We have to fight too: Corp daughters
Being born into a family of an influential business leader does not make life easier for women, who still have to trudge up the corporate ladder facing resistance and hostility as they carve out a career for themselves.
Most second and third generation business women in the corporate sector seemed to think so at a session 'Fathers and Daughters in Indian Business Families' organised by the Young FICCI Ladies Organisation held here recently.
"Most people think life is easy for women who are born into influential families. That is a misconception. Life is a struggle for us, especially if we decide to join the core part of our family business," says Sangita Reddy, executive director-operations, Apollo group of Hospitals.
The third daughter of Apollo Hospitals' founder chairman, Prathap C Reddy, Sangita says she and her three other sisters had always known they would have to pitch in to help their father manage the hospital chain and had prepared themselves for the job.
"I have heard people say 'Poor Doctor Reddy! He has four daughters'. Our task was to make people say 'Lucky Doctor Reddy! He has four daughters.' After 27 years in the
business, I think I have proved those people wrong. Envy has replaced sympathy when people look at my father and us," said Sangita.
While acknowledging she was among only a hand full of women from corporate families who had made a name for themselves, Sangita, however, said that things would have been different had there been a boy in the family. "Yes,
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