Gurugram, India- June 29: Nirupama Subramaniam, a long time resident of Gurugram, and the author of Intermission at Westend Heights DLF Phase 5, in Gurugram, India, on Saturday, 29 June 2019. (Photo by Yogendra Kumar/Hindustan Times) To Go Sonali Verma Story In 1829, the practice of Sati – burning of a widow immediately after her husband’s death, was banned in India by the Bengali Sati Act....
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Educating women is critical for the socio-economic development of individuals and the nation. Go, Get Education. Be self -reliant, Be industrious. Work, gather wisdom, and riches. All gets lost without knowledge. These are the words of Savitribai Phule, the first woman teacher in India who, along with her husband Jyotirao Phule also set up one of the first schools for girls in 1848. Savitribai, along with many...
Read MoreThis article appeared in Business World here More girls are going to school, more girls are topping crucial exams, more women are employed outside the home and more women are challenging the last few male bastions of employment. However, when it comes to leadership positions, the story is still dismal for women in India. Only 14% of Parliamentarians are women and barely 5% of the top 500...
Read MorePreventing Rape- Moving from Outrage to Action I am sure that many of you, like are feeling anger, sorrow, helplessness and even cynicism after reading and hearing about the recent cases of brutal rape perpetrated on yet another ‘Daughter of India.’ Just as I was getting numb to the case of the young doctor in Hyderabad, I hear about a six year old raped and murdered...
Read MoreA few years ago, I was exchanging cards with another participant at a conference. My card described me as Facilitator, Consultant and Coach – all of which were accurate and, in my mind, adequate. The young man’s card read CEO- Great Learning Company (name changed). I was impressed. “How many people do you employ in your organization?” I asked. “Oh, I am the only employee, but I...
Read MoreA few months ago, it was election time in my daughter’s school. In the fray for 5 positions on the council were 9 boys and 3 girls. “It is a hopeless case. I don’t think there is any point standing for the elections,” confessed my daughter. The boys will win.” “How can you say that? Don’t be defeatist, I am sure you have a good chance’,...
Read MoreReena’s story I am the Service Delivery Manager for a team in a leading ITES company. My customers are in the US.I have to take client calls and attend virtual meetings during late evenings and early mornings. I have a small baby at home and I want to spend time with her. It is becoming very difficult to manage both. I feel I have no control...
Read MoreI recently enjoyed reading The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.The book not only tells the Ramayana from Sita’s perspective, it also brings into the light certain neglected characters from the epic. The woman characters are well fleshed out and we can connect to the emotions and motivations of Kaushalya, Mandodari and Urmila who existed only as footnotes in the story of the Great Hero. As someone who works in the...
Read MoreOver the last few days, I found myself doing something that I don’t usually do and don’t usually want to do. Giving Advice. As a coach, I have learnt that giving advice or telling people what to do is a big No-No. We are supposed to let people discover their answers themselves, to dive deep into their inner resources and emerge with powerful insights about the next...
Read MorePerhaps it is because my work and my writing is in this area, perhaps it is an extension of the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, but I see many more mentions of women and women-oriented issues in the media today. The past year has repeatedly forced me to ask myself the question- What does it mean to be a woman in the world today? The world still seems unsafe...
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