WeAce
5 min readAug 15, 2020

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#SetsMeFree

The gender ratio in India’s technology sector today is higher than it is in the US or Europe. Women make up 34% of the tech sector in India, while that number is about 25% in the USA and 18% in Europe. That said, women in India’s technology sector face their own set of challenges like societal pressure, unconscious bias, stereotyping, etc. Wouldn’t it be great if we could actually hear from some women who’ve been there and done that, and learn how they did it?

This Independence Day, we asked four women leaders in the technology sector a question — what sets you free? How do you deal with the challenges of the professional world? We received some very interesting and inspiring inputs from them.

We spoke with Shilpa Salunkhe, Technology Lead at Jio; Madhuri Raya, Senior Engineering Director at Optum; Priya Mallya, Country Lead at IBM, and Radhika Saigal, Partner at EY. Read on to learn how these women leaders in technology don't just rise in the workplace but also thrive in different aspects of their lives. Here are a few things that set them free!

Being true to ourselves

It takes a lot of courage to be who you are and not bow to pressure to conform. But when you do manage to stay authentic you can, as Madhuri says, be really passionate about what you do. “I believe that you have to understand what you bring to the table, and be willing to speak out for yourself”, she says.

A similar opinion is also expressed by Radhika, who narrates how she moved into the field of computers because she loved programming as a young student. Stressing on the importance of doing what you love, she says, “I believe when you pick a field that you enjoy, you will do well.”

Working hard and learning

Shilpa remembers how her first job took her away from her parents’ home for the first time; it was new and probably hard, but she was determined to establish herself in her career and become independent. Her willingness to learn from groundwork, and to stay connected with technology, allows her to be a smart and hands-on leader of teams today.

Priya Mallya #SetsMeFree

Adds Priya, “When I joined IBM as an Engineer, I always looked for the next thing to do, because I knew that nothing comes to us on a platter. You should have dreams because that makes it easier for you to grow. At the same time, you need to demonstrate your capabilities by doing things other than the business-as-usual stuff. For instance, I worked with peer teams to learn new things, and helped on projects where voluntary efforts were needed.”

Refusing to be Superwomen

In India, women are conditioned culturally to feel solely responsible for taking care of the home and the kids, apart from also handling their work at the office. In Priya’s words, “This Superwoman syndrome leads naturally to feelings of guilt about not being a good mother or daughter, and the guilt leads to self-doubt and other problems. However, today, both men and women can and do take the onus of the home together — so you need to learn to share the burden of work. There is nothing wrong in asking for help. It does not show you as weak. Just ask, and people will step up to help you. In my joint family of 8 members, the heavy lifting is still done by me, but when I am needed elsewhere, I know that the others will take care. This gives me the confidence to go out and do my thing.”

Madhuri Raya #SetsMeFree

Madhuri agrees and adds, “This cultural expectation from women is just not practical. You need to learn to ask for help when you need it.”

If you are a woman who is feeling weighed down by society’s expectations, consider what will happen if you just decide you won’t be a Superwoman?

Breaking stereotypes

Radhika has a view on how unconscious biases creep into our lives right from childhood. When she asks, “Why is that we gift dolls to girls, and cars or gadgets to boys, why can’t we give all kinds of toys to both boys and girls?” I have to stop and think for a second. Biases and gender stereotypes begin at home, and women today are setting themselves free by breaking them!

Radhika Saigal #SetsMeFree

Shilpa’s way of doing this has been to ensure that she “never played the gender card to try and get preferential treatment.”

Mentoring

Whether arranged formally (through organizations) or informally, the concept of mentoring and being mentored has grown really popular today. The technology sector is no different, and our women leaders are strong believers in the impact of mentoring.

As Madhuri holds, “I am a product of many, many mentors. A mentor can help you learn and understand things that cannot be taught in books. Everybody should look for mentorship for themselves.” Shilpa explains how mentoring is actually a great way of paying it forward — somebody helped you and taught you something along the way, and you do the same for another person when you have the chance!

Shilpa Salunkhe #SetsMeFree

Balancing life

All the women leaders we spoke to, stressed upon the importance of having a proper balance between work and personal life. This will need a great deal of time management and, often, a readjustment of priorities. Radhika says about her current routine, “The good thing about the pandemic is the end of commutes, but the disadvantage is long working hours and a blurring of boundaries between work and home. To make this boundary clear, I follow some basic principles such as keeping a separate work area, getting properly dressed for work, following regular office hours, etc.”

Priya and Shilpa regularly take out time to spend with their families. Madhuri blocks off a couple of hours for herself every Friday where she can do whatever she feels like; self-care is important too.

With grit, courage, and the determination to succeed, these women leaders have forged their way to the forefront of their respective fields today. We hope their stories can inspire a few more young women to choose a career in technology.

Author: Neha Sharma (Neha volunteers as a contributing writer for the WiT India Editorial Team)

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