Reasons behind less women CEOs

Gender disparity in terms of employment and earnings is a social issue discussed across the globe. According to World Economic Forum's latest Global Gender Gap Index, Iceland is the frontrunner on the index, whereas developed country such as the US stands at 53rd rank and developing nation like India is at 112.

Efforts toward gender parity will not be successful until the root of the problem is not addressed, which is– defining the conduct of a good woman and man, says Dr Deepa Narayan.

The 67 year-old Delhiite, is the author of 17 books including Chup: Breaking the Silence about India's Women. She has over 25 years of work experience with the World Bank, the UN, and other not for profit organisations.

She holds the title, one of the 100 most influential global thinkers and one of India's 35 Great Thinkers. Dr Narayan is the founder of Chup Circles, a space for women and men to mull on behaviour that perpetuates gender inequality.

Speaking to Womenia, Dr Narayan reveals the fact and unspoken truth behind workplace inequality. "We have not tackled the problem of conscious and unconscious bias against women as a cultural system. We need less talk and more action, so that, talk and behaviour is aligned."

In 2019, 3.69 per cent of Chief Executives and Managing Directors of NSE-listed companies were women. In 2014, the number was 3.2per cent.India also lags on the percentage of women on corporate boards.

In Norway, 41 per cent of women are on board; the global average is 16 per cent, but in India it is around 10 per cent, the same as Hong Kong.

"I have heard that in the corporate world, empowerment of women is considered to be dangerous as it would push men out of jobs and when promoted, women become more difficult.

We need to accept that both men and women are prejudiced against women. Bias is cultural dirt which needs to be cleaned out in a very matter of fact way," says Dr Narayan.

As per a research, the MSCI World Index suggests that strong female leadership generates a return equity of 10.1 per cent per year against 7.4 per cent for those without.

Proposing fair policies, she says, "Promotion decisions can be made either on quotas (without accepting there is no strong women candidate, penalise the male managers if this is true) or based on performance criteria. Ensure that senior managers do not know whether they are judging a woman or a man."

In the same line she adds, "India has robust policy framed for maternity leaves.But, men should be made to take mandatory paternity leave.

So that women would not be asked in interviews, 'what are your marriage plans, do you want to have children?' Now is the time men were asked these questions, so eventually this line of questioning disappears."

Dr Narayan bats for reward for men who support women rise through the system."Men tend to be transactional in their leadership and women are often transformational in their leadership style.

Generally, women tend to be more collaborative. We need a two-pronged movement, more quotas and training of women from the middle management upward to prepare them for these senior level roles and of men to be sponsors and cheerleaders."

Cultural prejudice lies deep in the Indian society, feels Dr Narayan, as she says that,from birth, boys are endowed with power and entitlements whereas girls with duty and denial of power.

"Let me repeat, the problem is our cultural mind-set that still cannot comprehend that women make good leaders. Even in the US when men and women were asked to draw a picture of their leader, they mostly drew pictures of men," she concludes.