of the last decade?
The success is endless. For a change, women don’t have to fight so much for the basic right to education. They don’t have to be puzzled why they are not at home, but outside, walking in pace (and sometimes much ahead) than their brothers, male friends and relatives. Men take equal charge of household chores, change nappies and know that their wife/partner is an equal who also needs to study/work beyond the boundaries of their home.
At the start of this decade, what would be your three priorities for gender equal workplaces?
- The thought has to go deep down that women work not just for money. Come on, they work to fulfill their intellectual needs!
- Women are not there just to give bouquets. They can do any work with equal ease if they want. Please welcome them in the board rooms on higher posts!
- Please pay them what they deserve.
How important is the role of men in this movement and what according to you should organisations do to involve them?
Men have to play a very important role by making the environment friendly. However, they have to also accept the fact that women will come up even if they don’t.
How important is the concept of “Sisterhood” in accelerating change?
It is very important. Gender equality is like a human chain which multiplies if women support other women by giving even emotional support to each other.
Do you think we need a young champion like Greta Thunberg for this cause as well?
We need women who have achieved something …. howsoever small or big it may be! And there are hundreds of them. Someone needs to just tell their story to the world.