Taking a Stance - A Leadership Essential

By withdrawing her participation from the National Squash Championship 2015, ace Indian squash player Dipika Pallikal has made a silent yet resounding and strong statement. Her stance came because of the vast discrepancy in the prize money offered to men and women who are competing for the same honor and glory of representing their country and winning laurels for their nation. In this tournament where the male winner stands to receive INR 1, 20,000 a female winner stands to win less than half of that amount, at INR 50,000.

With the wave of women’s liberation, this bold statement from Dipika is a refreshing and encouraging sign of good things to come. For decades, women in India have settled for pay cheques that are far lesser than what men draw for the same amount of work and effort. From the corporate world, to the world of celebrities, to the field of sports and in every other field, the highest award that women receive is still worth much lesser than what their male counterparts enjoy. Although a hue and cry has always been raised about it, Dipika has taken this one step further and put her money where her mouth is and put her opinion about this issue into action.  “I feel we deserve equal pay like most of the tournaments at the PSA professional circuit which are moving towards equal prize money”, she said.

This disparity does not exist only in the world of sports but also extends into the business world. The ratio of men and women who occupy senior positions in most organizations is shockingly variant. People like Dipika standing up against such disparity will hopefully set the precedence for more equality to emerge.

A very though-provoking quote by Helen Keller floats to mind like an illuminating glow of light at such times. “It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel toward our distant goal.” Times are changing and as a species we must change along with it. There is advancement happening in every field across the world and women are achieving tremendous heights, leaving nothing but awe and the celebration of success in their wake. Dipika’s recent statement is indicative of women refusing to take the easy way out anymore. All the advancement in the world only means that the world is now an equal, level playing field.

Whether you are a man or a woman, rich or poor, white or black, challenged or able, no matter who you are, the world is open to you in all its opportunities and possibilities. Being who you are does not make anything less accessible to you. Dipika’s move is a lesson on leadership and how leadership skills can make a positive difference. By taking a firm, assertive, unapologetic yet very respectful stand, she has made the world sit up and take notice. She has emulated Malala Yousafzai’s ringing words, “I raise up my voice – not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.” Are you ready to let your voice be heard amidst the crowd?