They bank on sensitivity and empathy to excel in today's distrustful times, fight gender stigma and sometimes even 'sextortion', but the women leaders want the talk of equality to move beyond mere 'symbolism' of the International Women's Day.
At the same time, many young women entrepreneurs feel empowered, confidently feminine, unstoppable and limitless when they find themselves ruling the roost, including in some hitherto male-dominated domains.
Some of them, including CEOs of large companies, feel challenges still remain aplenty and at times it becomes difficult to acknowledge even smaller roadblocks for fear of being seen through a gender lens.
The United Nations has flagged violence against women as a persisting obstacle to achieving gender parity, while Transparency International said the most pressing issue this Women's Day is 'sextortion', which it described as a distinct phenomenon occurring at the intersection of corruption and sexual abuse.
Transparency said it is a silent form of gendered corruption preying on women in rich as well as low-income countries and of all age groups.
Supreet Dhiman, Director at 'End Incest Trust', said the 'symbolism' of talking about gender issues just on one day must end and it should be a continuous process.
She said an online survey, being conducted by her organisation, shows that dowry remains a concern for 26 per cent women, while 22 per cent have had to perform a sexual act against their will in an intimate relationship.
The survey titled, 'Queens or Convenience' which is open to voting on the trust's website, also shows that 82 per cent women faced sexual harassment at work.
It further shows that only 40 per cent women felt they received the same wages as their male counterparts, wh?ile income of 19.7 per cent women is controlled by husbands or other family members.
According to international economic policy think-tank OECD, women's employment rate remains below that of men despite a faster growth than for men since bottoming out in 2010.
Moreover, women are much more likely to work part-time and are less likely to be managers, while women make up only 16 per cent of board members in top 500 multinational companies, as per the OECD data.
Situation is no better in India, with a study by the World Economic Forum listing India among the countries with very low women representation on corporate boards (13.8 per cent).
Many business leaders feel things are changing for better, though the pace needs to pick up significantly.
Priyanka Gera, co-founder at Oxfordcaps, Asia's first branded and tech-enabled student housing company, said being a woman leader in today's times often gives a "strong sense of identity to work and succeed in male-dominated professions".
Actor Shreya Narayan said all leaders, women or men, need to do the same in terms of executing their vision without being deterred by opposition, but women do it with more sensitivity and empathy. "A heart in these distrustful times is the need of the hour, and thus women are better leaders for today," she said.
The one word that describes what it means to be a woman in the world of business today has to be "exciting", said author and media entrepreneur Shutapa Paul.
"While challenges remain, this is one of the best times for women to start up. With technology aiding the process, women entrepreneurs can forge ahead with their ideas," said Paul, who runs brand-building company Dharma Media Consultants and a video-first media platform on startups and entrepreneurs, NewCrop.
This one word for Dipika Agarwal, founder and creative director of Opancho Shoes, is "empower".
Agarwal was a radio jockey earlier and started this company three months back at the age of 25.
Opancho, a for-women-only contemporary footwear brand, has launched a digital campaign to showcase powerful stories of some of India's successful women personalities.
Sakshi Mandhyan, an acclaimed psychologist, happiness coach, speaker and founder of Mandhyan Care, said a woman leader is no superwoman but an inspirational human being.
"A leader is one who is unchained of gender stigma and beyond such limiting beliefs," she said.
Priya Singh, a journalist-turned entrepreneur in her early 20s, said it felt special being an entrepreneur, but for her there was nothing special about a woman starting a business.
Babita Singh, actor and founder of digital agency Lilliput Motions, said being a women entrepreneur is like pursuing true passion for something you instinctively find ways to nurture. "Recognizing the true passion and embarking upon such entrepreneurial journey is nothing but a self-discovery," she said.
Divya Resu of Bella Vita Organic, an organic skincare brand, said "confidently feminine" is the term that comes to her mind, while for Nishtha Dutta, a marketing and PR professional turned entrepreneur, the word is 'limitless'.
Priyanka Bhatt, who became an entrepreneur at the age of 27 and is Founder-CEO of Equations PR, said "resilience, patience and a go-getter attitude" are the keywords.
Sheetal Kapoor, co-founder of Oxxy Healthcare, said they keywords for her are 'indomitable' and 'unstoppable'.
For Aakriti Bhargava, co-founder of BoringBrands and tech-focussed PR solutions startup Wizikey, the key is "compassion", while Nikky Gupta, co-founder and director at Teamwork Communication Group, said it is "life" for her.
Nishtha Gupta, co-founder of Rein Games, called perseverance key to running a business as a woman, while Muskan Sethi, pro ambassador for Pokerstars, said being a women entrepreneur in today's times comes with superpowers and super responsibilities.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
