Dear Reader,

The significance of International Women’s Day has changed a lot since 1975 when the United Nations fixed 8 March as the day to raise awareness about gender inequality and fight against discrimination. Today, it is a time of the year when we reassess the progress made, set new goals, and celebrate women’s achievements.

With this special edition of Manage India, we at PMI India are honoring and recognizing women for their contributions and success in different fields.

Women occupy positions of power and influence in both the government and private sector in the country. Nirmala Sitharaman and Sushma Swaraj head two of the country’s most powerful ministries in the Government of India – defence and external affairs, respectively. Women in India have led large banks, and companies in IT, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, entertainment, and more. They have earned recognition in science and technology, medicine, environment science, music and art, film making… the list is long.

However, the representation of women in leadership positions continues to be low. India ranks fifth lowest in the world in terms of the number of women in leadership roles. What must organizations do to improve gender balance? What will it take for women professionals to break cultural barriers and reach the top? What role will men play in making this happen? 

In this edition of Manage India, we have spoken with women leaders from different sectors to answer some of these questions.

We hope our cover story with Anuradha TK, director of the satellite communication program at the Indian Space Research Organisation, and Ashwini Bhide, managing director of Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, will inspire you to reach for the sky. Also look out recommendations and tips from senior project practitioners on how to progress in your career.

We hope you find this special edition valuable and insightful.

Before we sign off, three quick reminders.

Nominations are open till 23 April for the PMI India Awards. Click here to send in your entries.

Also, we look forward to seeing you at the PMI Regional Conference themed ‘Transformation Made Possible by a Project Manager,’ being held on 27 April in Thiruvananthapuram. (Check out the details here)

And finally, there is another big, exciting program coming up — the two-day PMI National Conference on 20 and 21 September in Hyderabad. Looking forward to your active participation there.

Thank you.
Manage India Editorial Team