Despite being the brain behind some of our ventures, people used to give credit to my husband and still they used to call Harsh Bhogle’s show or talk. Anita Bhogle, Author

Metro India News | hyderabad

“Women should learn how to say 'no' nicely and tactfully.  I recommend through this book two things --positivity and a thick skin.  Women require it all the time,” said Anita Bhogle at the launch of her latest book ‘Equal yet Different’ in the city. In conversation with Priya Gazdar at T-Hub organised by FICCI FLO Hyderabad Chapter she spelt out her mind on the book and how society perceives women.  She spoke about why women in the workplace need to be treated equally and differently. The book allowed me to reflect on myself.  I talked to many women to write in the book.  I have learnt a lot through this process.

A lot of people say a lot of insensitive things mindfully or unmindfully. They even make you feel bad and guilty. And this is something women need to learn to face it boldly. Focus on what you have and not what you don't. Focus on what you can do, she said. On feedback she said that feedback to men is different. I saw many women leaving jobs because of the comments of others.  You need to have thick skin.  Prove to them with your work and performance that they were wrong.

Anita is a postgraduate from IIT Bombay and an MBA  from IIM Ahmedabad (where she met her husband, well-known cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle), is well known for her work in Advertising, Marketing and Market Research. She, along with her husband Harsha Bhogle, had run a successful learning series from the sports called The Winning Way.

She suggested to women to take up jobs, convenience-based, so that they can fulfil their responsibilities to a large extent. The recipe for success according to me is Ability, Attitude and Passion.  They all are important.  Passion is the top most one. By marrying Ability and Attitude, you can do wonders, she said. Despite being the brain behind some of our ventures, people used to give credit to my husband and still they used to call Harsh Bhogle's show or talk. That needs to be changed.  Women need to project themselves, she said. The leaders need to speak to everyone, listen to everyone. He should have the ability to learn from everyone. 

For my book, when I spoke to many women, none of those women had any women as their role model. Nor did they aspire to become one.  That is partially because they feel that they need to compromise a lot of things to reach such a level.  The general feeling is that men work for family and women work for themselves.  Women are considered as secondary bread earners.  If the husband is a bread earner and women consider themselves as a jam. These mindsets need to be changed, she said.