The admission of more than 50% girls in IIM-S is a good instance of gender equality, which will inspire our country’s women to follow their dreams. Women’s participation in the corporate and banking sectors of the multinational organisations is on the rise. Young women are now breaking stereotypes and the four walls of domestic space, without being hampered by former impediments such as location, nature of job and gender imbalances. This new trend will improve the country’s human resources.
The increase in the number of female students in IIM-S clearly reflects a change in society’s outlook towards girls’ education. Odisha was lagging behind in this sphere, but is now improving. Policy decisions such as percentage relaxation for girls, and a safe learning environment is a good start for women candidates. Moreover, the involvement of women in other male-dominated fields, like politics, has also improved over the years, as the 17th Lok Sabha Elections recorded the highest number of women candidates in the assembly.
Considering that IIM-S had almost negligible gender diversity last year, Odisha has done a good job towards achieving gender equality, this year. In India, where the gender ratio in most families, institutions and organisations is unequal — the admittance of more than 50% women in such a reputed institution shows that we are heading towards progress. However, there are innumerable changes which are yet to be made in education institutions, which should be addressed gradually to achieve gender equality.
According to a survey conducted by Peterson Institute for International Economics, women who work at the C Suite level improve the net margins of the company, indicating that companies which have a higher percentage of women leaders tend to perform better. Therefore, the inclusion of women in top management institutes is a step towards a flourishing economy. There were only five per cent girls in a batch of 100 students at IIM Calcutta in 1976. Today, the ratio is levelling up, as women work hard to find the best opportunities every year.
