Lead like a Mom
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Is the Hand That Rules the World?
A poem by William Ross Wallace praising motherhood as the preeminent force for change in the world was first published in 1865, yet we are still grappling with a reality where Women find themselves easily overlooked and overshadowed on gender-based selection or simply on the status of their being a Mother! Mothers may face increased workplace discrimination post-pandemic as biased hiring practices, and inflexible schedules disadvantage mothers across the labour market
As a society, we grapple with unpleasant truths and biases which are ingrained in our cultural constructs. Communication Design - Diya Sahni and Nidhi Santwani speculate with great sensitivity a better future for the next generation. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, of 2017 in India was a big and positive step towards improvement in securing maternity benefits to preserve the self-respect of mothers however inflexible work hours generate work-family conflict that ultimately pushes mothers out of the labour force.
Speculating a campaign #LeadLikeAMom with the Ministry of Women and Child Development joining forces with Mckinsey & Company Social Responsibility in India which is committed to empowering the ecosystem by the implementation of its long-term growth strategy.
While SDG goal no 5 on Gender Equality suggests ending all discrimination against women and girls is a basic human right, it’s also crucial for a sustainable future; it’s proven that empowering women and girls helps economic growth and development. Further goal targets ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
Mckinsey is committed to empowering the ecosystem in India and giving back to communities in ways that are socially responsible and environmentally sustainable #LeadLikeAMom is speculated as an innovative campaign that aims to make the workplace more accessible to millions of Indian mothers and prioritizing strategies that support women.
Because of so many international conventions like the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) etc. International Labour Organization (ILO) contribution and several expert bodies like the WHO have recommended that 24 weeks of maternity leave is required to protect maternal and child health.
At the same time national judicial pronouncements time to time Indian government amending the Maternity Benefit Act to reform the Maternity Benefit Act 1961, in that way recently the Maternity (Amendment) Bill 2017, an amendment to the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, was passed in Rajya Sabha on August 11, 2016; in Lok Sabha on March 09, 2017, and received assent from President of India on March 27, 2017.
The main aim of the Act was to regulate the employment of women during the period of childbirth. It has amended the provisions related to the duration and applicability of maternity leave, and other facilities. However, the Pandemic put the domestic burden of caring for relatives, home-schooling children, and so on which has fallen on women and this is widely believed to have contributed to the record departure of women from the workforce.
Negative stereotypes and discrimination against working mothers continue to exist unless definitive steps are taken both by the Government and large Corporations to ensure that mothers do not experience higher levels of discrimination across different employment settings. In contrast, many European countries have reduced their standard full-time workweek to a more family-friendly range below 40 hours. Additionally, employees in these countries have the right to reduce work hours without fear of losing their jobs or facing discrimination. Not coincidentally, women’s employment is higher in countries with policies that support flexible work time.
The gender wage gap, women in management: India ranks poor among 100 nations. On ‘Equal pay day’, India ranks 95th and on ‘Maternity leave’, it ranks 80th.
Disclaimer: All creatives are hypothetical classroom projects. All rights reserved — 2022–2024
Creative Mentor: Utkarsha Malkar
Utkarsha Malkar | Author | Design Thinker | Creator — A desire to understand the world and to improve it always remains at the core. Design is a managed process and my quest for knowledge is subject to an inquiry of the apparent, the imagined and the recalled. As I speculate and design, my liberty of self-expression is in direct correlation to my existence and knowledge. 
