Working in an all-male office...

Some years back, I was in a situation most women would find difficult to ignore. I was working in an all-male office, which in normal circumstances wouldn’t have been such a bad thing but I was also expecting.


I had recently been transferred from Delhi office to Bangalore. I clearly recall the dewy morning, when I walked in the dilapidated building on St Marks Street and introduced myself.

“So, you are Gagandeep?” my boss asked queasily.

“Yes, I am….Why?”

“Hmmm….actually we were expecting a guy and going by your name we couldn’t make out.”

“Uh ok…actually its quiet a common name in North.”

With this simple introduction, started an association, which continues to grow even after eight years. Anyway, as the day progressed, I kept waiting for some girl/woman to appear so I would be able to ask for directions to the washroom. By the second half of the day, it was obvious that I was the only one.

Initially I felt a bit awkward and I believe my colleagues did too. Sometimes they would crack a typically dirty joke totally oblivious to my presence and suddenly a glance in my direction would lead to total silence. There were occasions when they `forgot’ to invite me for get-togethers.

Many a times, I would crave for some girl talk. A big disappointment was that nobody noticed anything; nobody would notice if I wore new dress/earrings/ footwear etc.

However, with time things began to change. Soon, they were discussing the never ending girlfriend problems with me, taking my inputs for what they should buy for their spouse/girlfriends etc for birthdays/anniversary. Sometimes I even bought the gift for them. This was also the time that I realized that guys bitch, in fact, bitch a lot.

My colleagues went out of their way to make me feel comfortable. No fruit seller passed St Marks street without being stopped by the colleagues. I was made to change to a more comfortable chair and a colleague insisted that I eat a strange looking fruit (just cannot recall the name) because it was especially beneficial for pregnant woman. I was assigned relatively easy assignments and was exempted from working on Saturdays. Many a times I used to work from home and never once was I made to feel that a favor was bestowed on me.

And I have to mention this, though I stand to invite the ire of my gender. In my career encompassing more than 10 years, this was the most apolitical place. Maybe there were other factors--It was a regional office and thus no power struggle; the leadership was outstanding and ensured that there was no back biting. I was given special privileges but nobody raised a finger. There were no ugly fights; no groupism; no attack.

An awesome experience…:-)