Gender Equity at FIIB - A Reality Check

Gender Equity at

A Reality Check

Tackling Our Unconscious Bias In a country like India, deep rooted stereotypes stemming from social, cultural and religious positions makes achieving gender balance at work hard. This is further compounded in social enterprise/small business sector, where we have limited resources and every day of every employee matters.

As employers with the sole aim of increasing outcomes for our organizations, we often operate unconsciously on certain assumptions about people’s capabilities based on gender, especially their family responsibilities.

Creating role models, providing explicit opportunities for development, and maintaining full pay and flexi-time parity for all staff, are some ways in which we are #BalancingForBetter at our workplace.

We have realized just creating SOPs for the women staff creates imbalance, leading to discontent from the rest of the community. So, where we have women taking work-from-home and flexi-time options, we also have our male faculty members taking advantage of our reduced workload plans to support their family arrangements. This is creating an inclusive work culture, where each gender is genuinely appreciating the challenges for the other.

I strive to remove such biases each day with the hope that by the time my two daughters enter the workforce, we will not need #BalanceForBetter.

- Radhika Shrivastava Executive Director, FIIB

Women at FIIB FIIB, a unique and progressive B-School in India, is mindfully fighting prejudices based on gender stereotyping. At our organization we are

20% at

31% Staff at various

42% in

Board level

roles and grades

student pool

Our aim is to be at 50% staff and student representation by 2022.

It’s a beautiful work place, a home away from home, that inspires, encourages, mentors, and nurtures, for a high growth trajectory. There are some wonderful little surprises that spring up, that bring a smile on our faces, and bring out the child in us. FIIB is a warm, humane place, and the culture percolates down to its inhabitants ie its employees who radiate human values, making the place feel welcoming.

There is fun, frolic, equity, respect for work, transparency that make us want to come to FIIB each day. Work abounds, but around it some beauty is sprinkled with events, celebrations, gifts, that help perk up the mood, and keep ennui at bay.

FIIB personifies an honest, compassionate person, who carries integrity on the sleeve, never missing a moment of joy, and always ready to smile.

Sangeeta Chopra, Faculty at FIIB

A Dipstick, Anonymous, Opinion survey about the issues that affect women employees in the workplace Sexual Harassment Gender Discrimination

Career Advancement

Survey Areas Work and Care Arrangements

First Things First â—? 72% response rate among staff Age

Marital Status

Married

Unmarried

60%

40%

Dependant parents # of dependant children 0

1-2

53.8%

46.2%

Tenure at FIIB

Less than an year

31.3% 50%

1-3 years

5.2%

3-5 years

12.5%

More than 5 years

Employees Speak FIIB offers an engaging and pleasant environment with many growth and development opportunities . It’s nice working with a diverse group of people that are experienced, ambitious & generous in sharing their skills and knowledge. Everyone at FIIB is team-driven, and works in a way that puts collective goals ahead of individual glory.

Prerna Trikha, Professional Staff at FIIB

Let's look at some findings..

Employees Speak

My 6 years’ experience at FIIB has been among the best phases of my work life, when I had my children grow through the crucial phases in school, accomplished my doctorate and went through a personal roller-coaster as well as attained a higher professional stature.

This is testimony to the ways in which FIIB supports an employee's growth, especially empower a woman to achieve career goals.

Vidya Iyer, Faculty at FIIB

Gender Discrimination Experiencing gender discrimination at FIIB

No Gender Bias by Supervisor in assigning jobs

Differential treatment by peers based on gender

Sexual Harassment Inappropriate and unwelcome remarks by peers

37.5 % Strongly Disagree

56.3% Disagree

6.2% Agree

50% 37.5.%

6.3%

6.1%

Observing someone else being sexually harassed.

Information of whom to approach when faced with harassment.

Satisfied with mechanisms against unwanted contact at FIIB

56.3%

Strongly Agree

37.5%

6.2%

Agree

Neutral

Career Advancement Salary gaps at same level

Organization making assumptions about capabilities based on gender 18.8%

12.5%

31.3%

31.3%

6.1%

Flexible leave arrangements

6.2%

Strongly Disagree

12.5%

Disagree

Having more potential than the current role

31.3%

Neutral

37.5%

Agree

12.5%

Strongly Agree

Employees Speak

Dr. Dinesh with his family

On November 9, 2017 our life took the biggest turn as we were blessed with a baby girl. She filled our empty lives with her love and her smile. However, one of the biggest challenge surrounding this change was related to managing our work life balance as I and my wife were both working and we had a nuclear family. Thankfully, FIIB gave me flexible working options. This was the greatest help that I received and I am really thankful to the institute. Now I can spend time with my family without compromising on my career and my professional growth. Thanks FIIB!!!

Dinesh Jaisinghani, Faculty at FIIB

Some Comments from student managers Girls need to take an initiative to handle more of activities, motivation is required to face consequences and take a step forward towards the sexual harassment activities conducted by some people.

Chetna Mahajan, 1st year student at FIIB

Millennial women cannot help but make the most of being born in this era of opportunities and digital renaissance. Yet one has to fight for what she believes she 'deserves'. Opportunities and Challenges are omnipresent, but the latter is rather subjective.

1. I believe that the challenge which millennial women students face is doubting themselves and burdening their minds with "I can do only so much". It's necessary to realize that we are much more than we think we are.

2. The challenge is in discovering and nurturing the strength and endurance within oneself.

3. The challenge is with the mindset of settling for less.

4. Challenge is in letting others tell you what to do, because we feel we are not strong enough to take charge of our lives.

5. Challenge is the basic flaw in perception. That I am 'just' a Woman.

Bringing about gender equity at campus can only come when there is gender equity in the mindset of the campus' fraternity. Equity is just a number and Gender is just a noun. Real gender equity is attained when hypocrisy is discarded. The clichĂŠd notions that women, in particular should be soft-spoken / elegant / non-smokers / poised etc. have to be scrapped.

We cannot have a world chanting 'equal opportunity for women' and still labelling the boundaries of womanhood. I, as a strict believer of the ideology - One woman can change the world - can bring about better gender equity by setting examples and inspiring people, that it doesn't matter if I am a woman. I can be as competitive as anyone out there and still kick butts.

Arushi Rajput, 1st year Student at FIIB

Fortune Institute of International Business Plot 5, Rao Tula Ram Marg, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi-110057 Tel: +91-11-47285000 | fiib.edu.in