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When Tenaz, our MarComm guru, asked me to write an introduction note for the Women’s Day Blog – I wanted to start this with an original quote. Then, as always, I found a much smarter woman has said it way better than I could and I quote what Priyanka Chopra said : ‘Don’t try to squeeze into a glass slipper. Instead, shatter the glass ceiling.’ She and I are poles apart in every manner, but with her words she’s captured my sentiments fully. When I first started ‘working’ – I was focused on just being the best person for the job (not the best woman or man). And I truly did not understand this entire conversation on ‘women in the workplace’ and why we should create a work place that encourages women to join the workforce. encourages women to join the workforce. Today I’m older, maybe a little wiser and I have learnt that the world can be an unfair place if you are not of the right gender, colour, race etc. etc. I learnt that though we have a larger share of women joining the work force; a lot more talented women with impressive degrees & great careers are also choosing to abandon great careers to prioritize family – the statistics are available if you just google it. I have learnt that I can multi task well; yet I am and will remain the primary care giver (as opposed to primary earning member) of my family – and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I want to do well in my job; and then go back home and cook, spend time with my son, spouse, in-laws, parents. Because as much as my work gives meaning to my life - my family & home enrich my life, bring me joy. I am complete because I can prioritize my home & my job – not having to choose one over the other. colour, race etc. etc. I learnt that though we have a larger share of women joining the multi task well; yet I am and will remain the primary care giver (as opposed to primary earning member) of my family – and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I want to do well in my job; and then go back home and cook, spend time with my son, spouse, in-laws, parents. Because as much as my work gives meaning to my life - my family & home enrich my life, bring me joy. I am complete because I can prioritize my home & my job – not having to choose one over the other.work force; a lot more talented women with impressive degrees & great careers are also choosing to abandon great careers to prioritize family – the statistics are available if you just google it. I have learnt that I can So when we founded E&A and ODeX, we decided that we will be an organisation that will not just employ women – but we will ensure that no woman has to give up a fruitful career because she has to prioritize her family over her job. We wanted to build a culture where women can choose to prioritize themselves – and their choice can drive the work timings, delivery schedules & work content. We have tried to ensure that we provide equal opportunities – not by treating men & women the same; but by understanding that each women sometimes need to take more days off; need to have more flexible options. 37% of our workforce is women. I would like to see it grow to to atleast 50%. Till then we strive #BalanceforBetter. And I hope to see the day when a Woman’s Day is no longer needed – because all 365 days are for women. And every leap year we can celebrate a 366 th Day that honours the Super Hero that a woman truly is. A big hug to my lovely women colleagues – you inspire me and it’s a privilege to work with you every single day. This post is dedicated to all the women at ODeX and here’s are a few stories - our Daily Captain Marvel’s … Pratiksha Chavan “It is important for every woman to work and grab all the opportunities throughout their career. I like to work in ODeX as it makes me feel good about myself when I help customers with their problems. “ Pratiksha Chavan works in the Tech Support team at ODeX. She has over 8+ years of experience in production support and implementation and has a Masters in Computer Applications. Salaka Dharse “For me, a career is important for women as it helps us build an independent identity. I like working with ODeX as I got the opportunity to learn many new things in import. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure about what happens in Imports, but after working here, I’ve learned the actual process. It is fun to work here!” Salaka Dharse is qualified as B Sc IT from Mumbai university . She has been working in ODeX since October 2016 and had progressed through various teams and is now working with Business development team. Deepa Maurya “Career is as important as my personal & social life is, as it gives me a sense of independence & empowerment. I love the open-door policy & equal treatment to all irrespective of caste, designation & gender. That is the reason I am here.” Deepa Maurya works in the HR & Administration department. She has done her MBA-HR and has worked in HR for over 8 years in this field. Isha Sachdeva “The importance of a career in life is the same as to live for yourself which is itself important. Career gives me a sense of direction in my life and gives me satisfaction and power to move towards my life goals. ODeX is the first company where I started my career. I learned a lot and gained a lot of self-confidence, which is crucial to move ahead in our career and achieve goals. I like working with ODeX because here I get a chance to work with a team which is very supportive and believe in sharing the experience and knowledge.” Isha Sachdeva works in the Operations department and has been with us for over a year. She has done a PGPM (Marketing) and B.Tech (C.S.E). Archana Prabhu “For me, working gives a sense of direction. It helps you organize your thoughts about who you are, what’s important to you and what you want. Working at ODeX gives me new challenges, which I love. It helps me to develop my skills and interests in the maritime sector.” Archana Prabhu works in the CRM department and has over a years’ experience in this field. She has completed her B.Com. Deepa Solanki “Having a career is very important in life due to the following reasons: It gives a sense of direction to our life. It provides structure to life because to achieve career goals we to stick to a structured path. It helps us make more acquaintances and friends in life whom we meet in our chosen profession (career). Working contributes to our happiness, helps us to build confidence and self-esteem, and rewards us financially. Working at ODeX gives me great pride and honour as I love my work of handling team. Every day is a challenging opportunity to deal with our different customer.” Deepa Solanki has been working with us since May 2018, in the CRM Team. She has done her BSc (IT) with total experience of 12 years now. Gunvanti Gandre “Making a career, for me, is important as I get to earn and also learn and grow professionally. I get to connect and interact with people from all walks of life and also get to know different views, opinions, and perspectives.” Gunvanti Gandre is a Business Analyst and has been working in the same field for over 9 years. She has done her Post Graduation in Software Technology from CDAC Mumbai. Special Shout out to the other women who work in our organisation: Pooja Devkar, Arpita Chintawar, Karuna Kamble, Vibha Ghagare, Roshni Patil, Pooja Pawar, Snehal Kamble, Pallavi Patil, Shraddha Agale , Sheetal Pichad, Akshata Patil, Neha Shinde, Shraddha Prasade , Vaidehi Patel, Sayli Raut, Nisha Kothari, Savita Tarade , Tenaz Cardoz, Pratiksha Mokal, Irsha Gavali, Pratiksha Chavan, Kalyani Jadhav, Achal Singh, Shreya Pandey, Pranali Jadhav, Seema Yadav, Joyce Nadar, Divya Solanki, Rupa Kherwal, Ashwini Khanolkar. Shubhangi Ringe, Prerana Das, Swati Panigrahi, Tanvi Ghag, Amruta Rane, Jeslin Pushpa, Aishwarya Jadhav, Iram Khan, and Shashikala Patwa. “International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. International Women's Day (IWD) has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Prior to this the Socialist Party of America, United Kingdom's Suffragists and Suffragettes, and further groups campaigned for women's equality. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. Make IWD your day - everyday. #IWD2019 #BalanceforBetter”