Women's Day: Equality basic necessity, support from family is the biggest enabler, says Kumari Shibulal

Born into a middle-class family in Kerala's small village, I was the first girl from Ramamangalam to go to college. The need to get a good education was always a driving factor in my life.

After obtaining a B.Sc Physics degree from Kerala University, Cochin, I got married to SD Shibulal, the former CEO and Managing Director of Infosys and one of its seven founding members, at the age of 24.

But the journey to learn and grow didn't end there. The power of education inspired me to start the Sarojini Damodaran Foundation in 1999 and Advaith Foundation in 2004.


Women empower women
My mother has played a formative role in shaping the kind of woman I grew up to be. Though my family came from limited means, my mother always had great ambitions for me. She never let me work in the farms as she always believed that education was the most important step in becoming a successful individual.

She also instilled the value of compassion in me. I recollect many instances of how my mother would derive happiness from just sharing her food with those in need.

Though my mother undoubtedly played a pivotal role in influencing my values, she is not the only woman to have a profound impact on me. I feel blessed to have encountered a plethora of strong women, both in my personal and professional life.

From altruism to strong leadership and value of determination, Asha Thomas, Executive Director of Advaith Foundation; Meera Rajeevan, Program Director of Vidyadhan; Diana Joseph, Director of Project Venda; and Khushboo Awasthi, COO of ShikshaLokam, are some women who have been a constant source of inspiration in my life.

Women I have in my personal life have also been my biggest support. I always keep learning from my daughter, Shruti Shibulal, and my daughter-in-law, Bhairavi Madhusudan Shibulal - who are both well on their way to create their own legacies.

There is always something to learn from every interaction, no matter how small, as it is how we grow as individuals.

The role of men in my life
It is very important for young girls to have motivators in their life at an early age. A few words of confidence and trust can help them go a long way.

I fondly remember my fifth grade teacher, Parameswaran Namboodiri, who had a huge impact in my formative years. I recall, back in my days, not many girls from my village went to school. I was one of the blessed ones. My class teacher always motivated and pushed me to strive for the best. I still remember his words, "Girls can achieve anything if they set their heart and mind on it".

The other two pillars of support in my life have been my husband and my son, Shreyas Shibulal. While my husband is my greatest supporter, my son is my biggest cheerleader and advocate.

Equality is neither a concept nor a goal to be strived for. It is, instead, a basic necessity. And, I am blessed to be surrounded by such men in my life.

Some tips for the next generation of women leaders
Women today are extremely passionate about pursuing their dreams and aspirations and female voices are taking every organisation in every industry by storm.Here are a few of my thoughts for the next generation of women leaders.

Be confident to take risks: We often hold ourselves back from moving forward because we are overly concerned with the risks involved. Refrain from this kind of over analysis and take that leap of faith. Trust your instincts and be more confident in your judgements.

Stay curious: Always try to learn as much as you possibly can, especially where new technologies are concerned. This allows you to push the boundaries of what is possible and you should never settle for the status quo. Turn passion into knowledge and never be afraid to share your opinion.

Empower those around you: Teach people to be self-sufficient by cultivating and nurturing their best qualities. Providing people with a sense of self-worth is essential to the smooth functioning and identity of any organisation.

Finally, it is very important to be compassionate and a good listener. Know your values, and make professional and personal decisions based on them. It is best to blend, and not balance during these parts of your life. Don’t feel you have to compromise on anything you value and treasure.

- The author is the Founder & Chairperson of the Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives

Respect Life, Upskill & Plan A Sustainable Future: Everything Women Bosses Learnt During The Pandemic

1/6

Change is the constant, they say. And the past year was one of change as the world moved to a new order. Offices moved home, the home space shrunk and boundaries got a bit blurred. New skills were picked up and novel ideas executed, at home and work.


We checked with a few lady bosses on what realisation the pandemic brought in its wake, and the new skills that they ended up adapting.


Here is what some of them learnt, and unlearnt over the course of the past year:

Change is the constant, they say. And the past year was one of change as the world moved to a new order. Offices moved home, the home space shrunk and boundaries got a bit blurred. New skills were pi..

Read More

Looking back at the pandemic, Dildeep Kalra says that it made her realise that it’s easy to lose track of things one is passionate about in the daily rigmarole. 2020, the Director at Massive Restaurants says, was a year of self-revelation as she tried her hand at singing, writing poetry, perfecting the art of making a good biryani.

In a post-Covid workplace, women must learn to strategise - both at work and in life - as that is going to be a much-needed skill.

Looking back at the pandemic, Dildeep Kalra says that it made her realise that it’s easy to lose track of things one is passionate about in the daily rigmarole. 2020, the Director at Massive Restaura..

Read More

Kumpal Vaid feels that the pandemic hasn’t been kind to women in corporate set-ups, and has widened the gender disparity. The founder & principal designer of design firm Purple Backyard feels that women have to learn to upskill themselves as it will help them make the most of the work-from-home opportunity in a fast-changing world. Women, she feels are invincible when it comes to multitasking - and also being collaborative. And these two traits will come handy and open many doors and help form better networks.

And while adapting to the next normal is not going to be easy, this design firm boss reiterates that work-from-home does need a lot more discipline than we think. Shutting shop at 7 pm, and transitioning into home life is not the most easy, she adds.

Kumpal Vaid feels that the pandemic hasn’t been kind to women in corporate set-ups, and has widened the gender disparity. The founder & principal designer of design firm Purple Backyard feels that wo..

Read More

The pandemic taught Lisa Rath that nothing can be taken for granted in life, and one needs to respect life and nature. The co-founder of Itu Chaudhuri Design says it also taught her to pause and reflect on design and how it can help in such unprecedented times.

The architect-designer took her culinary skills a notch higher in the lockdown by whipping up doughnuts, jalebis, gulab jamuns at home for the first time. She also invented new dishes, which were christened by her son as Pizzattees and Nargisi-goes-south, and she seems chuffed with the honour!

The pandemic taught Lisa Rath that nothing can be taken for granted in life, and one needs to respect life and nature. The co-founder of Itu Chaudhuri Design says it also taught her to pause and refl..

Read More

Naina Ruhail says that the pandemic was a good time to think more about what’s happening around us and how we can do better for this society as a whole. The co-founder & CIO of Vanity Wagon feels that the key takeaway for her is the realisation to contribute more to the environment, health and society as a whole, thereby building a sustainable future for the next generation.

The beauty-prenenur took a step in the direction by starting yoga during the lockdown, and says that it is her go-to activity now as it brings a sense of calm and relaxation before the start of a usually busy day.

Naina Ruhail says that the pandemic was a good time to think more about what’s happening around us and how we can do better for this society as a whole. The co-founder & CIO of Vanity Wagon feels tha..

Read More

The pandemic was a reality check. But it also showed the resilience of humankind when faced with extraordinary adversity, says Stuti Jalan who founded WIN – Women Inspiring Network - during the pandemic. With a community of 5000 women, this first-of-its-kind digital network is designed to power women professionals with information and help build networks

Women, she feels, are bona fide ‘multitaskers’ as they perform their duties well enough while managing different things and the quality to persevere. And this is one trait which sets them apart and allows them to make relevant changes in the society

The pandemic was a reality check. But it also showed the resilience of humankind when faced with extraordinary adversity, says Stuti Jalan who founded WIN – Women Inspiring Network - during the pan..

Read More

See More Slideshows