When women are not allowed to participate in any development, we are deprived 49.75% of our world population it (according to the current data). So, we are not considering their opinion and choices, and we need to utilise the talent of 49.75% of the world. It is arrogant to think that only a few can make decisions and should be given a choice. More countries around the globe have a masculine culture. A male country adopts traits like assertion, competition and strength.
As such, beauty, modesty, and cooperation are more seen in feminine cultures. A masculine country and we have more of them in the world, will tend to make decisions based on only the male gender role-playing people in the society. Thus, the thoughts and talents of the female population should be addressed and explored. More than the thought that ‘Investing in women will accelerate progress’, we may mean underutilising the world’s talent by leaving out the female population, depriving the world of a Nascent Talent that is grossly underutilised. Feminism – rightly said, does not mean making women stronger. Women are already strong. It is about changing the way the world perceives that strength. (G.D. Anderson). It is time for the world to change its perspective of strength and invest in this strength to accelerate progress.
Views expressed by Dr. Vijaya Puranik, Director, Sinhgad Institute of Management and Computer Application
