<p><em>Start-ups - and the new age companies that have germinated from these - are faring much better on the gender equality front than the more traditional industries, writes, <strong>T.N. Hari</strong></em><br><br>Gender equality is often a subject of heated discussion, and the reasons are pretty obvious. Even those that would agree on the need for gender equality do not necessarily support it whole-heartedly when the rubber hits the road - the 18 year-journey of the Women's Reservation bill in Parliament is testimony to the lip service accorded to gender equality, and till date, the Lok Sabha has not voted on the Bill.<br><br>Traditionally, some industries were male dominated, and many of them continue to be male dominated - especially those that depended upon physical prowess. Within these industries, women have often played limited roles.<br><br>However the new age industries and start-ups are beginning to change the paradigm. Three things are different about start-ups:<br> </p><table style="width: 200px;" align="right" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tbody><tr><td><img alt="" src="http://bw-image.s3.amazonaws.com/hari-mdm.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 200px;"></td></tr><tr><td><em>T.N. Hari</em></td></tr></tbody></table><p>1. They depend on 'knowledge' and 'innovation' much more than the traditional industries. Traditional industries too need smart people, but these smart people then used industrial engineering techniques to come up with idiot-proof processes that could be operated by those without much of an education. The nature of work was such that this kind of 'industrialization' was possible. The new age industries are different in terms of the nature of work and the competitive landscape in which they operate - they need innovation and problem solving capability at every level. When survival depends on continuous innovation, companies can't discriminate and thrive. Can you imagine Amazon or Uber not capitalizing on an idea just because it has come from a woman, when the source of their leading edge is innovative ideas? Companies in declining or mature markets can afford to be more cavalier. Also, the average education level is significantly higher. With education comes some enlightenment (not always though!) and slightly more liberal views as well - which eventually translates to accepting the truth that women are really equal.<br><br>2. The workforce is much younger. This younger workforce has experienced gender equality. Those that experience something always tend to truly understand it while those that haven't just pay lip service. The percentage of women in engineering and business schools has been going up steadily over the last few decades. The young men that comprise this workforce have no doubts that their women counterparts are equal, if not better, in any which way. They have been beaten by their women/girl counterparts at every stage in life - every exam day, every placement season! Start-ups that have become full blown mature firms like say CRISIL & Cognizant or companies that have yet to make the transition from a start-up to a mature firm like BigBasket or Spoonjoy generally employ a whole new generation that has experienced gender equality early in life. And they tend to carry this early experience into their work life.<br><br>3. They operate in a level playing field where women suffer no disadvantages. In several traditional institutions (manufacturing, army) the playing field is tilted heavily in favor of the men Women perform as well as men in roles that do not test physical prowess. Often they do better by demonstrating a higher emotional quotient and a better understanding of people and business. One would struggle to name a bank of significance that does not have a woman at the helm! SBI, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HSBC Bank - one can go on. And, more importantly, women have a fair representation at all levels in these institutions.<br><br>Having spent equal time in the start-up world and in the traditional industry, I can say with some confidence that the start-ups - and the new age companies that have germinated from these - are faring much better on the gender equality front than the more traditional industries. However, I am not for a moment saying that all start-ups or all new age industries have cracked the code. There has been, and continues to be, a lot of criticism that tech start-ups continue to be male dominated - including companies like Google. A lot of entrepreneurs and VC partners still are largely male. This interesting quote from the Wall street Journal is a good reality check: "Today, there are many examples of successful women founders and executives of tech companies. Despite the success of these trailblazers, many investors still suffer the unintended consequences of pattern recognition when it comes to deciding which businesses and teams to back: Founder(s) must be computer-science majors or, better yet, dropouts…oh, and they are male".<br><br><em>The author is HR head at BigBasket.com</em></p>
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