iii) Women in Services and Professions

As far as women in services and professions are concerned there is no wage discrimination but they are concentrated in certain types of soft skill jobs like teachers, nurses, typists and stenographers and very few occupy higher positions in administration, business and technical jobs.

Despite impressive increase in the number of educated women in urban areas the gap between men and women in the services and professions is large. It can be attributed to the following factors-

a) Girls are generally socialised for their domestic roles.

b) Less investment in the vocational and technical training of women

c) Male stereotypes determine attitude to work and differential expectations from girls education, which is rarely seen as an investment for future.

d) Higher concentration of girls is found in humanities and social sciences rather than vocational and technical courses.

Women in Leadership Role

♤ Many reports have pointed out that the number of women in leadership roles in India is very low.

♤ But this number is gradually increasing, which is a very positive sign.

♤ Many big corporates are headed by women, example Pepsi by Indra Nooyi, Axis Bank by Shikha Sharma, ICICI Bank by Chanda Kocchar (who just quit) etc.

♤ Many argue that there is existence of a glass ceiling, which restricts the promotion of women to the top most positions. This glass ceiling exists due to the persistence of patriarchy in the society, and also due to the fact that the present leadership consists of men who promote the interests of men only

♤ But it is very inspiring to see that many women have been successful in breaking this glass ceiling.

♤ More focus on social, economical and political empowerment, and better education facilities for women can help more women in reaching the leadership roles in the society.

e) There is less physical mobility among women after marriage.