Women account for 48% of India’s population. However, only 14% of Leadership roles are filled by women. Despite significant progress, women remain underrepresented in leadership positions across various sectors. Closing this gender gap is not just a matter of equality but also essential for fostering diversity of thought, innovation and better decision-making.

There are numerous benefits of having women in leadership positions. A recent McKinsey study conducted on more than 1000 companies in 15 countries found that companies with gender diverse executive teams are 25% more likely to outperform financially.

Research has shown that companies with higher number of women in top leadership positions outperform in financial parameters, innovation, are more socially responsible and provide higher quality customer experiences.Women in leadership bring diverse perspectives, contribute to holistic problem-solving and improved decision-making. Additionally, women leaders often possess strong communication skills, empathy and a collaborative management style which foster positive workplace environments. These qualities are vital to achieving success in any organisation, yet women in leadership positions continue to be underrepresented. To address this issue, organizations and societies must implement targeted strategies to empower women and create opportunities for their advancement into leadership roles some of which are outlined below:

Strategies to get more women in Leadership positions:

1. Organizational Policies and Practices

1. Implement and enforce policies that ensure equal opportunities for women in recruitment, promotion and career advancement. Establish transparent processes to eliminate gender bias in hiring and promotion decisions. Foster an inclusive workplace culture by using gender-neutral language in job descriptions, performance evaluations and communication materials. Hide details that could identify gender helps eliminate unconscious bias. Blind names on resumes and cover letter is another approach.
2. Introduce flexible work policies such as remote work, part-time work and job-sharing to accommodate the needs of women to balance work and caregiving responsibilities. Promote a culture that values productivity and results over traditional notions of long working hours, allowing women to excel basis their contribution than the number of working hours or location.
3. Set measurable gender diversity targets and quotas for the representation of women in leadership positions, ensuring accountability at all levels of the organization. Regularly track progress towards these targets and adjust strategies as needed to achieve meaningful and sustainable change.
4. Make DEI agenda a Company initiative and hence a CEO initiative. DEI initiative is not a CHRO initiative. The entire C-suite needs to have buy-in for the DEI agenda of the company. It should not only reflect in the HR data but also in customers, vendors, partners and marketing strategy of the company.
5. Ensure pay equity by conducting regular salary audits and closing the gender pay gap to incentivize women to pursue leadership positions.
6. At the time of career advancements, women are gauged by what they have delivered but men by their potential. So it is important to be transparent and unbiased with performance evaluation criteria and get it reviewed by DEI committee especially for mid and senior leadership positions.
7. Provide comprehensive family-friendly policies such as parental leave, childcare support and lactation facilities to support working mothers and eliminate barriers to their career advancement. Ensure that these policies are inclusive and accessible to all employees, regardless of gender or caregiving responsibilities.

2. Leadership Development and Support Programs:

1. Offer customized leadership development programs specifically designed for women to enhance their leadership competencies, executive presence, influencing, negotiation skills etc.
2. Provide mentoring, coaching and sponsorship opportunities to aspiring women leaders. Assign mentors, coaches and sponsors so that they can connect with seasoned senior leaders who can offer guidance and support.
3. Showcase successful women role models within the organization and highlight their achievements as an inspiration for other women.
4. Host Panel discussions with women in leadership positions as panellist, invite them to share their experiences, professional and personal journeys. This will help aspiring women leaders to break their inner barriers and unleash their potential. Regularly engage, evolve and inspire aspiring leaders by fostering a supportive environment.
5. Create Employee Resource Groups as a platform to provide a supporting environment for women employees who share common identity/ career stage / life stage. Women can their share experiences, seek advice and advocate for gender equality without fear of judgment or retaliation in these ERG.
6. Create networking platforms and professional development events specifically for women to build connections, exchange ideas and enhance their visibility within organization and the industry. Also, encourage women to participate in conferences and gain outside-in perspectives.

3. Cultural Transformation and Inclusion

1. Offer training programs and workshops for male leaders to improve awareness of unconscious biases and promote gender-inclusive leadership practices. Training venues could be a combination of classroom and virtual. Late evening official get-together can be replaced by Breakfast or lunch meetings to ensure more women can participate.
2. Address systemic barriers and stereotypes that hinder women's progress in leadership, promoting a more inclusive and equitable workplace for all.
3. Encourage male allies to actively advocate for the advancement of women, challenge stereotypes and discrimination in the workplace.

4. Periodic Review and Improvement of Diversity Initiatives

1. Identify, Engage, Build and Nurture High potential women. This is important to ensure the right talent is nurtured and the initiative is successful.
2. Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of diversity and inclusion initiatives, soliciting feedback from employees and stakeholders to identify areas for improvement. Periodic Ask me anything / share sessions exclusively for women.
3. Embrace a culture of continuous learning and adaptation, staying abreast of best practices and emerging trends in gender equality and leadership development. Yearly Benchmarking studies will help in this regard.

5. External Engagement and Policy Advocacy

1. Support Female Entrepreneurs and Leaders  by providing funding, resources and mentorship opportunities to start and scale their ventures, fostering a pipeline of future women leaders.
2. Encourage greater diversity on corporate boards by appointing more women directors, fostering diverse perspectives and enhancing board effectiveness.
3. Invest in STEM education initiatives targeting girls to encourage their participation and interest in fields traditionally dominated by men, preparing them for leadership roles in technology and innovation.
4. Launch public awareness campaigns to challenge stereotypes, promote gender equality, and celebrate the achievements of women leaders across industries.
5. Lobby for legislative changes and policy reforms that promote gender equality in the workplace such as parental leave policies, childcare support and anti-discrimination laws.

6. Role of Women themselves in becoming a Leader

Organizations and society are taking various steps to promote women in leadership roles. It is also important for women to actively take charge of their own growth and transformation as a Leader. For this; women need to be self-aware, break their self-created inner barriers, move from a stage of independence to interdependence and invest in their continuous development to emerge as successful women leaders

Various Stages of Transformation of Women to a successful Leader:

Self-Awareness: Women can be more confident, creative, make sound decisions, build stronger relationships and communicate more effectively by being self-aware. Self-aware women are more effective leaders with more satisfied employees and more profitable companies.

Independence: Being independent can be a very rewarding and liberating experience for women. It allows women to take charge of life, make decisions that are best for them, create goals and achieve them without relying on anyone else.

                 - Internal barriers, self-limiting beliefs, lack of confidence and low self-esteem can hinder women’s ambitions to succeed in leadership roles. Breaking these inner barriers and moving to the stage of independence can help women in smooth transition.

                 - Steering courageous conversations: Authentic yet assertive communication is essential at leadership level. Women Leaders need to be assertive to advocate for themselves, provide candid feedback to others and being vocal about their needs.

Interdependence:Women often tend to put themselves under tremendous pressure by trying to be perfectionist in every role they deliver and suffer from super women syndrome. It is okay to let go of the chase to perfection for their own well-being.

                 - Forging alliances and networks help women to leverage support systems for both their professional and personal goals which can help women grow both within their organization and in the industry.

                 - Nurturing high impact teams by creating an environment of psychological safety and participative decision making can help women leaders to be very successful in their roles. This can help them to focus on activities higher up the value chain.

Continuous Improvement:We are living in a world which is constantly evolving. By, investing in their continuous improvement and resetting the goals; women can embark on their leadership journey, be highly successful and be role models for others.

Stand up for each other:Women often face common challenges and biases in various stages of life including workplace, home, and society. Supporting one another creates a collective strength that can help to overcome these barriers. Gossiping, jealousy, insecurities amongst women colleagues themselves does not help anyone. Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to others. Women should stand for each other to build strongest of the networks so that each one flourishes.

Studies have shown that women are more likely to be selected for senior roles when the position is associated with state of crisis or high risk of failure. Turnaround plays for women especially if they take challenges and are risk seekers indicating their desire to solve complex problems and make a significant impact. These difficult situations can provide vital experience for developing women leaders. Even failures can provide valuable lessons that enhance a Leader’s success in the long run. Successful transitions into Leadership roles involve shredding previous effective professional identities and developing new and more fitting ones.

To summarize, achieving gender parity in leadership positions requires a concerted effort from organizations, policymakers, society as a whole and women themselves. By implementing targeted strategies such as equal opportunity policies, leadership development programs and cultural transformation initiatives; we can create an environment where women are empowered to thrive and succeed in leadership roles. Together, let us work towards a future where gender equality is not just a goal but a reality, unlocking the full potential of women as leaders and driving positive change in our organizations and communities.