20. YAY! WE ARE ACCEPTED (YEAR 1973)

STRESS, SUCCESS AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN
The Highs and Lows of A Woman’s Journey in the Corporate World  

CARE: This is Chapter 20 of my book Stress, Success and Everything In-Between. These are individual anecdotes but to understand the professional journey in totality, I would recommend reading the book from Chapter 01 onwards.

As the number of women in the bank increased, the need for developing dedicated infrastructure and support systems became increasingly apparent. The seeds of this change were sown in January 1973 when five of us, the women officers from Kanpur Circle, were sent to Hyderabad to attend the Intermediate Programme at the Staff College. Upon our arrival, we were pleasantly surprised to meet five more women officers from different parts of the country, taking our number to ten. Our visibility in the set-up suddenly increased.

It was a momentous occasion, and our arrival at the Staff College at Hyderabad marked the beginning of an era of transformation. The ten of us collectively became change agents for the bank.

In Hyderabad, the college authorities recognized the significance of this development and took a step forward. They erected a distinct partition that physically separated the women's rooms from the rest of the hostel area. Today, when having mixed hostels is a trend, one can raise eyebrows and express divergent views about the need for having a separate wing for women officers. But this simple gesture symbolized the need for a supportive environment to cater to the unique requirements of women in the workforce.

What began as a temporary arrangement in the form of the Women's Wing in 1973 has endured for over fifty years. This is a testament to the lasting commitment of the bank towards gender diversity and inclusivity.

INTERMEDIATE PROG. FOR PROBATIONARY OFFICERS (3rd Jan to 3rd Feb 1973)

   As time moved and the number of women within the organization increased, the infrastructure and facilities created for them began to reflect the broader cultural shift within the organization. And this was a great sign indicating acceptance of women as a workforce in the bank. And this continues to date. 

     (To be continued.....)

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