Note: This article was published on Women’s Web on 30th June, 2023
I was speaking with an innovative kid about his non-profit initiative a few months ago, as part of which he encourages and upskills lesser privileged girls to pursue STEM careers. He was relaying his experiences, stating that even today, a sizable percentage of people regard this field to be a man’s domain.
As an engineer, I’ve witnessed the era when gender ratios in colleges were extremely lopsided. It was widely expected that most women would pursue humanities/arts because of the prevalent mindset that a woman had to eventually become an efficient home-maker post-marriage.
Yesterday was 10th August. Exactly 10 years ago, I was gearing up for a presentation on SAP HANA at the SAP World Tour in Melbourne. As a senior consultant at Infosys, it was a huge responsibility for me, and my managers had immense faith in me, which added to the pressure.
Eventually, the presentation went well and the feedback was extremely encouraging from all quarters. I knew that this also meant I would get a stellar rating in the following appraisal cycle and possibly, even a promotion. However, that day became a milestone day in my life for reasons other than what I would have thought back then.