"I am not the woman President of Harvard, I am the President of Harvard”, asserted Drew Gilpin Faust as she took charge of one of the oldest ivy league institute, on the evident bridge that seems to distance women from honing male-dominated badges.
Thanks to modern times, with transient management, feminist movements and rising awareness to diverge from traditions, women are being acknowledged. And more so, not only are they getting the deserved respect and recognition in all spheres, but men are also participating in tasks that were initially meant to be for women. Gender norms have genuinely begun to fall.
Women are now starting to be associated with the role of the ‘provider’ or the ‘bread-winner’ in families, a simple, yet essential acknowledgement that has stemmed after countless years of struggles aimed at negating the stereotype that women belong in the kitchen, and men belong in the office.
Let’s take a glimpse into shared roles at the workplace. I enjoy shopping online; it just saves so much time and effort. Do you too? Well, you know the delivery ‘boys’ who would run errands to get our cart’s stuff to our doorstep, have now been joined by a brigade of girl power. For online food aggregators and e-commerce models, ladies, well-educated and experienced, have now taken to be and manage the job of being the superwoman to fetch you your orders. Even Uber has various women drivers on its team now, and why not? It is about time those ‘women can’t drive’ jokes came to an end.
We have also heard about Indra Nooyi and Sheryl Sandberg who have been instrumental in shaping global corporate culture, establishing a bold and beautiful pedestal for women at the workplace and shedding barriers and beliefs. If representing large companies like Pepsi Co. and Facebook respectively, wasn’t awe-inspiring enough, they also inspired other women and sparked a change of thought in the men.
Women have ushered in an era of equality and inclusion. From struggles for equal pay to achieving just as much as their male counterparts, women have been doing it all. And not only women but trans men and women are doing exceedingly well in all fields, spreading their wings further than ever before, in a more accepting workplace.
Sexuality and gender are now both rightly acknowledged as different things, and also as immaterial to a person’s talent and capabilities. From being principals to bus conductors, the LGBTQ+ community has been leaving an indelible mark on the workforce of the nation.
Women are now fast becoming the norm, and their excellence, achievements and success stories are not rare anecdotes, but daily news now. And it is this undying nerve and spirit that deserves solidarity, respect and more power, every day.
