Woman naturally motivated to become leaders, says Kiran Bedi; bats for need-based menstrual leave

Ahmedabad, Dec 19 (PTI) Women are naturally motivated to become leaders as they possess qualities such as honesty, empathy, sincerity, and compassion, Kiran Bedi, the country's first woman IPS officer and former Puducherry lieutenant governor, said on Friday.

She was addressing via video conference the 'SheLeads 2.0: Catalysing Women in the Workforce - Leading Inclusivity and Economic Transformation' event organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at Ahmedabad Management Association to promote women's leadership, inclusivity, and economic transformation.

"Constantly upskill your knowledge, and continue to be a learner. Women possess qualities that make them suitable to become leaders; in fact, they often possess qualities that men lack. They have empathy, compassion, and sensibility. A leader, regardless of man or woman, should have qualities like team building, collaborative, not competitive, take care of others, and know their work properly," Bedi said.

Women are naturally motivated to become leaders because they are naturally more honest, humane, and sincere, she added.

Emphasising the role of upbringing, Bedi said, "Parents must ensure equal opportunities for girls by focusing on education and self-reliance. Women don't grow only to get married and become mothers. They must grow up to be self-reliant first and then decide how they want to lead their lives." The development of women's leadership depends significantly on parental grooming, schooling, and personal aspirations, she pointed out.

"A woman's energy naturally shifts towards what she dreams of and how she envisions herself. Leadership in women depends on that vision," Bedi emphasised.

Sharing her views on menstrual leave, Bedi said it should be need-based rather than uniform.

"Every woman's body is different. The capacity of every woman's body to handle menstruation is different, so I feel it should be need-based and minimal," she said.

A woman should definitely ask for menstrual leave if she feels feel like it, but she should also learn to manage, Bedi said.

"All sports women have periods, but they play. All women in the police go to work when they are menstruating. So, menstrual leave shouldn't be for every woman; if any woman feels like taking it, they should ask for it," Bedi added. PTI KVM PD BNM