Nurturing a Future Feminine Leadership

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Nurturing a Future Feminine Leadership

• In 2011, when I planned to change sectors and
  move from being a Senior HR Advisor managinga
  large team at a thriving and booming IT company,
  to be the Manager HR at a relatively lesser known
  non-profit organisation at New Delhi, my
  well-wishers and peers advised me against the
  move.
• You will stagnate in a dirty slum or remote
  village carrying the quintessential jhola and
  wearing hawai chappal said a well- meaning
  friend trying to dissuade me. Another one
  deplored the fact that my salary will fall below
  the poverty line and move south in comparison
  to my juniors, who will soon overtake me in the
  corporate rat-race and earn big bucks and fancy
  titles. Despite the advice, I persevered,
  convinced of my conviction to be part of the
  social development space and serve the community
  in my own small way.

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• What egged me on, were my daily encounters with
  the street kids on the way to the office the
  despair one saw in their eyesof myriad dreams
  that remained unfulfilledthe hopelessness of
  their situations and knowing fully well that I
  may not be able to change anything while sitting
  in my plush office in a global corporate.
• Fast forward to today 2022 As the Director of
  Human Resource, organizational development and
  operations for Plan India, I have the opportunity
  to be a part of the country management team,
  which sets the course for our deeply impactful
  programs that work at the grassroots across rural
  and urban communities, influence and change the
  lives of millions of young children especially
  girls in the most marginalized communities across
  India. The road was not smooth, in fact, it was
  riddled with potholes and speed breakers
  challenges included raising funding, getting the
  best talent, and acquiring technology among
  others. The key motivation was the cause our
  organisation Plan India worked for vulnerable
  children and young girls, and that helped me
  soldier on the chosen path and the fact that I
  could see my contributions were able to bring
  cheer and smiles to young lives.

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• I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT IF YOURE IN A POSITION
  OF POWER, PRIVILEGE AND INFLUENCE, YOU CAN OPEN
  DOORS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY LEFT
  BEHIND, IN FACT YOU HAVE A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
  TO DO THAT
• Even in this day and age, the underprivileged
  still need men in power or more advantaged women,
  to vouch for their legitimacy to be at the table
  and not be dismissed or ignored just for being of
  a particular gender or lower caste, community or
  just being poor.
• The times are changing rapidly and this is one
  urgent norm that needs to change soon. We need to
  shift the paradigm and create a more egalitarian
  society, where one can find a place at the table
  and rise to leadership rank purely based on merit
  and performance. To be able to access good
  education, health care and nutrition live safely
  and develop ones agency to take decisions of
  life and build a better future.

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• Plan India (India Chapter) has been championing
  this cause for past many years now. Our
  long-running advocacy on Because I am a Girl
  have set the tone and campaign on Girls Get
  Equal have brought many like-minded
  institutions, embassies, government organizations
  and corporate citizens together to power the
  popular Girls Takeovers on the occasion of
  International Day of the Girl celebrated on
  October 11th each year.
• While the takeovers seem to be symbolic, of young
  girls entering public spaces and taking on
  positions of power associated with leadership for
  a day, like for instance District magistrates,
  Chief Ministers office, CEOs of Corporates or
  Ambassadors of different countries they shatter
  many barriers are social or psycho-social that
  prevent the girls from visualizing their roles
  outside those of a home-maker in their family or
  a mother and a wife. We now regularly hear
  stories of young women, who have after this
  experience, gone on to build a stronger future,
  they convinced their families to let them hold
  jobs or be entrepreneurs or build community
  self-help groups of like-minded youth and really
  thrive. They are the real change makers, who are
  the beacons and models for others around them, to
  see the change and be emulated.

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• WHAT ONE NEEDS AS A LEADER IS OPTIMISM AND POWER
  TO DREAM OF A BETTER TOMORROW TRUST IN SELF AND
  IN ONES TEAM CAN BRING OUT THEIR VERY BEST
• Today Anjali a young change maker took over my
  role for a day.  Its self-actualizing to see
  things coming full circle for me contributing
  to the growth of girls as youth leaders, who are
  seizing opportunities to shape the conversations,
  as they should be and bring about a
  transformative change in the society we live in.
• It is well-known that social empowerment is a
  slow and gradual process of change, but one that
  is slowly gaining ground and spreading beyond to
  influence others through the power of social
  media. Our girls are becoming champions of change
  budding leaders who are confident and ready to
  take on the world.

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https//www.planindia.org/