https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Motherhood is Bliss, Can Never be an Obstacle in Career, Say Women Bureaucrats

Indian Masterminds Stories

Every year, when International Women’s Day draws near, discussions around women-related issues pick up steam. Even otherwise, such talks and debates abound, especially after some unfortunate incident involving a woman comes to light. 

In recent times, a topic which has found favour among people for heavy discussions is motherhood, with different opinions being voiced on it, both for and against. The career woman camp wants parental responsibilities to be shared equally by both the partners. Whereas the other camp is of the opinion that a mother’s true place is at home, to take care of the family. 

For the career woman herself, balancing motherhood and career is not easy at all, and involves lots of sacrifices along the way, often at the cost of her own success and happiness. Sadly, there are instances when, even after taking on the challenges and working like a double engine, and completing all the tasks successfully, she is still denied a big position or role at her workplace. 

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, we, at Indian Masterminds, asked few women civil servants whether becoming a mother is an obstacle for women pursuing careers. 

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL BLESSING 

Abhilasha Sharma, IAS Bihar Cadre

IAS officer of Bihar cadre, Ms. Abhilasha Sharma, who recently became a mother, said: “Motherhood is bliss. I don’t think it is an obstacle in a women’s career. Yes, it can be challenging but not a roadblock. Women may face such people who believe family and kid won’t allow them to give their cent per cent, but women have shattered all such myths.”

THE RULES ARE DIFFERENT FOR MEN 

If a woman has a successful career and has less time to devote to her family, then she is judged. The rules are different for men. They are given extra respect for doing well on the work front even when they have no time for family or kids. 

Highlighting this, IRS officer, Ms. Aman Preet said, “Still, working women are expected to be good wives and mothers, irrespective of her professional status or skills. A woman who is successful at work but has scarcity of time to devote to her children or home is not looked upon highly. Significant personal and social adjustments are required to cope with such a situation. Maternity leave provisions need to be strengthened for working women to smoothly complete the transition from pregnancy to motherhood. Family support and childcare services are indeed need of the hour.” 

START BY RECOGNISING EFFORTS OF THE MOTHER 

Ms. Durga Shakti Nagpal, who became a mother of second child just few months back and also wrote a book titled Grow Your Baby, Not Your Weight, has a unique take on the issue.  She said, “When I was pregnant and after I delivered, I felt like a powerhouse. I have two daughters, one who is six years old and the other one is an infant. After they came into the world, I started believing that I am able to do so many things together. Becoming a mother makes you strong, and if you’re strong, then nothing is impossible for you.”

Ms. Durga Shakti Nagpal is a 2010 batch IAS officer

She also mentions that it is important to enable the mothers, especially those with some passions, and, we, as a society should start by acknowledging and recognising the things a mother does. “Nature has given us the most perfect gift. We should cherish it and continue our work with conviction. Chase our dreams and follow our path.” 

IRS Amanpreet Kaur

SP of Lohardaga, Jharkhand, Ms. Priyanka Meena also has similar views. She said, “The basic survival of the world depends on the regeneration power of women. There will be a full stop on everything with no reproduction. We need to accept that women play an important role and for that they do need care and extra support for some period. However, some employers see them as liability, which is entirely wrong. While there is a lot of provision for women during pregnancy and for childcare, but in practicality, there is a lot of hesitancy in providing that support. This should be changed.”

WOMEN HAVE ALREADY PROVED THEMSELEVES 

District Collector of Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, Ms. Harshika Singh said, “Even in bureaucracy, there are a lot of female secretary and chief secretary level officers in states. They all have a complete family and climbed up the entire ladder to reach there. So, I don’t think motherhood create any kind of gap or is a disadvantage for ambitious women.”

All these officers unanimously agreed on one thing: true empowerment will come only when women are not denied any opportunity due to certain stereotype views and gender discrimination, and they are able to take their own decisions and, also, be part of others’ decisions, too! 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Set to Promote Two IPS Officers to Director General of Police
Complaint
Complaint Filed Against Senior IPS Officer for Sending Inappropriate Messages
Jammu and Kashmir Government
Three IAS Officers Assigned New Postings in J&K; Check Names Here
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services
Senior IAS Officer Rajendra Ratnoo Opts for Voluntary Retirement
SEBI
SEBI Appoints 3 New Executive Directors: Amit Pradhan, Avneesh Pandey & Sanjay Purao Take Charge
Lateral_entry_resized
No Reservation in Lateral Govt Job Entries, Centre Tells Rajya Sabha Citing Single-Post Rule
DelhiPolice
Top-Level Shake-Up in Delhi Police: 3 IPS Officers Reassigned Amid Security Concerns; Chahal Named DG, Civil Defence
mp
MP’s ₹3 Lakh Crore Infrastructure Boom: 255 km Greenfield Highway, ₹5,500 Cr Tiger Corridor Among Key Road Projects
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Set to Promote Two IPS Officers to Director General of Police
Complaint
Complaint Filed Against Senior IPS Officer for Sending Inappropriate Messages
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT