In India and many other countries, it is common for financial planners and advisors to visit your home
to discuss your overall financial portfolio and to pitch and sell specific
financial products like insurance, mutual funds, etc. On one such instance, our
financial advisor said that he would bring in an executive from their Singapore
office to talk to us about an upcoming product. This executive from Singapore came in, started his presentation focused
entirely on my husband even though I am the primary account holder on that
account. It is true that many financial decisions were made by the male in many
families probably because he was typically the only earning member in the
household. However, the trend is changing as women have come into the work-force
and have an independent opinion and point of view. Over 85% of household expenses are decided or
influenced by women. This not only includes day-to-day expenses but also larger
expenses like automobiles, homes, computers, medical care, vacations, and phones. Not only do companies have to pitch and sell
products to women but they need to cater the products and marketing towards
women.This financial executive ignored the female of the family and didn't include her in the discussion. Needless to say,
we did not invest in their product. I see this casual
dismissal of women decision power everywhere. Companies are really hurting due
to this attitude.
Photo by Community Eye Health |
So, why is that we do not have enough women in the industry? There are many reasons that women are not continuing to stay in the technology industry. Studies show that 56% of the women who join the technology industry end up in other careers. IT industry has relatively higher paying jobs, flexible working hours and work from home policies. Even with all these benefits, the IT industry still continues to have trouble retaining women. I personally know of some very good engineers, who later in life chose to be working in real estate, property development, teaching kindergarten, Human Resources. While there is nothing wrong with the professions that they have chosen, it definitely affects the computer industry adversely. Big companies have policies, procedures and practices to ensure a work environment that is conducive for women so that they may have a productive and satisfying work life. But the execution of these policies is in the hands of a middle management. Many in middle management do not internalize this and some of the processes they implement in turn defeat the well-intentioned policies and hurt the working women in the company.
Image by Visio Guy |
Related Links:
- Top 5 reasons why we don't retain women
- Fewer Women in Tech Impacts Marketing to Women
- 20 Best Paying Jobs for Women
- Marketing to women
- Women in Global Workforce
Technology devices are definitely women-unfriendly and a completed ignored by all innovative products. Pens designed for shirt pockets ; Collar mikes, amplifiers need to be clipped to the trousers, totally unsuited for the Indian women speaker in a saree....
ReplyDeleteMobile pouches are designed for belts, how many women I know wear belts....none literally....Kumaran;s range of silk sarees with pockets innovation did not take off at all ! :)
Talking of middle management, the less said the better. Internalising of any policy is left to each person's personal interpretation and there is no accountability on the repurcussions/end results.
Good comment piece....