The gradual ascendancy of women in the power hierarchy, overcoming workplace discrimination in the corporate sector displays not the change in the outlook and the perception of the management, but the strenuous efforts made by dynamic women in that direction. The successful journey of women from `periphery' level to that of `centerstage' in the organization, in the backdrop of technology-driven economy, is characterized by many dynamics about which a glance is attempted in this article. The emerging trends in the workplace, towards empowering women, as part of promoting business in the competitive market is found to be an unfinished revolution demanding more attention.
"Woman knows what man has long forgotten; that the ultimate economic and spiritual unit of any civilization is still the family."
Woman has always been the subject of discussion, since time immemorial, in view of her potential contribution to the advancement of human civilization with an active role in strengthening the `family system'. The spirit of the above saying also speaks about her productive contribution in the pages of history with advancement, in recent times, towards capturing the economic power as proved by the success stories of women managers/executives in the corporate world. Be it `Carly Fiorina' who started her journey from shipping secretary and became the CEO of Hewlett-Packard, one of the largest corporations of the US or Commander `Eileen Collins' who led a group of astronauts into space, one of the universal truths pertaining to human relations in the organizations, in recent times, is the growing role and prominence of women in view of their commitment levels and sincerity towards profession. The transformation that is being witnessed in the society, in the light of economic development and educational growth among the middle classes, is also compounding women interests to be proactive in the organizations, be it corporate or non-corporate undertakings. It is an undeniable fact that `women empowerment' in India is still in the making due to large number of illiterate and poor segments found to be the victims of age-old social evils and irrational customs. Rapid industrialization, while expanding employment opportunities, has not fully benefited working women, since they often lose traditional sources of income without getting new jobs. This has happened in many newly industrialized countries such as Brazil, India, Mexico, and Nigeria. |