Women's Day 2024: Experts Believe Embracing Gender Diversity, Inclusion Is A Strategic Necessity For Businesses

Women's Day: Experts emphasise that any organisation failing to promote and actively pursue equitable gender representation is unlikely to sustain long-term success or gain client acceptance

They suggest that companies should offer flexible scheduling and remote work options to support women in balancing their professional duties with personal commitments and caregiving responsibilities

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The Indian IT industry has made notable strides in gender diversity, with an increased number of women participating in the entry and mid-level workforce. However, as tech leaders have highlighted, there remains a significant disparity in their representation at the top levels and in male-dominated corporate boardrooms, which still requires substantial improvement.

Experts emphasise that any organisation failing to promote and actively pursue equitable gender representation is unlikely to sustain long-term success or gain client acceptance. They suggest that companies should offer flexible scheduling and remote work options to support women in balancing their professional duties with personal commitments and caregiving responsibilities.

Additionally, mentorship programs in the workplace can serve as a valuable support network, enabling senior women executives to guide young working women and assist them in overcoming obstacles to career advancement.

"India is not doing bad when it comes to education for women. 29.5 per cent of engineers in our country today are women, which is phenomenal when compared to countries like Australia and the United Kingdom, which have women representation of 14.5 per cent and 16.9 per cent, respectively," said Ritesh Malik, founder of Innov8 Coworking.

Kamini Shah, the Chief Financial Officer at BirlaSoft, asserts that the Indian IT industry has made remarkable strides in gender diversity, with a workforce now boasting over 2 million women.

"This growth is a result of progressive company policies and the increasing representation of women in leadership positions. The tech sector is transitioning into an inclusive environment where talent is the key differentiator," Shah said.

Women's Representation At Senior Level

Mita Brahma, HR Head at NIIT Limited, suggests that there is still significant room for improvement in women's representation at senior executive and board levels across most organisations. However, "we now have larger numbers of women at junior and middle executive levels than ever before, who are committed, innovative, and ambitious," she added.

Malik emphasised that the top priority today is to cultivate extensive diversity and guarantee women's representation on corporate boards. "Any organisation which does not have equitable gender representation does not have a long life span," he said.

Despite substantial advancements in women's representation in education and the workforce, industry experts believe a gender gap still exists within the sector.

Shyamala Ramesh, Program Manager at Zoho Corporation, noted that many women in the tech industry leave their careers midway due to insufficient support. “The responsibilities of women, especially working women, have gone up manifolds professionally and personally. Women need to work twice as hard to prove that they are no less than their male counterparts. This is a reality," Ramesh said.

She also emphasised the importance of companies implementing flexible scheduling and remote work options to assist women in managing their professional duties alongside personal commitments. Additionally, she highlighted the value of mentorship programs in the workplace, where senior women can offer guidance to younger colleagues, aiding them in overcoming obstacles they may face.

"Companies should understand that women bring to the workplace qualities such as attentiveness, perseverance in tasks, enthusiasm for learning, independent learning ability, adaptability, engagement, and strong organisational skills, which can benefit the organisation in many ways," Ramesh said.

Women In STEM

According to the latest Global Gender Gap Report 2023, women in the field of STEM face several challenges.

"Despite comprising nearly half of the total employment across non-STEM occupations, women represent only 29.2 per cent of the STEM workforce in 146 nations. It is more relevant than ever to address the educational-gender-equality paradox (or STEM paradox) at the institutional level and bridge the gap," said Ananya Mukherjee, vice chancellor at Shiv Nadar University (Delhi NCR).

Mukherjee emphasised that fostering women's involvement in STEM fields goes beyond mere equality; it is also about unlocking India's talent pool's complete potential.

"Today, gender diversity is not just a matter of equality but a strategic necessity for businesses. It's crucial to establish robust support structures for women, including comprehensive maternity programs that facilitate a smooth transition into motherhood and seamless reintegration into the workforce afterwards. This ensures that women can pursue their careers without compromising their personal or professional aspirations," Shah underlined.

Lakshmi C, MD, and Lead-HR at Accenture India stressed the need for collaboration among industry, policymakers, and academia to enhance women's representation in the STEM and AI-enabled workforce. She advocated for initiatives such as mentoring, experiential learning through hackathons and apprenticeship programs, and exposure to inspirational role models to nurture interest among young women and improve skilling in these fields.

"Merely hiring more women is not enough. Instead, organisations must create a culture of equality by investing in women's upskilling and creating enabling structures that help them stay in the workforce despite life-stage conflicts," she said.

Richard Lobo, Chief People Officer, Tech Mahindra, said, "Inclusion is the building block of thriving economies and sustainable companies. The global trend reflects a shift towards greater gender equality as women overcome traditional societal constraints to pursue their ambitions and inspire future generations.”

Lobo opined that initiatives like flexible working hours, secure transportation arrangements, strict anti-sexual harassment policies, and personalised assistance for reintegrating after career breaks are not merely policies but essential components of a top-tier employer.

"These focused efforts are the bridges connecting talented women professionals with opportunities that acknowledge their worth and potential," he concluded.