26 July/August 2019
For eons, men were the hunters and gatherers.
Then, the work environment and culture were
envisioned and built by men for men. Most women
joined the workforce fewer than sixty years ago. This
situation needs to change much faster than it is.Imagine a household 100 years ago where a man
made all the decisions, without even checking
with his wife. Imagine if he builds a house; is he
going to care how the kitchen is laid out? Just
like that, men built a work environment that is
primarily suitable for men, in a way that met only
their needs.For example, most work or public places still do
not have lactation stations more than six decades
after women joined the workforce.Contrarily, we might have the urge to swing the
pendulum to the other extreme and make it all
just about women. That is neither my recommen-
dation, nor the right outcome. Gender equality
is a very low standard; we need much more than
that.What is the real solution then?What we need is gender synergy where men and
women, together, create something bigger than
both of them independently can achieve.Eastern mythology has Shiva as the metaphor for
ultimate masculine energy and Shakti, the meta-
phor for pure feminine energy.By Ruble Chandy
Is the Work Culture and Environment Built for Men?
(And the three things women and men can do to change it.)Gender Equality
Is a Very Low Standard!
Many of my highly accomplished female clients tell me that
they need to switch to masculine energy in the office.Photo credit © Tim Mossholder