Kavita Tankha: Taking Charge in All Aspects of Life
Kavita Tankha has filled many roles in her life: attorney, councilmember, philanthropist, leader, wife, and mother. However, becoming successful in so many different avenues has not always been easy.
Kavita began her career in law working for the law firm Skadden in New York City after graduating from Northwestern Law.
“I had always been interested in politics, but after I graduated it seemed like financially it would be savvy to work in law,” she said.
After working as an attorney at a highly prestigious law firm, Kavita decided that it was finally time to pursue her passion. And so fifteen years ago, she began her journey in local politics after moving to the Bay Area. She currently serves on the Los Altos city council and works in city planning.
“I do the work of the city. Making sure pensions are fully funded, that we can pay our bills, and everything from roads to construction and just making sure the town is running efficiently,” Kavita said.
In addition to her work on the planning commission, Kavita has been highly involved in women’s rights and advocacy work through Feminist Majority Foundation. During her time there, she fought for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, advocated for women’s health, and worked to increase young women’s access to voting.
Throughout it all, Kavita was also raising four children. Though she does not have any regrets about her life journey, she acknowledges that it has been difficult.
“To be honest, it was quite hard. I think even while women ostensibly have equal rights, there are structural societal factors that don’t allow for women to have a work-life balance,” she said.
With her kids in school, Kavita often had to make sacrifices in order to maintain her career and take care of her kids.
“The kids start school at 8 and end at 3, what job allows a woman to do that?” she asked.
Kavita’s advocacy work and personal experiences with maintaining a busy career have made her question the societal disadvantages for working women.
“You can find the work, but something has got to give,” she said. “We’ve come so far only using half of our resources. Can you imagine how much progress we would make in our country if we made it easier for women to work?”
For all young and career-focused women looking to succeed in both family and work life, Kavita advises them to stay aware of the dynamics and become advocates for themselves.
“Awareness is half the battle. The best thing is to have other women as mentors and take their advice. We are each other’s strengths. Band together with other women and speak up for yourself.”
Anya Warrier is an undergraduate student at Georgetown University studying Science, Technology, and International Affairs. She is especially interested in writing about inequalities in science and healthcare.