What women in India really think about workplace gender equity

In today’s competitive business landscape, achieving gender equity in the workplace is not just a moral imperative – it’s a strategic necessity.

Our Michael Page Talent Trends 2024: The Expectation Gap Report sheds light on the current state of gender equity in India’s workplaces, revealing both progress and persistent challenges.

Understanding these insights for hiring managers and leadership teams is crucial for creating more inclusive and equitable work environments that attract top talent and retain top performers.

The shift towards workplace flexibility in India

The pandemic catalysed a significant shift in workplace dynamics across APAC, with flexibility emerging as a new norm.

Our talent trends 2024 report shows that professionals in India now consider flexible work arrangements as the most important factor after salary when job hunting.

This change, born out of necessity during lockdowns, has become a permanent feature of the work landscape in India’s compact urban environment and tech-savvy workforce.

While offering potential benefits for work-life balance, this shift also presents new challenges for gender equity in the workplace.

Gender equity focuses on fairness by providing support based on individual needs, recognising that different genders may have different starting points. In contrast, workplace gender equality means giving everyone the same rights and opportunities. Both approaches foster gender diversity, with equity ensuring individuals get what they need to succeed.

Gender stereotypes can hinder progress by reinforcing traditional roles and expectations, limiting opportunities for all genders to thrive equally in diverse environments.

Also, gender discrimination, which involves treating individuals unfairly based on their gender, creates further barriers to equal opportunities and undermines efforts to achieve both gender equity and diversity.

Together, these challenges highlight the importance of breaking down gender bias to foster a more equitable environment.

As organisations in India adapt to these evolving expectations, the impact on gender equity remains a critical consideration in fostering inclusive work environments.

Women’s satisfaction levels with workplace gender equity efforts

Our data reveals a nuanced picture of how women feel about workplace gender equity efforts in India:

Closing the gender pay gap

• 47% of women are satisfied with their employer’s efforts
• 28% are dissatisfied
• 24% are neutral
• 1% are uninterested

This indicates that while India is making strides in addressing gender pay gaps, there’s still significant room for improvement. The percentage of dissatisfied and neutral responses suggests that many women may need clarification about their employer’s efforts or feel that more needs to be done.

Related: The role of salary transparency in reducing workplace inequality

Promoting equity and inclusion for women

• 67% of women are satisfied
• 22% are dissatisfied
• 11 are neutral

These figures show a more positive outlook on general equity and inclusion efforts for women. However, the fact that 33% of women are either neutral or dissatisfied indicates ongoing challenges.

Female leadership representation

• 59% of women are satisfied
• 26% are dissatisfied
• 15% are neutral

This data suggests that slightly more than half the female professionals perceive opportunities for advancement to leadership positions as well as women's representation at the leadership or senior management level.

Related: Asia's female leaders: How to be more confident at work

Differing priorities in DE&I initiatives

Our report also highlights significant differences in how men and women prioritise various Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives:

Women’s top 5 DE&I priorities:

1. Closing the gender pay gap
2. Getting more women into leadership positions
3. Promoting greater equity for and inclusion of women in the workplace
4. Preventing age discrimination in the workplace
5. Promoting greater equity for and inclusion of people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds

Men’s top 5 DE&I priorities:

1. Preventing age discrimination in the workplace
2. Promoting greater equity for and inclusion of people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds 
3. Getting more people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds into leadership positions
4. Promoting greater equity for and inclusion of women in the workplace
5. Closing the gender pay gap

These differences in priorities are telling. While both genders rank preventing age discrimination as a key priority, women place much higher importance on gender-specific issues.

Notably, closing the gender pay gap is the highest priority for women and fifth for men. Similarly, increasing female leadership representation is a high priority for women but is not found in men’s top five at all.

Related: How HR needs to evolve to support the future of work

Men’s engagement in workplace gender equity

While our data reveals clear differences in how men and women prioritise DE&I initiatives, it’s crucial to recognise the role men play in advancing workplace gender equity.

The fact that closing the gender pay gap appears in men’s top five priorities, albeit at a lower rank, indicates some level of awareness and concern. Having two women-specific issues in men’s top priorities suggests some understanding about the issue.

This discrepancy highlights the need for increased awareness and engagement among men, particularly those in leadership positions, regarding the challenges women face in the workplace.

Bridging this perception gap is essential, as men often hold positions of influence that can drive significant change in organisational policies and workplace culture.

Related: How leaders can gain better engagement with their teams

Implications for employers

These findings have several important implications for hiring managers and leadership teams:

1. Address the gender pay gap: With less than half of women satisfied with efforts to close the gender pay gap, organisations must prioritise pay equity. This could involve conducting regular pay audits, implementing transparent pay scales, and addressing unjustified disparities.
    
2. Enhance leadership opportunities: The low satisfaction with female leadership representation suggests a need for more robust leadership development programs for women, mentorship initiatives, and a critical examination of promotion practices.
    
3. Promote inclusive policies: While general equity and inclusion efforts for women have the highest satisfaction rate, there’s still room for improvement. Consider implementing or enhancing policies that support work-life balance, parental leave, and protection against workplace harassment.
    
4. Bridge the perception gap: The differing priorities between men and women in DE&I initiatives highlight a potential disconnect. Organisations should foster open dialogues about DE&I priorities and ensure that men, especially those in leadership positions, are aware of and supportive of women’s concerns.
    
5. A holistic approach to DE&I: While addressing workplace gender equity is crucial, it’s important to maintain a holistic approach to DE&I. Age discrimination, for instance, is a top concern for both genders and should not be overlooked.
    
6. Transparency and communication: The high percentage of neutral responses across all categories suggests a need for better communication about workplace gender equity efforts. Organisations should be transparent about their initiatives, progress, and challenges.

Bridging the gender gap in India’s workplaces is an ongoing process that requires sustained effort and commitment. While progress has been made, our Talent Trends 2024 report clearly shows that there’s still work to be done.

By understanding and addressing women’s perspectives on workplace equity, organisations can create more inclusive environments that attract and retain female talent, foster innovation, and improve overall performance.

The message for hiring managers and leadership teams is clear: prioritising gender equity is not just about meeting DE&I targets but creating a workplace where all employees can thrive, contribute their best, and drive the organisation forward.

Get more insights on DE&I at the workplace

Discover the latest in workforce trends in our latest Michael Page India Talent Trends 2024 report: The Expectation Gap. This survey report findings are based on responses from 12,940 job seekers, employees and employers across Asia Pacific, of which 3,087 are from India.

It covers career insights that talent leaders and hiring professionals need to know to attract and retain talent. Also, download our report or use our interactive online tool to gain deeper, up-to-date insights into the current talent market.

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