Abstract
Gendered norms and gender roles in society make it difficult for women to take on agentic roles, such as that of public administration. Extensive research has been conducted on the challenges women public officers face and the support women require in public offices. The majority of such studies have focused on the kind of organizational support that has been available to these women officers. This study seeks to address this gap by retrospectively analyzing the career of Justice Leila Seth. We delve into the contextual factors that existed in an early independence era in India while trying to understand her perception of her spouse's role in helping her navigate the challenges of holding a public office against the prevalent socio-cultural norms. The study uses a systematic structure to analyze Justice Seth’s autobiography, while incorporating border theory as our lens. The findings reveal three major themes: conflict between work and home domains, support from the spouse (border keeper), and sacrifices made by the woman (border crosser).Gendered norms and gender roles in society make it difficult for women to take on agentic roles, such as that of public administration. Extensive research has been conducted on the challenges women public officers face and the support women require in public offices. The majority of such studies have focused on the kind of organizational support that has been available to these women officers. This study seeks to address this gap by retrospectively analyzing the career of Justice Leila Seth. We delve into the contextual factors that existed in an early independence era in India while trying to understand her perception of her spouse's role in helping her navigate the challenges of holding a public office against the prevalent socio-cultural norms. The study uses a systematic structure to analyze Justice Seth’s autobiography, while incorporating border theory as our lens. The findings reveal three major themes: conflict between work and home domains, support from the spouse (border keeper), and sacrifices made by the woman (border crosser).
Keywords: Spousal support, Women in public administration, DEI in public administration, Management history, Gender & the SDGs.