Women in the workplace: Silver linings and the way forward

These women are our inspiration and their success stories give us hope in an otherwise patriarchal and male dominated world.

And hence, on a positive note, in celebration of International Women's Day 2021 today, Star Lifestyle has taken the opportunity of speaking with many such women, hailing from various walks of life, to bring forward their journeys and achievements.

From female professionals working in large multinational companies and local organisations alike, to women who have bravely embraced entrepreneurship — and be it the field of athletics or technology or retail — we celebrate the hardship and subsequent contribution these women have made in society, not to forget that a few of them are frontliners as well in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

They spoke eloquently and candidly — discussing the hurdles and possible solutions in overcoming them, their thoughts on leadership, the role of corporate culture and work environment, and their advice for the future or younger generation of workers.

Even though Bangladesh has come a long way when we look around, we still see horrific cases of gender-based violence and harassment, disheartening instances of discrimination, etc. But the people we are featuring today on our Women's-Day-special have refused to succumb to patriarchy and despite all the barriers they are successful in their respective fields — the silver linings amidst the grim scenario.

After all, it needs the contribution of all genders to make a family or society or economy work. So, let the silver linings be landmarks to find our way out!    

Therefore, we hope you flip through the pages and read on, as we observe International Women's Day by celebrating the successes and contributions and pointing out the hurdles of women in the workplace.