Annually, a flurry of activity is generated in the media, both nationally and internationally to propagate, celebrate and of course, emancipate, gender equality, across all industry domains. Just like the Oscars and the Grammies and all other awards that happen almost around the same time, Women’s Day is that one day that attracts a lot of visibility, only to be swiftly forgotten till the next year.

Without getting into the clichéd history of how women facilitate life in general and ensure that the world is a better place, it is imperative that we focus on not just what has happened in the past, but instead on how we can augment the future. Since time immemorial, while women have shaped environments, today and this year onwards, instead let’s acknowledge and enable an easier life for the women around us, continuously striving to make our cities better places to inhabit.

In the present day Indian environment, the challenges are multifarious for women - professionally, culturally and socially. On one hand, while we deal with issues of safety and rape, on the other, we are struggling to provide women with equal opportunities at work, equal pay scales, flexible work environments and of course, enabling easier work-life balance for young mothers etc. Recognition at work is one issue at hand, and attrition patterns and HR challenges is another.

Regardless of the age, the industry and the role, the onus is on each one of us, to facilitate an easier life, for each of these women; whether it is by enabling a young intern struggling to establish an identity, who is putting in late hours, with safe transport, enough exposure and travelling opportunity or trusting an entrepreneur mom with new projects, or by providing an older, more experienced mother with new opportunities to connect back to industry innovations etc.

Regardless of the challenges, there are many women, who have simply taken the lead and set many examples to encourage the others. On this celebratory day, it is perhaps prudent to focus on enabling a better life for Indian women - of, for and by not just the men, but the women as well, slowly, one step at a time; by creating opportunities, encouraging thinking, providing safety and of course, promoting dialogue.

Onus and opportunity will move hand in hand, regardless of gender and domain, to facilitate a better environment for each one of us.

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