GENDER EMPOWERMENT

Cos provide economic emancipation to females in J&K

BILAL HUSSAIN

Working in a multinational top corporate is no more a taboo for women in Kashmir but a present day reality. Currently hundreds of females are workforces to many commercial organisations here and are sharing desks with their fellow male colleagues.

Business organisations over the time have matured enough and are taking gender issues seriously. Deputy Vice President, HDFC Bank J&K state, Zubair Iqbal told Kashmir Times that the bank is sensitive towards the gender related issues. “We provide equal opportunity to the females in our bank,” he added.

According to Zubair in certain cases in banking females outperform men. “Banking is no more a male dominating occupation here.” Whatever women are holding they are holding purely on merit, he claims.

It would be hard to believe but is a reality. Out of ten branches of HDFC Bank in Jammu and Kashmir three branches have female 2nd line branch managers, Zubair discloses.

Females are proving their mettle not only in banking but in other corporate segments as well. HR executive in an IT company Juwairiah Hameed Khan said that the corporate culture is growing here and the women are getting empowered day in day out. “I am empowered in lots many ways particularly economically,” she said.

According to Juwairiah the gender equality depends upon the culture of the company. “There is no bias in terms of gender the company I work for. I work neck to neck with rest of my colleagues,” she mentions.

She believes that Kashmiri women should come to fore and show their power. Educationally Kashmiri women are bright, ‘they should be given more opportunities.’ “They are capable of doing things better then their counterpart men,” she claims.

Women working in banking here are cherishing the economic emancipation they have realised. Mehnaz Bashart, working as an Assistant Manager in of the leading private sector banks of India said that the environment is clean in the bank and is highly compatible for the women-force. “Gone are days of women to women competition. At present we are competing with male counterparts and are giving them tough fights,” she cherishes.

While acknowledging the role of the parents Mehnaz said that without parental support females particularly can’t achieve and realise their dreams.
Unlike other sectors, Insurance sector has been a tough and highly competitive sector, women here have not only ventured in the sector but some have even carved a niche in the field. Snouber Nazir, Sales Manger, in an insurance company while sharing her views on it said that the society to a larger extent has started accepting the females working in insurance companies. “Females are getting good business,” she said. However, Snouber feels that still lot needs to be done in terms of gender sensitivity in the state.