The status of woman has undergone a sea change in the past two decades from a mere homemaker to a dynamic multi-tasker, by proving her mark in every sphere, which includes even the male-dominated professions. But she still struggles with the orthodox beliefs and rigid stereotype perceptions of the society. In corporates, she is a victim of the harsh effects of glass ceiling, pay inequity and discriminatory practices. This article throws light on the challenges faced by women professionals in organizations and explores initiatives to improve their status at the work place. It also provides insights into the exemplary practices introduced by some of the reputed organizations in safeguarding the interests of women professionals.

The role of women in the contemporary scenario has changed from merely a homemaker to a dynamic multifaceted personality, capable of balancing work and family responsibilities successfully. This change is attributed to the improvement in the socioeconomic trends, an increase in the literacy rate of females, rapid industrialization and availability of lucrative jobs in the era of globalization. The present day woman is successful in defining and shaping her own identity in the male chauvinistic society by making inroads into the corporate world. The Indian society has evolved from a traditional agrarian society to modern industrial society, due to which there has been a change in the culture, mindset and attitude of the people towards women.

Even though there has been an evidence of progressive transformation in the society and the status of women in workplace, still the trends in this direction are not satisfactory. A professional woman of today still struggles with the harsh realities of discrimination, exploitation and violence in organizations, societal and family pressures, and suffers from the bitter effects of the balancing act which she is expected to perform for handling official and household chores. Barkha Singh, Chief of Delhi Commission for Women, opines, "Men are not very much advanced when it comes to treating women and they are not used to listening to women". In fact, rising crime cases such as rape and female violence are indicators of a woman's losing position in the Indian society and they appear to be on the defeatist front in the battle for improving their status by fighting against the traditional stereotypes and the age-old cultural practices. Women and Men in India, 2006, a publication brought out by Central Statistical Organization (CSO), reports an alarming rise in the incidences of crime against the women over the past two decades, which has risen by 9.8% during 2004 over 2003 and by 13.9% over 1999. A recent survey by the Hindustan Times, a leading newspaper, on 500 males reveals that around 60% of males preferred housewives to working wives.

Some of the workplace challenges which the 21st century women face are glass ceiling, derogatory attitude, hostile men's leagues, pay inequalities, flirtatious behaviors, delayed promotions and direct request for sexual favors.

In India, presently just only about 6% (CII, 2005) of the women are successful in reaching the senior positions of management. This may be attributed to the reasons such as problems in relocation, work timings, regular travels, etc. Though the women are efficient multi-taskers and possess impressive soft skills, they suffer from work-life balance challenges which usually pose a lot of impediments in their pursuit of career. Some of the challenges which trouble the women at workplace are discussed, in detail, in the following paragraphs.

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