“To tell a woman everything she cannot do is to tell her what she can.”
–Spanish Proverb
As women, we are very often “reminded” about what we cannot do. All the ways in which women are “weak” or lesser than men are brought up over and over again. And though there has been a shift in the kind of opportunities and avenues available to women, the inequities still exist and run deep. As women though, we also have a spirit that is undying and a resolve to prove that we can do better, be better and make our voices heard. Would Malala Yousafzai or Greta Thunberg be who they are today if they paid attention to the labels attached to women?
An ode to women all over the world, International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 every year. At Coacharya though, we launched the celebrations a week in advance. In our webinar on the Power of Women, Dr. Komal Smriti, PCC, SP, and Preethi Raja, Director of Synapse India Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd. During the discussion, Preethi talked about her journey and the many things which are changing for women. Here are a few of my takeaways and some things I am reflecting on from the webinar:
Good girl image
Right from birth, women are told what they need to be and do in order to be liked, admired, or respected. You are either too loud or too shy, too out there or too reserved, too much or too little. The feminine gender also comes with labels of its own and our choices are hardly ever respected.
As Preethi talked about her childhood, she brought forward an important point about how young girls and women have to carry the good girl image. Even when (if at all) we become aware of these gender stereotypes and patriarchal notions, it is hard to break free from them because they are so deeply ingrained in our systems. It was a powerful reminder about the need to be aware of such stereotypes and not letting them limit us.
My Voice Matters
“There is a moment where you have to choose whether to be silent or stand up.” -Malala Yousafzai
The women who have made a difference in the world, the women who had the courage to speak up, the women who didn’t bother about the labels and stood up to the powers that be–what did they have in common? They found what mattered to them, found their voice, and kept at it. This is not to say that they did not come across challenges. Of course, they did. But they kept going, despite the rejections, judgments, stereotyping, fear, and did I mention mansplaining?
The webinar was a solid reminder that finding our inner voice and getting in touch with what really matters to us is what will keep us going. As Preethi rightly said, how can we make our voices stronger and be heard? The world can underestimate us all it wants, we will stand up and fight. I would encourage you to watch this webinar to learn more about Preethi’s journey and her perspective on how digital transformation has started to change things for women for the better. We still have a long way to go, but we’ve come this far, haven’t we? To all the lovely, inspiring, beautiful, and hard-working women out there–Happy Women’s Day. You make the world a better place. Please do share your thoughts with us on CoachNook or in the comments below.
Webinar: Power of Women
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This session is also available as audio-only on our podcast. Listen below or find Coach to Lead wherever you listen to podcasts.
