Army of Strength

Here is a story from the everyday lives of the women working at thyssenkrupp. A narration of effortlessness, of strength and vulnerability, of struggle and patience, of waiting and winning, of choices and circumstances; a story about how seamlessly they make it all happen, a story that perhaps can never be told fully, and a story that will stay with each one of them…. what they speak dims in comparison to what they do!

The work profile as Project Lead Engineer is diverse and includes intense collaboration with clients, global teams, senior management, domain experts, and the industry. They navigate through the demands of their work without letting anything come in their way. Life showers many more turns and responsibilities like childbirth, elder care, spouse relocation, etc. and the women employees adapt to newer environments and demands every time.

The variety of work at home and office leads to stretches and overlaps that are unavoidable. The realities at home place tough career choices in front of women that they have to consider despite their ambitions. With support from the organization and their families, they are able to navigate and maintain a fruitful career without compromise. Alongside this, the support from colleagues who look at women as their equals and not just as individuals struggling to balance their home and career makes the workplace neutral. Satisfaction comes from work and the opportunity to mentor younger employees into technically sound experts and empathetic managers for the future.

They no longer desire to be the superwoman, overarching and managing everything. They include self-care, short breaks, and outsourcing whenever possible.

For them, work is not just an escape into creating their identity, not just an expression of their skills and knowledge, nor a point to be proven to themselves or the world. Work is the purpose, a way to earn a livelihood, gain intellectual perspective and maturity, and albeit a better way to look at and deal with life’s constant challenges. They would like to be identified and recognized for their merit and not be treated as a point for gender discrimination. It makes them more adept, more human, a feeling of being alive as they chase dreams, nurture families, grow as individuals, and above all keep that fire burning within to light their own and many other lives.