A Story of Empowerment: Women Back to Work Program Director, Deepika Chhibber
In 1945, American football player Meryll Frost was named the most courageous athlete of the year. As he received his trophy he said, "They say behind every great man there's a woman. While I'm not a great man, there's a great woman behind me."
This slogan was adopted by the 1960’s and 70’s feminist movement in hopes that the wives, mothers, and all women who work behind the scenes would get the recognition they deserve for contributing to a man’s success. For Deepika Chhibber of Women Back to Work, this saying hits close to home. “Husbands should be deeply appreciative of their wives,” she said. “Women are often the ones who take a step back from their careers to raise the children, care for loved ones, and manage the domestic responsibilities at home.”
After 14 years of working, Deepika decided to take a break. She once jokingly told her husband, “In this household, you are increasing the revenue by working but I am decreasing household costs by doing unpaid work. I am still contributing to this household.”
Deepika lost her first husband in a devastating car crash in 2006. That same year, she gave birth to her first son Anirudh. Her second son Amay was born six years later and that is when she decided to take a break, not knowing what challenges she would face when she tried to re enter the workforce.
“I understand why many women choose to take a break and I understand how difficult that decision can be,” she said. “When I quit it was very organic. The idea that going back to work would be difficult wasn’t even on my mind at the time because my priority was to be with my son.”
Deepika took a five year break to care for her children, something that 43% of working moms do. This gives her the unique ability to empathize and connect with Returners. And though she struggled for about a year trying to get back to work, she knew it was something she needed to feel fulfilled.
“I’ve never been the kind of woman who was like ‘oh, I’ll sacrifice my needs,’” she said. “Marriage is a partnership where each spouse should do everything they can to support the others aspirations, whether it's to stay at home or work. That’s my philosophy.”
Deepika strongly advocates for all Returners to attend the weekly Power Hour sessions as much as possible. The sessions are every Tuesday from 12pm to 1pm PST and provide an ongoing support system to help Returners navigate the challenges and obstacles involved with finding a job that is a good fit. Women can get advice on their resume, interviewing, networking, social media, and more. It's also a great place to meet other women who are looking to return to work. Attendance can be in-person or virtually using Zoom and all of WBW’s resources are free for Returners.
“I know the anxiety and the worry. I know that little voice that keeps asking ‘is this even possible?’” she said. “At the end of one Power Hour, attendees soon realize they have an ally who is genuinely interested in getting them back to work. It often creates the spark needed to get them back into the workforce.”
Deepika’s Power Hour advice:
Relax. I am your friend. WBW is a place for you to park your anxieties. Anything that is holding you back, just let it go. This is a safe space and you will never be judged for your past decisions. We understand and we truly believe in you.
Network! Form a community with one another. You are not alone in this, you are all in similar situations and I, too, was once in a difficult situation trying to get back to work. Connect with each other, attend events together, share your elevator pitches. Use this new-found community to your advantage.
We are here for you but at the end of the day, you are in charge of your future. Keep attending the power hours. Set a goal for what you want to get out of each session so that your efforts amount to something constructive. Do your homework.
(Click to learn more about our Power Hour)
The Power Hours are quite accurately named. Deepika quite literally instills “power” into each Returner so that they begin to believe in something that once seemed like a nearly impossible task.
“By the end of the Power Hour they start believing they can get back into the workforce. I see it on their faces,” she said. “I walk out of there knowing that a fire has been ignited in each Returner. The best part is when they get the job or are converted to full time employees. It’s difficult for me to put into words how it makes me feel to see our Returners succeed.”
Deepika thinks all of the Returners understand that she has no personal agenda and that is why it’s easy to trust her. “I give Returners my phone number and tell them to hound me,” she said. “Just so that they know I’m here and I’m watching out for them.”
Though Deepika has produced several success stories during her time with WBW, she is focused on the bigger picture; changing the system.
“When we are mothers or care-givers, we should be able to withdraw from the workforce knowing that when we are ready to come back there’s going to be an opportunity for us to re-enter,” she said. “A hiring manager needs to understand the value a Returner brings and that can only be done by proving that this is a huge untapped pool of talent. It’s exciting to see that companies are slowly waking up to that realization.”
