On the occasion of International Women’s Day, we bring you some of the most notable and distinguished women eduleaders from the education industry to share their incredible journey, insights, and experiences. Here are the excerpts from the interview
Niru Agarwal
Managing Trustee
Greenwood High International School, Bengaluru
Women are leading from the front
Women head global companies and are beginning to be at the forefront of institutions working as CEO’s or board members. This is a sign of society maturing in terms of gender parity. With sensitivity towards women, I am confident that their contribution to the GDP of the country would only increase. Women are now open to taking up challenging roles to break the glass ceiling to prove their mettle.
Women are breaking gender stereotypes and emerging winners. The country is steadily surging towards becoming an economic superpower with women beginning to play a significant role. I strongly believe the progress of any nation depends on the empowerment of women and we must work together and strive for equality and more opportunities for women.
Give wings
Raising educational aspiration in girl children is a key strategy towards achieving a gender balance. Not just to our boys, we need to give wings and role models to our girls to fly as well. It is vital to talk to girls and learn about their opinions and aims instead of forcing them to do something against their will. A prominent step in ensuring a gender-balanced world is by making education gender-sensitive.
While the modern education system is trying to set up a gender-balanced curriculum for all, the rate of progress is not adequate. This is because a school builds the edifice of a child’s life, and it is essential for our girl children to be taught in schools to be independent citizens with their individual identities and recognition. A gender-sensitive education system seeks to impart equal education to girls and promote positive stereotypes and encourage girl students to live up to their ambition. It is aptly said that “If you educate a man, you only create a skilled person, but if you educate a girl, you educate the whole family”. The belief stands true in words and practice and school education plays a key role in imbibing these values at an early age.
On leadership
I have been in the education domain since 2010. One must be positive and give timely feedback to the team. I am highly approachable to my team and follow an open-door policy and have a very hands-on approach as well. I believe in ethical business practices and feel that my honesty and transparency as a person has helped me win the confidence and trust of my team. I honestly feel there is no substitute for hard work and believe in speaking my mind. This goes a long way in creating a positive environment where growth can flourish.
