Our approach towards women leaders, be it any sphere, is that they should be like ‘male’ leaders. And in doing so, we completely ignore the unique skill set they bring to the table, because of our desire for them to fit into a mold of what a leader should be like, that as matter of fact is based on the traits of single-gender and doesn’t represent the wide gender diversity we have. By asking women leaders to adopt their male counterpart’s skills as a leader, we bring their effectiveness as a leader down.

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Our attitude towards women leaders is clearly visible from our cabinet composition as well. Gender inequality isn't just manifested in the absence of female ministers. According to data compiled by researchers on the profiles of Union ministers between 1990 and 2019, women not only have a harder time breaking into high-ranking political circles, but they also end up being siloed within specific ministries. Women and child development (WCD) and social justice and empowerment are two areas where a female leader was in office for 89 percent and 31% of the time, respectively, including Cabinet and other junior ranks.

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After the cabinet reshuffle in 2021, we currently have 11 ministers in the cabinet, the highest count in the last 17 years. Out of these 11 female ministers, only one holds a strong and economically-inclined ministry. The rest of the ministers are either appointed as junior ministers or appointed as ministers of what can be called “softer and feminine” ministries, reinforcing the whole mindset regarding the women leadership that we trying to break free from.

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In business and the workplace, according to data by McKinsey & Company, employees with female leaders had more support, over the pandemic. With emotional support being correlated to efficiency, especially during the pandemic, there is no doubt that these employees also fared well when it came to efficiency at workplace. All because their leaders weren’t compelled to embrace traits from their male counterparts and instead had been allowed to embrace what were their own individual traits (one of which is empathy, which is a common trait observed among female leaders).

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When we talk about our organs of government, they are still very much what has been called the ‘boys club’. What bigger example could be than that of our Judiciary, despite being established for over 70 years, the Supreme Court is yet to have a woman Chief Justice of India. After the recent appointments to the Supreme Court in 2021, we are poised to have our first woman Chief Justice of India, but that also for only 36 days (making it to be the third shortest tenure of Chief Justice of India). Not a huge stride for a country aiming to achieve gender justice.

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There have been 29 generals since the country's independence, but none of them has been a woman. This is due to the fact that women were only admitted to the army in 1992. Even after nearly a quarter-century, only 4% of the Indian Army is female. While a woman-contingent marching in the Republic Day parade is a sign of the progress women have made, the question of whether the Army will ever be a place where women are treated equally persists.

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Situation doesn’t do well in science either. According to Quartz, women make up 20% of ISRO's total workforce of 14,246 people. ISRO has had nine chairmen since its inception in 1963. Women have yet to set foot on the moon, nor have they risen to the top of ISRO. If we can have a female ISRO chairperson and send a female pilot as part of our missions, why can't we have a female ISRO chairperson and send a female astronaut as part of our missions?

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Women make up more than 80% of all teachers in kindergarten through high school. Despite this, for decades, the hallowed halls of the 16 Indian Institutes of Technology founded in the 1950s, the 19 Indian Institutes of Management founded in the 1960s, and the Indian Institute of Science founded in 1909, which have groomed some of India's best minds, have been run by men (a century in case of IISC). According to a 2013 report by education assessment firm Aspiring Minds, women make up 7-10% of IIT students across India. The situation is better at the IIMs, where women make up 20% to 40% of the class.

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It was established in 1935 to regulate the banking system and, in addition to supervising financial institutions, it also ensures price stability and public trust in the system. It has had 23 governors, all of whom have been men. Its former governor, Raghuram Rajan, once wrote to his employees, "The imagery that comes to mind for critics is of a traditional unimaginative organization rather than a dynamic intelligent one," and the fact that it has never had a female governor is indicative of that mindset. While there have been female deputy RBI governors who have progressed through the ranks, the governor is still appointed by the Indian government.

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There have been 14 labor ministers, all of whom have attempted to implement policies that would make India's work environment more conducive to increased productivity and production. Here's something they didn't notice: According to the McKinsey Global Institute, if women are allowed equal economic participation with men, India's GDP could rise to $4.83 trillion by 2025. Having a female labor minister would undoubtedly give India an advantage.

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So far, 31 cabinet secretaries have been appointed. The men have been the head of all civil services in India since 1950, as the senior-most civil servant in the government of India. According to a Scroll article, there are only three female IAS officers for every twenty male officers. Despite the fact that India's first IAS officer, Anna Rajam Malhotra, was appointed in 1951, women have yet to be appointed to this prestigious position.

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India also hasn’t had a female head for SEBI, agencies like RAW, IB.

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Statistics and studies show that it is time to change our attitude towards female leaders and it is high time that we do that. And there is no better way than to start with our governments, judiciaries, and bureaucracy.