What is the issue?
- India has improved in the rate of women graduates.
- Yet, India lags in women participation in senior level management roles across different sectors.
What are the factors limiting women workforce?
- Hiring - 42% of new graduates are women but only 24% of entry - level jobs are held by them.
- This shows that either women are being pressurised to opt out of the workforce or they are simply not being hired.
- Work culture - The work culture of women is very different from men, but the work - life environment for women has not changed sufficiently.
- Under estimation - Many leaders still display clear biases and preferences for having men in critical roles.
- Second generation bias – The above mentioned are some of the less obvious discrimination, which is harder to deal than the obvious ones.
- Masculine traits - Job descriptions and growth paths are designed for men. This drains motivation of women to aspire for leadership roles.
How can this issue be addressed?
- Hire more women - Training must be offered to managers, both men and women, to recognise their unconscious bias.
- Diversify interview panel - Firms must make it mandatory to include women in interview panels.
- Offer incentives - Few companies offers its employees 150% referral bonus for every successful female candidate, such steps encourage employees to refer more women candidates.
- Specific gender equality Indicators can be assigned to the managers, relating to increasing gender diversity.
- UNDP launched Disha—an initiative to make a million educated but underprivileged college girls employable. Similar initiatives should be undertaken.
Source: Financial Express
