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Women often don’t value themselves
enough, and they don’t stand up for ‘Finance is an excellent
themselves enough, which tends to be
reflected in the way women career choice for women
communicate, Gupta said. Specific
mentoring on assertiveness and related today.’
soft skills orientations might help
women professionals tackle the Mehr Malik, CFO at Red Bull Pakistan
underlying biases and unfairness in
organisations, she added.
Also, to promote inclusivity and
perhaps create more mentors, the Deepti Gupta is a have a baby and will probably not return to work, so they don’t
Indian Companies Act of 2013 qualified chartered even consider these options,” Malik said. In fact, many local
mandated listed companies to appoint accountant and companies might not even hire recently married women
at least one female director. In May vice-president–global professionals to avoid having to deal with them taking
2018, the Securities and Exchange Board finance assurance at maternity leave, she said.
of India directed each of the top 1,000 HSBC near New Delhi.
listed companies to have at least one Implement equality of pay and promotions
independent female director by March 2020. But Indian Conventional culture in the subcontinent often functions with
companies have struggled to meet these requirements. an “unconscious bias” that leads to disparity in pay and
promotions.
Develop progressive performance evaluation Gupta recalled a time when she
to tackle inequalities realised that she was being paid less
A change in the annual performance evaluation parameters is for the same role and functions than
also necessary to tackle inherent inequalities and discrimination her male colleagues. “I spoke with the
in workspaces and ensure that a period of maternity leave doesn’t management without worrying about
affect a woman’s career growth. consequences. They realised there was
“You should be rated for the six a mistake. They apologised and
months that you are there at the corrected it,” she said, adding, “But
workplace and not for the other six that was just me.”
months when you are away on It’s the professional’s duty to raise
maternity leave. The organisation has her point and share opinions actively,
to give you that support,” Huq said. Magan said. “That’s how you’re going Zinnia Huq, FCMA,
Gupta didn’t receive that support to grow in your career, that’s what you CGMA, is a finance
when she returned to work after having can do for the organisation.” director at Unilever
her second baby in 2017. She had to take “If women professionals are Bangladesh.
a different role at the same level after leaving, organisations should ask
having been on maternity leave for six themselves why they are leaving,” she added.
months. “My previous role was simply Ashwini Kalansooriya Gupta pointed to two possible drivers: women not staying
not available for me anymore. Of is a senior ERP visible to the senior management, especially during promotions
course, that impacted my future consultant based within the organisation, and not communicating assertively.
chances for promotion,” she said. in Sri Lanka. Routine tracking and monitoring of the number of women
The men who worked at her level employees present in an organisation at various levels and
have progressed ahead of her now. “It certainly affected my ensuring that there is adequate representation in senior
chances of getting up the ladder in the same amount of time,” positions would encourage more women to seek promotion.
Gupta added. A more diverse, equitable, and inclusive finance function is
Although companies are investing resources in the name of part and parcel of a profession that is evolving beyond just
diversity, equity, and inclusion, conscious efforts should be made accounting and bookkeeping.
to ensure that being away on maternity leave should not hamper Malik of Red Bull Pakistan suggested that organisations talk
a woman professional’s career progression, pay rise, performance about the challenging roles and decision-making
assessments, or promotions. responsibilities of present-day CFOs and how so many finance
“This has to be consciously embedded into the system and heads are moving on to becoming CEOs of companies. “Finance
into the minds of people through trainings, orientation, is an excellent career choice for women today,” she said. ■
mentoring, and probably open communications,” Gupta said.
Also, a uniform period of maternity leave and company
childcare support for new mothers would help. At present, many
companies and many regions on the subcontinent have varying Swati Sanyal Tarafdar is a freelance writer based in India.
periods of maternity leave. Only a few large companies have To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for
childcare facilities for new mothers. another article email fm-magazine@aicpa-cima.com.
“The worst part is that most employers believe she is going to

FM-MAGAZINE.COM August 2022 I FM MAGAZINE I 19