Change in the Face of Resistance: Positioning Hope for Women Returnees to the Indian Workforce

The Problem: The Indian economy is one of the fastest growing in the world, but that growth is not accessible to all people. Women who exit the workforce and return face challenges that make staying more difficult. Challenges include poor perception of the likelihood of success, child care, time management, and work–family role balance. As a result, the process of returning to work demotivates many Indian women returnees (IWRs). The Solution: The purpose of this article was to examine the cultural, social, and economic components of Indian women’s lives that may contribute to difficulties faced when returning to work after time away. We offer suggestions for the field of human resource development (HRD) to facilitate meaningful learning and development in the lives of these women and position hope as motivation for initiating change in the face of resistance. The Stakeholders: The stakeholders of this issue are IWRs, the HRD professionals who may work with them, their communities, their partners and families, and the organizations that may employ them.