I have spent the last 20 years living and working in a world that, for the most part, didn’t look or sound like me. In a culture that valued men, I was a woman who was strong, quick, nimble, and constantly alert. Somewhere along the line, I forgot that I am not a guy as I kept up with them and adjusted to their habits. I didn’t realise I didn’t have to be one.

I didn’t feel like I was doing anything different until I started the POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) program and finally became a POSH Train-The-Trainer (TTT). Slowly, what began as a professional certificate transformed into something much deeper—a purpose, a calling, and a way to reconnect with my actual self. In addition to finding my voice, POSH has given me the confidence to embrace my femininity in a society that has always advised me to hide it.

The Cost of Conformity

Survival was the main concern when I started working twenty years ago. The pressure to “fit in” was unbearable because I was sometimes the only woman in the room. I learnt to tolerate discomfort, dress neutrally, talk louder, and never be vulnerable. I became more resilient, put in more hours, and made sure that no one could dispute my position. I became so accustomed to following the rules of a game that was dominated by men that I stopped challenging them. “One of the boys” is what I became.

In personal life too, this carried over. The idea of being a soft, vulnerable woman felt weak, even dangerous. My protective instincts were always on—protecting my boundaries, my space, my respect. But in protecting myself, I built walls not just between me and others, but between me and me. I lost sight of the value in simply being a woman, and the strength that lies in grace, empathy, and the ability to nurture.

The Awakening: Discovering POSH

My introduction to POSH was somewhat accidental. I came across a post on unconscious biases by Dr. Aparna Sethi , it intrigued me and I decided to attend her training session which ultimately made me do the course of POSH (TTT). The content struck a chord, that session lit a spark. I didn’t just want to understand POSH laws—I wanted to be the one delivering them, shaping them, humanizing them.

That’s where the transformation truly began.

Becoming a Trainer, Becoming Myself

The process of becoming a POSH TTT was more than just learning policy, clauses, and procedures. It was unlearning everything I had been conditioned to accept over the years. It made me confront the silent injustices I had tolerated, the uncomfortable jokes I had laughed at, the moments I had brushed off because “it’s just how things are.”

As I studied the law, understood the intent behind the Vishaka Guidelines, explored real case studies, and interacted with other professionals from diverse backgrounds, I felt layers peel off. I realized how often we confuse endurance with strength, silence with professionalism, and denial with harmony.

I began to see my own journey through a different lens. I saw how deeply I had internalized the belief that to be respected, I had to be “less of a woman.” This training gave me the vocabulary, the legal framework, and most importantly, the confidence to say: “No, I don’t need to be a man to be respected. I need to be myself.”

Reclaiming the Feminine

Through this training, I reconnected with parts of myself I had long neglected. I started appreciating the uniquely feminine strengths I bring to the table—my ability to empathize, to build consensus, to listen deeply, and to intuitively sense discomfort. These aren’t soft skills. They’re power skills. And workplaces need them more than ever.

At personal life too, I began to shift. I no longer felt the need to be the strong & independent lady all the time. I allowed myself to be softer, more open, more emotionally present. I became more attentive to the little things that makes our personal life at home, a sanctuary—a smile, a listening ear, a safe space to express without judgment. I stopped seeing femininity as a liability and started seeing it as my unique superpower.

My Purpose, My Platform

Today, POSH trainings is not just something I intend do—it’s something I wish to evolve with. It has become the foundation of my purpose. Every step in my career from now, will be a conscious step towards the person I was meant to be—not a hardened warrior fighting for space, but a conscious leader nurturing inclusion.

The journey from conformity to consciousness has only just begun. It won’t always be easy, but now, when I walk into a room, my purpose is no longer to prove that I belong—but to create a space where everyone feels they do.

Because being a woman is not a disadvantage I need to overcome—it’s a perspective I bring to enrich the world around me.

And that, I now know, is my power.