February Editorial - She's Always a Woman to Me

“In order to impact my world the way I wanted to impact it, I was going to have to become a woman of substance.” – Susan Meier (Author)
What defines a woman of substance? I think a woman of substance is someone who by sheer living makes a difference in this world. She is the one who attempts and fails, but does not mull over the failure! She is the one who can lead unconditionally! She is NOT a spectator but she is the EXECUTOR who is willing to stand by her decisions however wrong they may go! For her family and friends, SHE is a part of the SOLUTION.

We often misunderstand a Woman of Substance to be the same as a Career Woman. A woman need not be a career woman to become a ‘woman of substance’. There are many women I know who are struggling to find their identity in the corporate world, while that does not stop them from being the women of substance, a working status does not qualify them to be one either. A woman proves her metal at home by being the perfect homemaker, multi-tasking between the kitchen and the kids and others in the family! She is the one who moulds the children in the house, helps them grow and become better and successful human beings! For a homemaker her job is well done if she has successfully fulfilled her duties towards her family keeping her own identity intact. Duties she easily fulfills but she often forgets to prioritize her own needs and desires, losing her identity in the bargain. Being a homemaker is a 24/7 job, therefore it is very crucial for her to voice her personal priorities, do the things she likes which give her satisfaction. She has to have her own world which gives her enough space to move out of the mundane. I know of women who are homemakers and still take time out, this is their “ME” time! They run classes, or join hobby classes, do gardening, charity, explore places, meditate, cook, paint, decorate their house or even clean their house! But they certainly do not sit at home and pity their state and expect empathy in return. These women know to respect themselves and their time and therefore command respect from others as well. Many of us when asked to name one “woman of substance” we know, will name our own mothers! These mothers are the ones who have got IT right! That makes them efficient, effective at the same time happy individuals! And after all, A happy homemaker makes a happy home!

Yes indeed homemakers are role models in their own way, but we cannot leave the ‘corporate woman’ out from this discussion. The status of women has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia especially in India. In modern India, women have adorned high offices on the corporate as well as political front and have contributed to some of the most path-breaking success stories in the history of Corporate India. There is no doubt that we are in the midst of a great revolution in the history of women.

But the corporate world does not change rules by gender, therefore today; a woman has to be as tough as a man to prove her metal here! She has to fight preconceived notions that she will compromise on work because of her commitments at home. Or that she will NOT be able to physically manage the job like the way men do it! Rather there are men and sadly even some women who think that a woman is best where she deserves to be i.e. home! Now that’s nasty!

By nature women are great at multi-tasking, when at home they can gossip over the phone while watching a TV serial! They can run through their child’s studies while setting up the washing machine! They can cook as well as instruct the house helpers about their daily chores! In short while men at home boast about being uni-functional devices, which they so proudly claim if asked to contribute in household chores, women seem to be the best bet in the corporate world, if they have the right opportunity to prove their talent and use this same multi-tasking ability at work. And with time women have successfully found their foothold in the corporate world, and climbed to the topmost rung of the corporate ladder, far above the glass ceiling, shattering it to smithereens. From Shehnaz Hussain & Indira Nooyi, to Chanda Kochar women have proved that they are here to widen their own horizons and enrich the corporate world with what they have to offer. Like them, many women today have understood their scope and identified their area of expertise in whichever field they opt. Today, a woman does not mind doing that extra struggle juggling between her home and work, if at the end of the day she has mental satisfaction through work and peace through her home. She is independent and there for a cause! She has a point of view in the decisions both at work and at home, and she loves her struggle and her “no time for nonsense” status as her focus is well defined. Every such woman in my eyes is a woman of substance. She knows what she wants and also knows how far she can go to achieve it and then relentlessly works towards her goals!

International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women: past, present and future. While I believe that we co-exist with men and do not need such days to celebrate US, I also feel that such days give us a reason to look within ourselves and appreciate ourselves for what we are. May be the men think it is not fair to have a special day for us, and we don’t have such MEN’s days to celebrate them! But for all you men out there, on this very occasion of the upcoming women’s day go ahead and wish at least two women who you think are “women of substance” giving them reasons why you feel so, and you shall be made to feel SPECIAL for the rest of your lives ! This suggestion coming from another woman cannot be futile! Try it and you will realize that women are those special species on this earth that can make your lifetime as special as you like it! If you are still not convinced then let me conclude and remind you of a song written by a MAN dedicated to all WOMEN describing them! And the song goes…..

She’s Always a Woman to Me
- Billy Joel
Oh--she takes care of herself
She can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time
Oh--and she never gives out
And she never gives in
She just changes her mind

She is frequently kind
And she's suddenly cruel
She can do as she pleases
She's nobody's fool
And she can't be convicted
She's earned her degree
And the most she will do
Is throw shadows at you
But she's always a woman to me