A recent viral post on X described a workplace without women as drama-free. But is this a stereotype that has outlived its time? A day after Women’s Day, Sunday mid-day speaks to men who have worked— and thrived—in women-majority workplaces
Anuraag Gupta, CA and co-founder of a PR firm, says working with a nearly all-women team has been a lesson in sensitivity and emotional clarity. Pic/Ashish Raje
When Anurag Maurya, a Delhi-based graphic designer, wrote on X a week ago, “Finally joined a company with no women, and all my colleagues are 40+ in age. No drama, no politics. Apne kaam se kaam,” it drew many eyeballs online.
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Men and women, both, rallied in support of women in the comments section. But there were also posts by hundreds of men agreeing with, and even congratulating Maurya—proof that the stereotype of “women bring drama to the workplace” still prevails across workplaces.
And what does this “drama” entail? Gossip, emotional outbursts “over minor issues” and disagreements over ideas—these were a few recurring themes that came up when Sunday mid-day posed the question to corporate executives, both men and women. The bigger question, though, is whether a man would be labelled “draamebaaz” for the same actions. A man talking about a celebrity won’t be called a gossip; he’s merely making small talk. A man who stands by his ideas in a meeting is considered assertive, a woman in the same scenario might be called “abrasive” or “bitchy”.
Kavya Jose
The problem lies in patriarchal conditioning to see men as “stoic and strong”, and women as “emotional and weak”. It stems from a fundamental lack of understanding of emotional expression—something men largely shy away from, says Nikhil Taneja, co-founder and CEO of Yuvaa, a youth media and research organisation.
“When women communicate openly about their feelings, it’s often labelled as gossip or drama because men aren’t used to that level of vulnerability,” says Taneja, who has spent years building a workplace that prioritises empathy, inclusivity, and open communication.
He points out that men, conditioned to suppress their emotions, often struggle to express themselves unless they’re in informal settings like chai breaks or drinks. “Women create safe spaces to talk openly, and that’s a strength, not a weakness. Gossip, in a way, is healthy—it’s a form of emotional release!”
Pic/iStock
Taneja highlights the irony of corporate spaces, where men are often the ones perpetuating “drama” by engaging in office politics to impress their superiors. Women, on the other hand, hardly speak up, too busy figuring how to survive in a male-dominated world that wasn’t designed for them.
Sexual harassment remains a huge divide between the sexes in the workplace, with male co-workers often complaining that women are “overly sensitive” and they “overreact to jokes” or “friendly” gestures. Men may claim that they have become overly cautious around women after #MeToo; but just a year after the movement, a 2018 study by the Delhi-based Martha Farrell Foundation found that 80 per cent of Indian women continued to face harassment at work. In 2020, another survey of professional women in India had similar findings—75 per cent women had reported workplace sexual harassment during their career.
In the years since, human resources teams across organisations have held harassment sensitisation sessions—or “how to behave”—for employees. The pushback from women and HR might have prompted men to put on their best behaviour, but it’s done grudgingly at times.
A male, mid-senior-level HR professional at a renowned company in the city tells us, “I need to mind my body language and tone when interacting with them [women]. Most women are very sensitive about how you behave around them. If you’re too friendly, that also creates the wrong impression. I just don’t know how to act around them!”
This othering—referring to women as “them”, as though they’re extraterrestrial—coming from an HR professional no less, speaks volumes about how far we still are from achieving true decency at the workplace. “I can’t speak or be myself around female colleagues the way I can with my male peers,” the HR executive adds.
HR professional and policymaker Kavya Jose, who has shaped policy at several MNCs, believes that while societal conditioning needs improvement, responsibility at the ground level also lies with organisations. “Companies need to take proactive steps to infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion [DEI] into their cultures,” she says. “This means more DEI training, more support for underrepresented groups, and a commitment to breaking down gender stereotypes.”
“Inclusion and better behaviour by male colleagues comes later,” says Jose. “Women must first get opportunities.” Her suggestion only reinforces the belief that many men struggle to interact with women in general, let alone collaborate with them.
Jose says certain industries are heavily gender-skewed. “In engineering, you’ll see more men, while in HR, PR, and communications, women tend to dominate the fields. So first, it’s about creating balance and opening doors for women in male-dominated fields,” she explains.
Despite what Maurya has to say, Sunday mid-day spoke to men across demographics who have thrived in women-dominated teams. Their secret? Keeping an open mind.
80%
Indian women continued to face harassment at work in 2020
75%
Women reported workplace sexual harassment during their career
Source: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Leading with sensitivity
Anuraag Gupta, 41
CA and co-founder of The Other Circle
The co-founder of The Other Circle, a PR agency with a nearly all-women team, Anuraag Gupta describes himself as an “anomaly” in a woman-led industry. “Public relations is a woman-led business by design,” he says. For Gupta, working in a predominantly female team has been a lesson in sensitivity, emotional clarity, and adaptability.
“As a man in a women-majority team,” he says, “I have learned to be more conscious of how my words and actions land.” This heightened sensitivity around women, he believes, stems from a deep respect for the challenges they navigate daily—both at work and at home.
In his 10 years in the industry, he has never witnessed ego clashes, or “catfights”. With women in his firm, who he says are collaborative and foster a “drama-free environment”, decision-making is a collective effort. A “maker-checker” approach [two pairs of eyes to verify work] ensures every voice is heard. “All our decisions are properly vetted, whether directed by me, [sister and co-founder] Aakanksha, or another team member,” he explains.
One of the most striking differences between working with men and women, he notes, is the emphasis on empathy. “In finance, my previous field, decisions were often numbers-driven. But here, my team brings a humanitarian angle to the table,” he says. For instance, when a client negotiation required flexibility, his team advocated for understanding the client’s personal circumstances—a perspective Gupta admits he might have overlooked.
Working in a nearly all-women workspace has not only made him a better leader, but a better husband too, claims Gupta.
Dismissing the stereotypes, Gupta adds, “My team has never pulled the ‘I’m a woman, I know better’ card.”
No. of women in team: 45
Flipping the lens
Dr Rajeshwari S Punekar; 46
Senior scientist
Rajeshwari S Punekar, a product group lead with a rare combination of clinical background and expertise in epidemiology and health economics, is one of the few women in her field. “You can count on your fingers how many women there are in this field in India,” she says.
With 20 years of experience in the US and India, she has largely worked with male colleagues. Currently, she is the only woman in a team of ten. Though the senior leadership in her organisation is entirely male, she manages five direct reports.
After returning to India to look after her parents, she recalls an incident at her new workplace where one of her direct reports quit after she joined the team because he did not want to report to a woman. She says cultural differences result in such workplace dynamics. “There have been times when male colleagues have excluded me from meetings. I’d like to believe it wasn’t intentional, but perhaps they thought I didn’t have enough inputs,” she says.
But she believes mixed-gender teams are much more considerate. “Women bring unique perspectives to the table, but they also face unique challenges,” she says.
Reflecting on her experience in the US, she says, “There, men are more supportive at home, sharing household chores, which naturally makes them more understanding and empathetic at work.” She adds, “In India, however, you have to verbalise issues openly and ask for accommodation. It’s not that the intention is bad—it’s just how men are brought up here.”
On the stereotype of women bringing “drama” to the workplace, Punekar asks, “What do men mean by drama? Is it emotional expression? If yes, then I haven’t seen women in professional settings doing that. But if we’re talking about politics, I think it’s more prevalent when there are more men around—and it’s often very subtle. If women engage in politics, they’re usually vocal about it. And let’s be honest, there’s no leadership without politics,” she quips.
For young women entering male-dominated fields, Punekar suggests, “Think like a man, but never lose the essence of being a woman—especially in India. Learn to think like a man when proposing solutions or making suggestions. It’s necessary if you want to climb the career ladder in such environments.”
Only woman in a team of: 10
Thriving with 90% women
Gaurav Dubey, 26
Account executive
Fresh out of college, Gaurav Dubey landed his first job as an account executive in a renowned public relations firm. Soon after joining, he found out that over 90 per cent of his colleagues were women. Three years later, working with a predominantly female team has been “a very enlightening experience”, he says.
For the past year, he has been the only male member of his team. Growing up with an Indian Revenue Service officer for a mother, Dubey had always seen “women balancing professional and personal responsibilities with grace”.
Gaurav Dubey with his colleagues Sowmya Pai, Aditi Patil and Megha Nambootiripadu at adfactors PR. His larger team consists of 13 women and 8 men. Pic/Atul Kamble
Though he hasn’t worked with a men-heavy team, he feels, “In both mixed-gender or male-dominated teams, conversations tend to be direct and focused on problem-solving,” he explains. “But in a women-majority team, there’s greater emphasis on collaboration and considering multiple perspectives before making decisions.”
This, he believes, has helped him navigate disagreements more effectively. “When there are more opinions on the table, it leads to better decision-making,” he says. He says his team is “empathetic and understanding, which creates a safe space for open communication.” Asked about workplace politics, Dubey was quick to dismiss it.
Nikhil Taneja, co-founder-CEO, Yuvaa
“Politics isn’t about gender—it’s about individuals and the environment,” he says, adding, “The assumption that a women-majority environment is less efficient and more emotionally charged is wrong. Differences in opinion arise regarding certain processes or decisions, [but] the discussions are held to consider the views of every team member.”
His advice to men entering similar environments is: “Be open-minded and empathetic. Recognise the strengths that diversity brings to the table.”
No. of women in team: 3
Two worlds from a queer lens
Praful Baweja, 44
Marketer, senior publicist
Praful Baweja’s career revolves around two contrasting worlds: the male-dominated events space, and the women-driven industry of media, PR and communications.
In the events industry, Baweja says, “On the ground, it’s 95 per cent men, from security to planning. But in PR and communications, the teams almost entirely comprise women.”
For him, women-majority teams bring a level of emotional intelligence that is often missing in male-dominated environments. “In an all-women setup, there’s a deeper emotional and professional intimacy,” he says, “They’re not just colleagues; they’re confidantes. This creates a safe space for open communication and collaboration.”
He contrasts this with his experiences in male-dominated teams. “With men, it’s more about staying in your lane. There’s an unspoken rule: ‘I don’t mess with you, you don’t mess with me’. If you suggest improvements, it can come off as micromanagement, which creates a suffocating and toxic environment.” There’s also a sense of being judged in male-dominated spaces. “Even in the best teams, there is always an undercurrent of judgment that can affect decision-making,” he explains,
“With women, you don’t have to keep your defences up. You can be your authentic self, which is liberating. But even then, there can be exceptions.” Asked about Maurya’s post, Baweja says, “The so-called ‘drama’ is perceived due to resistance to open communication.”
No. of women in team: 3
In an all-women team at mid-day
When you’re raised in a hyper-masculine environment, the fascination with “being a man” may fade quickly—if not completely, then at least enough to stop it from defining your personality. Take, for instance, this writer, who grew up surrounded by men in uniform. But working with an all-women team, like the producers of this edition, is somewhat opposite of that. I once read Dr Gary Barker, a developmental psychologist studying boyhood and masculinity, who said, “All the good men in the world are walking around wearing invisible placards that say, ‘Awaiting Instructions.’” I try and stick to that, here.
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