Behind Every Successful Woman There Is an Understanding Man- Sudha Murthy
Tables have turned and so have certain maxims like the one above. For ages, women were given the credit for being the secret sauce behind a man’s success. Today as women are building a world beyond the four walls of the house for themselves and achieving great success, men are breaking stereotypes proving to be the catalyst behind their achievements. They are letting go of the orthodox mindsets and often become the right hand of the women in their success. It didn’t come to me as a surprise when women achievers, from Sudha Murthy to P.V. Sindhu, mentioned the pivotal role of men in their life. They either talked of their father, grandfather, brother, husband, friend, colleague, etc. who made them write their success story extraordinary by supporting them in multiple ways like the following:
1. Treating Women Equal
When men put women’s dreams and ambitions on the same pedestal as theirs, they automatically provide an unbiased ground for them to flourish. Recently, India’s first business reality show Shark Tank India season 1 witnessed about 48% of women co-founders. The majority of them revealed how certain men inspired them or pushed them to move forward with their dreams and venture out. From valuing her work and praising her for big or small achievements, men’s emotional support serves as the backbone for such women.
2. Men Becoming the Support System
There is a reason why dads are daughter’s first heroes. From showering love to carving the path of their happiness and dreams, they stand like a pillar. Every woman needs a progressive and understanding man in her life who makes her push boundaries, just like the irresistible father of Dangal girls who stood against all odds of society, and the rest is history.
3. Men As Mentors
We can’t deny that workforce has been a male-dominant area even today. In such scenarios, if women are not welcomed and not given the right atmosphere to thrive, the majority of them are likely to quit. As per Harvard Business Review, women are more likely to succeed when guided by male mentors, especially in the workforce, as men often turn out to be the role models for women and surround them with a confident environment.
4. Sharing the Household Chores
Thanks to the changing mindset, men are breaking stereotypes and coming forward to sharing responsibilities at home. Movies like ‘Ki and Ka’ attempted to normalise the culture of the stay-at-home husband while the wife chooses a corporate life. Today, many men don’t shy away from switching over the contemporary roles when required, thus giving women ample flexibility to venture out with their dreams.
5. Sharing Parenthood
If you spend a decent amount of time on social media, then you must have come across hashtags like ‘we are pregnant’, by new-age couples, an indication of how men are coming forward to share the load of parenthood that was traditionally the primary concern of women in the house. They are redefining motherhood for women as many of them decide to be stay-at-home dads breaking stereotypes while the women become the breadwinner.
6. Financial Support
Since financial decisions are considered men’s domain, they tend to save for a girl’s marriage and not for higher education or career. But a huge transition was seen in the past five years as per AISHE data. India witnessed a growth of 18% in females’ higher education from 2015 to 2020. From saving for a girl’s marriage to spending on her education and career, men, especially fathers, ensure that women rise higher than ever. Financial help comes in various forms, from bootstrapping women’s business ideas to spending on higher education; the list can be endless.
Recommended reading: Don’t Give Up on Your Dreams
Indeed, men have been an integral part of women’s development and progress, not just in the 21st century but for ages. It was because of the courageous step by Raja Ram Mohan Roy that ‘sati’ came to an end. There are several anecdotes similar to this where men were not just behind women but also beside and in front of them to ensure that they deserve what they are capable of achieving.
