Delhi Woman Claims She Was Denied CMO Role for Being a Mother, Sparks Online Debate on Gender Bias at Workplaces

What if you walked into an interview after years of hard work, only to be judged for being a parent instead of a professional? 

That’s exactly what happened to Pragya, a Delhi-based marketing leader, who recently opened up about a painful interview experience.

In a heartfelt LinkedIn post that has now gone viral, she revealed that she was rejected for a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) position because she has young children. 

When Personal Questions Replace Professional Merit

Pragya said the interview lasted just 14 minutes. 

She spent the first 11 minutes passionately walking the panel through her decade-long career. But in the final three minutes, the tone completely shifted.

“How many family members do you have? How old are your kids? Which school do they go to? Who will look after them? How will you commute from Delhi to Gurgaon? What does your husband do?” she recalled being asked.

She tried to answer calmly, but deep down, Pragya said she knew where it was heading. When she followed up with HR the next day, her fears were confirmed. 

One of the reasons cited for rejecting her was that she had “very young kids.”

“I wasn’t angry about the rejection,” she explained. “What hurt was that they didn’t even give me an honest chance, not even a decent interview.”

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Bias Against Working Mothers

Pragya’s post struck a chord with thousands. 

Many women wrote back saying they too were sidelined for promotions or projects after returning from maternity leave.

“It’s heartbreaking how common this is,” one user commented.

Pragya herself has led diversity and inclusion initiatives and served on POSH committees, so she knows how deep these biases run. 

“Senior hiring across both startups and legacy firms continues to be male-dominated,” she wrote. “This needs to change. Evaluate us for our work, not our personal lives.”

Pragya’s story is not just about one job interview. It’s about a culture that still asks mothers, “But who will take care of the kids?” instead of asking, “What value can you bring to the company?”

As her post continues to gain traction, it serves as a powerful reminder: talent should never be judged by parental status.

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