Gender Issues: Proposing New Paradigms

Gender diffeences transgressing beyond the biological, have been amply evidenced in the work scenario. Corporates are making endeavours to change work environment and policies so as to make the corporate culture harmonious for both men and women. Our attempt in this paper is to identify gender issues, real or imagined, and suggest recommendations. We also propose to analyze, in the paper, the inherent truth, if any, in these differences. Are they only figments of the imagination, exist in the perception of the employees, or are they a reality? Our study is the first of its kind in India. It is aimed at identifying the issues that both men and women face in a professional environment, and to suggest recommendations which the policymakers can use. We conducted the study in 3 phases consisting of pilot study, focus group discussions and questionnaire survey. Each phase helped in building on the topic and making the study more robust. On the basis of the findings, a few recommendations have been made which will be a value-add to organizations for implementing changes in policies, and designing communcation campaigns and forums where inhibiting and enabling thoughts and expressions can be freely discussed. Additionally, we have been able to collate some of the best practices followed in the IT and ITeS Sector which will be an important resource for oganizations to build on.