It is often argued that if we want to attain global standards on a sustainable basis, we need to invest in our people and, especially, improve the lives of our women. Yes, we need contributions from our women to attain excellence in all areas of activity. But more than this reason, I feel we cannot be considered a civilised nation if we deny and deprive almost half our people of opportunities and discriminate against them. Many of us agitate to ban cow and buffalo slaughter, but remain insensitive to the increasing rate of female foeticide in some of the states. When we continue to deny their right to be born, how can we talk about women power at the workplace?

Our social and cultural attitudes neglect and marginalise women. In public, we accept and respect women and brag about having a woman as our Prime Minister or a few women as Chief Ministers and judges. But privately, the large majority of women are subjugated and dominated. They are denied access to education and are expected to remain in their homes and kitchens. They need permission from their men to occasionally visit their parents and relatives. Without mobility and access to education, how can we expect large numbers of women at the workplace?

Let me substantiate with a few facts. Though 48 per cent of Indians are women, they are disadvantaged in every way-in terms of literacy, labour participation and earnings. As 40 per cent of them are illiterate, India probably has the world's largest group of unlettered women. Maternal mortality is the second highest in the world and large numbers of Indian women have little access to health and sanitation. Daily, thousands of women in many parts of India walk many miles to fetch water and firewood. They also have to attend to all the household chores-because that is not supposed to be man's work-and they end up with no time and energy for productive work or enterprise.

It is estimated that 124 million women work in India (National Sample Survey Organisation, 2000). This represents about 31 per cent of the total workforce. The Government's Economic Survey for 2003-04 has estimated that there are 4.95 million women in the organised sector (both public and private sectors)-about 18.1 per cent of the total organised workforce.

Last year, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), through its Women Empowerment Committee, conducted a survey of white-collar staff in 149 member companies across different sectors and regions. I would like to believe that business forums like CII attract companies with a more liberal mindset. Yet, the findings were discouraging. The percentage of women employees in medium companies was 18 per cent, large companies 4 per cent (including heavy industries, where women intake is very low); on an average, these companies had 6 per cent women on their rolls. At the managerial level, the percentage of women at junior level was 16 per cent, middle level 4 per cent, senior level 4 per cent and at senior-most levels, just 1 per cent.

Today, to survive competition in a globalised market, many organisations are outsourcing and contracting out their work. This certainly has created opportunities for home-based work, especially for women in sectors like textile, garments and electronics. But unfortunately, it has also forced women into 'informal' work that offers little security or long-term benefits.

In India, women and children in the unorganised sector have been exploited and there is no job security or retirement benefits. A large number of women and children work in the tobacco (bidi rolling), agarbatti, bangle making, brassware, weaving and leather industries. The working conditions are very poor and without adequate legal protection; and women are more vulnerable than men. So far, the government has been pampering organised labour and, by and large, neglecting the unorganised sector. It is time it came up with a dynamic framework of regulations so that the vast majority of our women workers get justice and social security.

It is not possible to employ everyone in industries or the organised sector. We need to tap into the tremendous entrepreneurial spirit of our people. The natural enterprise of Indian women can be nurtured through innovative schemes of micro-finance. From Bangladesh to Kenya and Jordan, there is evidence to show that when it comes to repaying loans, women, with 98 per cent repayment rate, are more responsible than men. The government, financial institutions and private sector can join hands to create women entrepreneurs. We need to identify viable projects and provide mentoring help to ensure success.

Who is responsible for creating the climate and encouraging more women to join the workforce? I believe everybody needs to contribute, but I think the state has to take the lead. Pruning its waste and withdrawing from non-value added activities, it should, as Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and others have pointed out, increase its investments in the social sector. It must also play monitor and see that the poor and marginalised people receive the funds and other benefits of the support systems meant for them. Right now, the combined expenditure on education by the central and state government is only 3.1 per cent. This needs to be raised to at least 6 per cent of the GDP.

About 50 per cent of our school-going girls drop out at middle school for various reasons-toilet facilities not being available in schools or to help their parents at work or to take care of their siblings. This means a mere increase in government's spending on education will not achieve the desired results. Investments have to be backed by schemes for employment and income generation for parents.

The Economic Survey has noted that in states with higher female literacy, there are more women working in the organised sector. States that have shown dramatic improvements in literacy levels-especially for girls-need to be recognised and their success documented. Backward states have to be given time frames by which they have to show progress.

The corporate sector has to think and act innovatively to help women balance their work and home roles. Crèche facilities need to be provided either at the workplace or at residential areas where women live. They can think of granting maternity leave beyond the legal requirement, with or without pay. Companies need to explore if women can work part-time or flexi-time to balance work and their families. Women who leave work to bear children find it very difficult to rejoin. Courses that equip women to make a comeback, psychologically and skill-wise, will also be of great help.

In spite of the mandatory requirement, many organisations do not have any sexual harassment policy in place and distressed women have no place to turn to. There cannot be any compromise on this issue. Policies should be clearly stated and implemented rigorously.

Corporates which genuinely want to increase the number of women in their organisations need to introspect as to what comes in the way-is it lack of qualified candidates or is there a bias against women? They must also ponder over how they can overcome this prejudice? At times of downsizings and mergers, corporate policies need to protect women from unfair treatment by a male-biased work environment.

Even if systemic limitations are overcome and women are given opportunities for education and a chance to join the workforce, they will still face tough resistance from their own mindsets and self-images. It is critical that women help themselves to come out of their self-limiting belief systems.

As mothers, they need to be careful not to give different sets of messages to their sons and daughters. Most boys are encouraged to develop "achievement skills" that equip them for work, whereas girls are helped to develop their affiliative needs which help them to be dutiful daughter-in-laws, obedient wives and sacrificing mothers. From early years, boys need to be made aware that household and child-rearing responsibilities need to be equally shared between a husband and wife and is not the sole responsibility of a woman. Mindset change is a slow process but enduring in the long run. Schools, colleges and media need to reflect on the above messages and stop treating a male child as special.

In the short run, should we have quotas that will force industry to employ more women? I am against quotas and, instead, want accelerated awareness campaigns that bring about a change of mindset.

Even family-owned businesses need to give an equal chance to their daughters to enter the family business. If everyone makes a genuine effort, a day will come when we will not just have "Mukherjee & Sons" and "Pestonjee & Sons" but also "Mukherjee & Daughters" and "Pestonjee & Daughters".

Our task is truly Herculean. The government must lead the way and corporates, NGOs and educational institutions should join in to support and work for change. Real change will come when our women are treated on par with men and given equal opportunities. When that happens, India will be able to harness its women power and emerge as a respected nation.

The author is Chairman Emeritus of Thermax Ltd