New Delhi, March 6 -- Seemontini Biswas, a banker, swiftly climbed the corporate ranks, achieving the position of assistant vice president in a short span. However, a prevailing perception in the office attributes her success more to her appearance than her capabilities. Despite the 21st-century strides towards gender equality in India, women continue to grapple with stereotypes and discrimination rooted in a deeply entrenched patriarchal mindset. Although women are increasingly making notable strides across various professions and leading in business, they often find their worth overshadowed by societal expectations tied to traditional roles as mothers, wives, or girlfriends. Female entrepreneurs encounter daily challenges in their workplaces, battling against gender stereotypes that unjustly question their professional competence and credibility.
"Women across sectors have always had had to work twice as hard as their male counterparts to gain credibility and recognition. It is akin to how women drivers are treated on roads even today: dismissive looks that imply that we just don't know what we are doing! Entrepreneurial enterprise for some odd reason is thought of as a male dominion, an abstruse complicated concept apparently beyond the understanding of women," said Nandini Ghatak, Principal, Modern High School International.
In India's growing economy, the role of women entrepreneurs is increasingly noteworthy, and their contributions should be duly recognised. These female entrepreneurs play a crucial part in shaping the Indian economy, fostering employment, expediting development, and contributing to overall prosperity. As of March 2023, women make up 14 percent of the total entrepreneurs in India, totaling 8 million. Furthermore, 10 percent of all formal enterprises are owned by women. However, persistent gender stereotypes continue to pose challenges for women entrepreneurs, highlighting the need for a more inclusive and supportive business environment.
"One way gender stereotypes affect women entrepreneurs in education is through the perception of leadership capabilities. Traditional gender norms usually associate leadership qualities such as assertiveness, decisiveness, and competitiveness with masculinity, while stereotyping women as nurturing, supportive, and less ambitious. Moreover, gender stereotypes can influence expectations regarding the types of businesses women are perceived as capable of running. In the education sector, where caregiving roles are historically associated with femininity, women entrepreneurs may be pigeonholed into ventures related to childcare, tutoring, or other caregiving services, while their potential to lead tech startups, educational technology firms, or academic institutions may be underestimated or overlooked," said Damayanti Bhattacharya, CEO of Maker Bhavan Foundation.
She also added that the gender gap leads to women receiving notably less capital. Bhattacharya further mentioned how women entrepreneurs may face additional hurdles in accessing traditional sources of funding due to structural barriers. "Financial institutions and investors may see women as higher-risk borrowers or may not have familiarity with industries such as education. Such struggle to secure loans can limit their ability to scale and innovate," she said.
Vipanchi Handa, Co-Founder and CPO, Novatr, hasn't observed gender-specific expectations or standards from investors. According to her, the evaluation criteria have primarily focused on the competencies of the founding team and the feasibility of the business model, regardless of gender. "There has been a positive shift in investor attitudes towards appreciating the importance of a balanced team, recognising that success is not tied to gender but rather to the collective skill set and capabilities of the founding members. During the pre-seed stage, investors typically seek a well-rounded team capable of addressing the inherent challenges of entrepreneurship. Also, questions directed at female founders have not significantly differed from those posed to male counterparts. Instead, the focus has been on the team's composition, roles and responsibilities, and how the collective skill set positions the company for success," she said.
Meanwhile, family responsibilities and societal expectations can be tough for women entrepreneurs. Traditional views often expect women to handle more household and caregiving duties, making it challenging to focus on starting or sustaining a business. Striking a balance between work and family becomes harder, as there's pressure to prioritise traditional roles. "Society has assumed expectations for women, which is prevailing in our community as a default responsibility from women as a homemaker. Believe you me it is a challenge as women mostly have to relocate to the location where their husband lives. She loses her parental support to share her responsibilities to build her career. Female has to balance her routine and emotions by sacrificing her time with children to uplift her financial strength," said Dr Priti Ojha, Principal, Seth MR Jaipuria Schools, Bhiwadi.
Dr Ojha also highlights how the networking events may inadvertently exclude women hindering their ability to build connections and partnership. "Gender stereotypes play a significant role in impacting the credibility and recognition of women entrepreneurs. The major perception for women is, perceived competence of less capable in business or leadership even if they have qualifications and skills. Mostly investors and financial institutions are hesitant to support women-led ventures due to unfounded beliefs about women's ability to succeed in business," she shared.
Ghatak cites the case of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, who created enough noise when he opted for a paternity leave to be with wife Anushka Sharma before the birth of their first child. "So, the implied message that the young men are receiving is that it is not acceptable and nor is it considered "normal" for men to keep on hold their profession and disregard their duty to support their family. While unfortunately the same is untrue for women, because women "must" put on hold their profession, because they are duty bound to their homes and their families. Looking beyond where our call of duty lies, we need to as a society normalise men as both a provider and a nurturer, if we wish for women to be supported in their homes in every way," said the principal of Modern High School International.
Of course, today women entrepreneurs like Falguni Nayar, Chitra Gurnani, Ghazal Alagh, Indra Nooyi and Vandana Luthra have broken the glass ceiling, yet there's a scarcity of visible and successful female entrepreneurs in certain industries, which can make it difficult for women to envision themselves as business leaders. Role models play a crucial role in inspiring and guiding aspiring entrepreneurs. "The lack of representation and mentorship for women entrepreneurs in education significantly impacts their challenges in career advancement and business growth. As a female founder in the edtech space, I have personally faced these obstacles, which mirror the broader gender disparities within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. One prominent hurdle I encountered was the scarcity of female role models within the sector. Without established templates or readily available mentors to guide me, I was compelled to forge my own path," said Handa.
As we mark International Women's Day, let's not just celebrate but also tackle the real issues working women face. We need practical changes in policies, shifts in how we view women's roles, and promoting inclusivity at work and home. By making rules fairer, changing outdated attitudes, and embracing inclusiveness, we ensure working women are not just recognised but truly supported and valued.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.