1. I would have usually posted this in my blog on my IIMA experiences, but considering that this blog is for 'unsanitized' unconventional views, I thought this will be a better fit. As always, I welcome any comments but no personal attacks please! This post covers the little reported topic about how women find it difficult(relative to males) to get admission in IIMABC(and few other top BSchools) but once in, are on top of the world. as in admission itself-once they clear the CAT hurdle.
1. Bias in admission itself-once they clear the CAT hurdle. Directors openly want ‘diversity’ etc tweaking the criteria to accommodate girls. For example, the IIM-K director openly boasted about tweaking the criteria to ensure 40% girls. Even other IIMs do try to help girls indirectly-for example give weight-age to Board Exams/consistent track academic records, where girls statistically outperform males. IIM-K for instance, boasts of 'giving preference' to girls and has 35% girls in its 2011-2013 batch. But only 84/121 girls have a CAT percentile over 90-which speaks volumes for the relaxed standards they are applying to the fairer sex. And adding insult to agony, they claim that girls get better placements. With a system rigged in your favour, why won't they?
2. Demand-Supply equations-can balance suitors for a long time. Males(especially those freshers out of engineering hostels starved of female company for years!) gravitate to women, as moths do to a flame. Like the typical moth, they may end getting burned(losing focus etc) if not careful.
3. Placements-on an average, girls get better placed than someone with similar CV-solely because companies have this gender diversity mandate. An investment bank even went to the extent of releasing a 100% female shortlist at IIM-A(find out yourself who!)
4. More PPOs on average due to better networking (whom would YOU want to talk to-a chick eyeing you admiringly or a male?). Wormen just flutter their eyelashes and play the role of a damsel in distress to perfection, men will come rushing to help. This does help during internships. While a male intern may be perceived as dense for asking a question, the same thing when done by a woman may seem gallant to answer/ help out.
5. Flip side does exist-they are minority, seen as 'object', slightly harder matrimonial prospects in certain communities(which do not value that education, so these girls end up doing a love marriage. Someone even labelled top Bschools as a matchmaking place for their female students, but maybe society is to blame for this, because highly educated women may need to pay more dowry or find it harder to get same community suitably qualified matches. Can’t blame them-2yrs is a long time to know somebody well, and probably safer than the conventional arranged marriage. Also, they are sometimes stereotyped though-like not offering certain finance roles. This does help for sales/marketing roles though.
7. They play their own role-contact lenses, downplay their off campus bf, dress ‘appropriately’ especially on placements day-a friend of mine even speculated that part of the placement prep in girl’s hostel is on the art of ‘dressing appropriately’ to wow the recruiter. I forbear comment on this one.
Maybe, all the above can the be justified on other grounds such as ; males themselves give attention, need to encourage women in managerial positions, Indian socio economic position etc. And by no means am I implying that they are less 'competent' in any sense of the word. It is only that 'ceteris paribus'(in terms of measurable parameters like skills, qualifications, impact), women do get that extra edge.
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