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(By Sonica Aron)

India has made incredible strides towards educating and empowering women. More women attend universities and join the workforce at entry level than ever before. But when the subject turns to leadership, the statistics are quite different. Women remain vastly underrepresented at key managerial Positions, senior management, and executive ranks. The deficit is not due to women being less ambitious or talented; it is due to the structural barriers and social norms that consistently limit women.

Barriers That Aare Keeping Women Back

Traditional Gender Norms: To this day, traditional norms still dictate how men and women are perceived in society. Women, even from a young age, are required to prioritise family and caregiving obligations. Upon entering the workplace, these same expectations precede them, leaving them with the double burden of performing on the job while taking care personal responsibilities.

The Glass Ceiling and Bias: Conscious and unconscious remains a gigantic barrier. Masculine traits like decisiveness, being demanding and assertiveness, loud remain associated with leadership. Women possessing these traits are labelled ‘Too aggressive’ or ‘Bossy’ and those who lead with empathy are seen as too soft or lacking ‘Executive Presence’. Double standard skews the playing field.

Lack of Sponsorship and Networks: Unofficial sponsorship and networks are the most essential in determining individuals who end up in the leadership positions. Women tend to lose out because a lot of ‘Sponsorships’ are built after office hours over casual catch ups. Lack of sponsors, senior leaders who advocate for them when they are not in the room, women miss out on critical development opportunities.

Creating The Next Generation Of Women Leaders

Diverse Workplaces: Firms must do more than token efforts or simply having a hiring first strategy. Establishing flexible policies, achieving equal pay, and developing fair promotion practices are necessary. Inclusion cannot be an afterthought; it has to be embedded in organisational culture.

Mentorship and Sponsorship: Offering formal mentorship programs assists women in gaining confidence and competence. Sponsorship extends this further by helping to position women for stretch jobs and leadership opportunities. Both are critical for creating a robust leadership pipeline.

Representation Matters: When young professionals look at women in power, they start imagining themselves in similar roles. Representation is not only motivational, it makes women in roles of authority and influence ordinary.

A Collective Responsibility

Empowering women leaders is not merely about enabling individuals, it is about transforming systems. For India to fulfill its potential, women in leadership cannot be made an exception but must be integrated into the norm. Leadership with diversity entails empathy, teamwork, and more comprehensive thinking that serves organizations and society.

Sonica Aron is the Founder & Managing partner of Marching Sheep