Context:

This time, the highest percentage of women candidates selected in any year calls for celebration, but one must not forget that it is far less than the proportion of women in the population.

The Practicality:

• Encouragement & Equality: As a society, we have been encouraging women to be educated, financially secure and independent. We want them to be the equals of men at work. However, we have failed stunningly in preparing ourselves for such women. There is hardly any talk of an equal ecosystem at home. 
• Load still bear: It is true that some physical load of jobs traditionally done by women has been outsourced in some households, yet the mental load remains.
• Dichotomous Views: Many men seek strong independent women as partners, but they do not accept their strength or independence in taking personal decisions. 
  • It is extremely confusing as a woman to live this dichotomous life.

Points need to be considered by Civil Servants:

• Softness is power. 
  • Wear your softness like a medal, especially women who have a natural tendency for calmness and kindness. 
• You just have to be good at your job and humble enough to seek knowledge when things are unclear. 
• There is a need to maintain a fine balance between work life and family and strive to achieve it. 
  • Dedicate a few hours every week for activities to be done with your child. A happy home makes you a better employee.

Maternity Leave:

• The anxiety about pregnancy is an outdated idea that must be done away with. 
• The total fertility rate for the country is 2.0 (this includes both urban and rural populations). 
  • So a working woman is most likely to have a maximum of two pregnancies in her entire career. 
• Our systems and institutions are robust enough to tolerate a short absence for such a landmark event in their employees’ lives. 
  • And if one believes that a pregnancy can disrupt one’s career then so can a study leave, a deputation to an unrelated department or even an accident. 
• Rather, women must be supported and allowed to flourish in this critical juncture of their life. 
  • It is not only the birth of a baby but also the rebirth of a woman. So it is said everybody wants to hold the baby but we must ensure that we also hold the mother.

Conclusion:

One does hope that with a record number of women joining the civil services, we will be able to lead the country better with our “soft power”, discard outdated ideas, have an overall equal environment at home too, and make pregnancy and childbirth a more celebratory and less stressful event.

News Source: The Indian Express