Women in Management - A Movement from the Fifties to the New Millenium

"Women in Management - A Movement from the Fifties to the New Millennium", views the evolution and changes that have occurred from the 1950s onwards and looks at new opportunities for women managers in the new millennium. Women in Management are coming of age. The transformation of the Indian woman from an enigmatic figure, covered in meters of fabric, to todays educated, successful and accomplished professional has not been without great personal sacrifices. These are women who have broken the shackles of the past, who have walked an untraversed path, who have had the courage to make new beginnings and to pay the price for the choices they have made. The paper discusses five phases of evolution of the Indian womans role in management, spanning five decades of the 20th Century and explores the transition to the new millennium. The first phase represented tentative beginnings, where women entered the workplace to utilize their education and time. In the second phase, working women encountered invisible barriers within the organization in terms of promotions and availability of senior positions. The third phase witnessed women compete for careers and opportunities within the organization. The fourth phase, the 1990s, saw the emergence of a mature female career person, with professional ambitions and aspirations matching those of her male counterparts. The gradual evolution of the environment, both at home and at the workplace, and societal changes in terms of increased acceptance by families and colleagues of the womans new role are positive signs of progress and bode well for the future. As always, change has not been easy. The fact that some Indian women now occupy prominent positions and their rightful place in the corporate world bears testimony to their fortitude, patience and courage. The paper also explores the womans role in the new millennium after having traveled a long distance. Women in management now need not be the rebels of the past, but can enjoy lifestyles that do justice to both home and work. Flexible corporate structures, enabling technologies and liberalized societal expectations will allow women to climb the rungs of the corporate ladder without necessarily sacrificing their femininity or personal life roles such as motherhood.