“What Women Need Is to See Other Women Succeed” is the heading of an article I read written by a female CEO! What a fantastic statement! What would have happened if our grandmothers had left our parents behind? especially to our moms! My Nanni was a strong woman in herself who wouldn’t have hesitated to have an exciting life if she hadn’t been chosen to be a housewife! All of my aunts (my Massies) were well-educated and working women who had always made sure their daughters were getting the right education and had happy lives!
My mother supported me and encouraged me to follow my dreams when my father wanted me to enter civil services and worked as a bureaucrat whereas I wanted a corporate career. She gave me 5,000 rupees, I moved to Pune from my hometown. This was in 2006.
Even after a heated argument, my dad came to drop me off at the place where I had decided to stay with a few of my friends. Although he wasn’t admitted, Baba was quite sure that if he didn’t support me in my aspirations, I would never come back home. Thank you, Baba, for being perfectly aware that I am your daughter and will eventually inherit your DNA. I pleaded with dad not to force me into the civil service, and I now realize the right decision I was to forego a career in government.
When it rained during the monsoon, the room where I lived in Karve Nagar had a roof which had a leakage. We were accompanied by the background noise of dripping water continuously in a room. But who cares? I was glad to have left my home to follow my dreams and to fully embrace the thought of independence. I was likewise grateful to my mother for her encouragement and belief in my ability to grow into the person I am today.
What would have happened if my mother hadn’t been able to support her daughter’s desires? She would have accepted my father’s decision of the civil services or getting married and be a good housewife without having her own aspirations!
A strong-willed, opinionated woman with leadership skills wouldn’t have continued a tradition when there are no challenges or opportunities for advancements. My mother was one of them. She therefore always made sure to provide her daughter as many opportunities and experiences as she could, and my dad would undoubtedly always support her decisions.
Many girls struggle to manage work-life balance today because the Saas-Bahu relationship is not widely celebrated, and it is a taboo to have a mother-in-law who is not supportive. However, there have been instances where a woman has succeeded and reached the heights of her career thanks to those mothers-in-law who have supported. And I’m a proud daughter-in-law who received this support from her mother-in-law, who, after my mother, had always encouraged my goals and the steps I took to pursue them. This Affinity that one woman passes to other is so precious that it is not illustrative in any other relations.
“Behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women”
The legacy of confidence and the spirit of generosity that one-woman gifts to the other woman could become their power pack and help both of them shine. In corporate life, the connections that one woman makes with the other woman, make both of their lives easy if chosen collaboration over competition.
This could be one of the ways to overcome some of the hurdles that a woman crosses when an experienced woman in leadership brings her unique talent to the table and with the right attitude if another woman is willing to learn from her experiences. This is the power of harmonious relationships. Two girls who are peers at work, share the same goals and interests, would be more successful in their jobs.
In a same vein, if two working women treat one another with respect, the entire family can live in happiness at home. If we don’t let this straightforward habit become ingrained in us, it might occasionally become hard to imbibe.
If this is the only way for everyone to develop the fortitude to nourish her higher self by creating room for hard lessons and learning from them, then I believe that we all need to make this choice. For women, change can be challenging and letting go is not always simple.
Be a woman who supports other women. Complement each other, give words of encouragement, and empower each other.