A Harvard Business Review article ‘Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership’ (September 2007) piqued my interest. It made intriguing reading for someone interested – sometimes indignantly- in issues of women empowerment (for lack of a better term that can express all the complications involved in gender disparity and its consequences).

Start with a very basic question. Why is it that there is far more commentary on the appearance of women who are public figures, when compared to men of the same stature? Perhaps this point has not even struck you before.

And move on to more striking issues. Consider the corporate world. Starting from subtle notions on capabilities of women leaders to blatant prejudices, there is an entire range of issues that women in leadership positions need to tackle on a continuous basis. This is not to deny that some women manage to navigate the labyrinth successfully. But for most women leaders, it is almost as if success requires a combination of circumstances that is harder to come by than in the case of men.

Where do the solutions to this situation lie?