Question: I am a recently graduated engineer and have just joined a small software company in India. Our company is divided into project teams that are further divided into groups of three people.

My first project is starting soon and I've been assigned to a group with two women. Unfortunately I'm come from a traditional background, am rather shy and was in a male-dominated college track which means that I only rarely interacted with women. While some might think this is a stupid question, I'm feeling very nervous about working together in this group. 

**How should I build and maintain a professional relationship with my female coworkers?**

Answer: 
Why does them being a woman have any bearing on how you interact with them in a professional workplace? To have a professional relationship, **you should interact with them in the same manner as you do with men in a professional setting - with respect.** Colleagues, irrespective of male or female, appreciate and expect professionalism, respect, and recognition for the merit of work well done.

A colleague's gender is irrelevant to how one should conduct oneself in a workplace, and no special preference should be shown in one's professional conduct **solely due to the colleague being female.** To show special deference, or to apply different standards of conduct when interacting with women **can even be perceived as insulting.** She is no different from any other colleague, other than she is a woman. 

Some of the comments below say this might be dangerous or ill -advised because of one's behavior with men. **If you treat men "roughly" because its accepted within your culture, then no you should not extend this treatment to women.** As mentioned by @ Matthew Read in a comment, rather than look for the lowest common denominator and adapt to the "culture", be the change you want to see and treat all with respect. 

In the end, I will borrow a quote from @ Patricia Shanahan and say this "**You should speak and interact with them just like male colleagues."**
Many things have been said here. I'll just give some other perspective. 

Imagine how these women have felt when working for the first time working with men. If you can relate to that, it may be less difficult to handle this situation. 

Maybe there are other people in your company with the same background. Ask them how they handled it. 

Another suggestion, but another "western" one, and maybe totally inappropriate in India: tell these women that you find it difficult to work with them. And make sure that you let them know that it's not because of them being women, but because of your background. So make clear that you're willing to do this, that it's not their fault, and you may make mistakes, but you're prepared to work on it. 

You let them know that you find it difficult, and they will give you some room. That's the normal way.