#Superwomen2020: Be your own yardstick, says Soumini Paul

Superwomen 2020 winner Soumini Paul ’s forte lies in dealing with daily challenges with a positive approach. Here she chats about how she overcomes the challenges and keeps walking.

Soumini Paul,  VP, Hungama Artist Aloud, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment emerged as one of the winners of Social Samosa Superwomen 2020 in the Media Leaders category earlier this year.  

With over 20 years of experience in the music industry as Senior Management, Business Head, Product Head, Content Creator, PR, Events and a Musician, she has managed to create a mark and continue to carry on her reputation to extraordinary roles.

How would you define a Superwoman in today's day and age? 

I think today’s Superwoman is someone who knows that she has a
role to play in every avatar of her life be it a wife, mother, daughter or
sister. According to me, a Superwoman is not only someone who can multitask and
handle work and home but also someone who can even make a difference by just
doing one thing. Of course, the art of multitasking is something that makes a
woman more productive but even a woman who is a housewife and can bring up just
one child or no child or is even single can be a superwoman if she is able to
make a difference in her family, society or world.

One quality that you think every superwoman has and that helped you win Social Samosa Superwomen...

The one quality I believe a Superwoman has is having a “never say die” attitude. She is someone who looks at every challenge as a way to grow and learn. Personally, I feel that is what helped me win Social Samosa Superwomen because even at work with all the challenges I have faced, I have only learnt and grown more.

How successful have women been in shattering the glass ceiling in the Media & Advertising field? Does the 'boardroom inequality' phrase still stand true? 

This can become a very controversial topic and I have always tried to steer away from it. I can only speak for myself and my experience and in that, I can say that shattering the glass ceiling has to do with comparisons and expectations. I am not saying that one must not believe in oneself and expect more for oneself but I believe, one should rather aim to look at oneself as a yardstick and keep growing and expecting more accordingly rather than in comparison with your male peers.

Also Read: #Superwomen2020 The involuntary but inescapable fight every woman is fighting needs resilience: Sucharita Tyagi

What are the key changes this industry needs in order to make workplaces gender-neutral, safe, and nurturing?   

Women need to be heard more and given a chance to express
themselves in meetings. There are still times when a woman is ignored for an
idea even if it is similar to her male peer. However, having said that, these
are also in cases where the woman is not able to articulate herself or feels
unsure if she will be heard. As a gender, we somehow have been brought up to
rethink what we say or do and that extends at work place sometimes. The key
solution is for the woman to be more assertive in her approach. I do not
believe that there needs to be an external force for that.

One Superpower you wish you had? 

The power to be in two places at the same time – at home while
at work.

The 'Superwomen' you diligently follow and who inspired you... 

I never realized what a Superwoman my mother was till it was too
late. She was a housewife but was very well informed about the worldly ways of
life be it in economics, love, relationships, work politics, etc. She was my
sounding board and the one go to person when I needed a solution. If I can be
half the mother she was, I would believe I have arrived.

One tip to women out there attempting to scale heights... 

Be your own yard stick. Don’t be afraid to learn. Don’t be
afraid to multitask. When you get to doing things, you
will actually see it can be done.