For Petal Gahlot, it was always about making a difference. One of the top 100 rankers of the UPSC exam last year, Delhi based Petal had always wanted to change the world around her for the better. Being clear about her career goals from the start really helped her to get going. After doing her undergraduate from Xavier’s in Political Science, Sociology and French Literature, she moved on to Delhi for her masters. Post that, there was no looking back for Petal, and now she is well on her way to becoming an IFS officer.
“I couldn’t have done it without my parents’ support, especially my father’s.” Petal says. She believes that her father was her most important inspiration throughout the journey. “He believed in me. My parents were never oppressive, and always gave me ample freedom. Their eclectic tastes helped me choose mine.”
While Petal is fortunate to have such understanding parents, she agrees that not everyone in India is. She feels that it is partly the reason why most Indian women don’t attempt to become civil servants. “Civil service is a good career for women. You see women officers doing well all the time. It requires certain strength of character, and so women are ideally suited. But you don’t find many women officers because of several reasons. One of them is lack of support from parents. Civil services take time, and parents are usually in a hurry to get girls married off.” she laments.
Women are also generally expected to put their career on a backseat, and focus on building a family instead. There are societal pressures on women, and most of the time they cannot help but cave. “Civil services is a demanding career, and you cannot clear it while bearing the burden of a household.” Petal says.
Political interference is also a reason behind the low numbers she intones. Cases of sexual harassment are common, and scare away many girls wanting to give UPSC a shot. But not all is bleak and grey for girls wanting to join the government’s services. “The top 4 rankers of UPSC last year are women, and many have gained a spot in the top 100. Things are changing.”
And what might drive that change? “A key thing is awareness. Many people feel that civil services are about power and money, but there is so much more they don’t see. People need to be inspired so they will stop focusing on just the bad things about the government. Women need to be given examples of existing officers to spur them along.”
Times are changing indeed, especially as Petal goes off to become one of the officers for women to take inspiration from. Her message to girls nationwide is, “Have complete faith in yourself. Stay focused and determined. Work hard and without shortcuts. The rest will come on its own.”
-Written by Nikita Singal, PGP-2 at IIMA
“I couldn’t have done it without my parents’ support, especially my father’s.” Petal says. She believes that her father was her most important inspiration throughout the journey. “He believed in me. My parents were never oppressive, and always gave me ample freedom. Their eclectic tastes helped me choose mine.”
While Petal is fortunate to have such understanding parents, she agrees that not everyone in India is. She feels that it is partly the reason why most Indian women don’t attempt to become civil servants. “Civil service is a good career for women. You see women officers doing well all the time. It requires certain strength of character, and so women are ideally suited. But you don’t find many women officers because of several reasons. One of them is lack of support from parents. Civil services take time, and parents are usually in a hurry to get girls married off.” she laments.
Women are also generally expected to put their career on a backseat, and focus on building a family instead. There are societal pressures on women, and most of the time they cannot help but cave. “Civil services is a demanding career, and you cannot clear it while bearing the burden of a household.” Petal says.
Political interference is also a reason behind the low numbers she intones. Cases of sexual harassment are common, and scare away many girls wanting to give UPSC a shot. But not all is bleak and grey for girls wanting to join the government’s services. “The top 4 rankers of UPSC last year are women, and many have gained a spot in the top 100. Things are changing.”
And what might drive that change? “A key thing is awareness. Many people feel that civil services are about power and money, but there is so much more they don’t see. People need to be inspired so they will stop focusing on just the bad things about the government. Women need to be given examples of existing officers to spur them along.”
Times are changing indeed, especially as Petal goes off to become one of the officers for women to take inspiration from. Her message to girls nationwide is, “Have complete faith in yourself. Stay focused and determined. Work hard and without shortcuts. The rest will come on its own.”
-Written by Nikita Singal, PGP-2 at IIMA