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
SAIL resized
SAIL Bags 'Star Performer' Award from EEPC for Export Excellence During Pandemic Years - Check Here To Know More
NFL _ National Fertilizers Limited
National Fertilizers Ltd Faces Rs. 94.84 Crore Tax Demand Over GST Refunds
Screenshot 2025-05-31 204103
PM Modi Launches Major Thermal Power Projects in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh - Check All Details
IRCON
IRCON Bags Rs. 1,068 Crore Contract for Ganga Rail Bridge in Bihar - All Details Inside
retirement
3 Senior Executives to Retire from Key PSUs in India, P V Ravitej Concludes 38-year Long Journey With BPCL - All Details Inside
Rajiv Krishna IPS
Breaking: IPS Rajeev Krishna Appointed as Acting DGP of Uttar Pradesh, Becomes 5th Consecutive Officer in Acting Role - Know More About Him
Bihar Government-resized-IM
47 IAS Officers Reshuffled in Bihar Ahead of Polls, 17 Districts Get New DMs, 5 New Commissioners - Check Circular Here
PSUs
PSUs: IRS Anurag Prasad Repatriated Early for Promotion; IAS M Muthukumar Appointed Director (Finance) at BHAVINI
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
Modernising Governance: A Digital Transformation in Gangtok
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Abhishek Singh's SECRET: Vipassana, Anthropology & Smart Answer Writing | Video Interview 
Madhav Agarwal UPSC
From Gwalior to the Top 20: What Drove Finance Pro Madhav Agarwal to Crack UPSC CSE 2024 with AIR 16? | Exclusive
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
ANUBHAV SINGH UPSC IFS 2024
9 Years, 8 Attempts, 7 Failures: How Anubhav Singh Cracked UPSC IFS 2024 with AIR 3 Against All Odds | Exclusive
Anubhav Singh’s inspiring journey to UPSC IFS Rank 3 showcases relentless perseverance, strategic preparation,...
Jogender Sihag
“I Cleared UPSC, But My Grandfather isn’t Here to Hear it,” Jogender Sihag, AIR 521, UPSC CSE 2024
"Life is short; make the most of it, whether in civil service or any other field. Just have a clear vision...
WhatsApp Image 2025-05-28 at 18.56
Didn’t Clear UPSC But Found Something Greater: A Story That Will Change How You See Success
She left a top finance job for UPSC, did not clear but built a thriving wellness brand instead. Veda's...
Social Media
parveen kaswan elephant
Elephant Outsmarts Electric Fence! IFS Parveen Kaswan Shares Incredible Video!
In the now-viral 51-second clip, the intelligent giant approaches a wooden pole supporting high-voltage...
UPSC Latest IAS IPS IFS
UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 Tomorrow: ICLS Officer Altap Shaikh Shares Last-Minute Motivation for Aspirants
His five-post thread offers encouragement, practical advice, and emotional support - not just for those...
Anupam Sharma IFS
#BoycottTurkey: IFS Officer Anupam Sharma Sparks Nationalist Call to Action
IFS Sharma urged citizens to avoid Turkish agricultural imports
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Dr Mahendra Khadgawat
IAS at 55: How a Cricketer Turned Civil Servant is Still Scoring Big for Rajasthan
SAIL resized
SAIL Bags 'Star Performer' Award from EEPC for Export Excellence During Pandemic Years - Check Here To Know More
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Madhav Agarwal UPSC
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT