Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Challenges and Strategies for Women in Project Management

Dr. Deepa Bhide, PMP is a physician and currently an independent healthcare IT and project management consultant. She has a postgraduate degree in Pediatrics and Neonatology from the University of Health Sciences, India. Deepa is an advocate of using project management in healthcare and related domains. She has worked extensively in the confluence of clinical medicine, IT and project management domains with hands-on experience in managing projects from conception to closure.

  Career Development   Organizational Culture  

Have you ever felt underestimated in your abilities as a project manager despite your qualifications and experience? 

How do you navigate the demanding project management workload while managing personal responsibilities? 

What steps can organizations take to create a more inclusive environment for women to thrive in project leadership roles? 

The world celebrates International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8th. It recognizes women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements and calls for action to accelerate gender equality. It recognizes the importance of women in creating prosperous economies and a healthy planet. 

In Indian culture, women have been treated as equal to men since ancient times. They were a symbol of protector and caretaker of mortality and ideals. There was no discrimination based on gender. Society respected and honored women. It considered them “Janani”—literary, the creators of mankind. The ancient Hindu scripts refer to women as “Goddesses” or “Devis.” Women could partake in cultural and spiritual activities with the same honor as men.

With the passage of time, the positions and rights of women changed. Since the inception of this concept (and for millions of years), women’s empowerment—making women realize their self-worth, their ability to …

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