GENDER BALANCE
DGCA issues circular on gender equality to raise share of women workforce to 25% by 2025
The circular, according to the official, is in line with the principle of gender equality enshrined in the Indian Constitution and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) vision to promote equal opportunities to achieve gender equality in aviation. The circular lists various steps that can be taken by the stakeholders to improve their policies and practices to address the issues of gender equality at the workplace.
DGCA issues advisory on gender equality, aims to increase women representation in India's aviation sector by 25%
India's aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), issued an advisory circular on Wednesday focusing on gender equality within the aviation sector. The circular, titled “Gender Equality in Civil Aviation Sector,” aligns with India's Constitution and ICAO’s vision for promoting equal opportunities in aviation.
We are investing in automation, digitisation and generative AI: Jennifer Tippin, Group COO, NatWest Group
Jennifer Tippin, Group COO, NatWest Group, said, "India is our second largest location outside of the UK, housing a quarter of our global workforce and half our technology workforce. We’ve been growing our presence here as our customers’ needs have changed, requiring more digitisation, enhancing our propositions and experiences. So, we’ve grown our capability here substantially - it’s more than just operations now."
PepsiCo launches project to enhance livelihood prospects of women
The programme will help women unlock direct and indirect opportunities to improve livelihood prospects in unconventional roles like sales, manufacturing and agriculture within the FMCG sector, said PepsiCo India and South Asia chief HR officer Pavitra Singh. “Through a carefully crafted three-year strategy, we aim to enhance livelihood prospects for women in non-traditional roles across India, advancing progress through partnership with like-minded organisations to drive sustainable development and gender equality in the workforce,” Jagrut Kotecha, chief executive of PepsiCo India and South Asia, said in a statement.
IKEA did what others only talk of doing & it was a gamechanger for India staff
IKEA faced high employee turnover globally. In India, to retain staff, IKEA introduced subsidized daycare, 26 weeks of parental leave, and a five-day workweek. These benefits have significantly improved employee satisfaction and retention, reflecting IKEA's commitment to addressing local worker needs and enhancing their work-life balance.
Why deeptech companies need to do a deep-dive on gender diversity
Indian companies, particularly in the IT sector, have made some progress in gender diversity but still face significant challenges, especially in the deeptech sector. A report by Pure Storage and Zinnov highlights these issues, revealing that while global capability centres (GCCs) employ 1.66 million people with 28% being women, this diversity decreases sharply at higher corporate levels, dropping to just 6.7% at the executive level.
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Meet India's Insolvency professionals: Male, chartered accountants and not so young
The typical Indian insolvency professional (IP) is a middle-aged male chartered accountant. Only 10% of the 4,352 registered IPs are women, and just 7% are under 40 years old, according to data from the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI). Most IPs are chartered accountants (55%), with the rest being company secretaries (17%), lawyers (6%), and cost accountants (5%). About 90% are aged between 40 and 70.
MSMEs should build support fund for women to encourage their participation: Lohit Bhatia, Indian Staffing Federation
MSMEs should work towards increasing female workforce participation by making structural changes to their ecosystem, says Lohit Bhatia, President, Indian Staffing Federation (ISF).
Corporate India's big push for diversity: Companies intensify efforts to recruit women from entry level
Corporate giants in India, such as RPG Group, Deloitte, Tata Steel, Amazon, and Zinnov, are doubling down on diversity by ramping up efforts to recruit more women from the ground up. Strategies include targeted campus hiring, incentivizing recruitment agencies to bring in high-potential female candidates, and creating networking platforms to link women with leadership. These initiatives aim to cultivate a diverse workforce from the start, fostering a culture of inclusion and innovation.
Gen Z, millennials say purpose at the core of job satisfaction and wellbeing; expect AI to improve work-life balance
Gen Zs and millennials prioritize purpose, reject non-aligning work. Deloitte's survey on 22,800 reveals career shifts towards climate action. Excited about GenAI impacting work-life balance and reskilling needs.
More women than men seek counselling sessions: Report
1to1help's survey reveals insights into employee counseling sessions, indicating a significant female presence, with self-development as a top concern. The IT sector leads in counseling utilization. Gender-specific trends emerge, with men prioritizing self-development and mental health, while women focus on relationships. Increased mental health cases underscore the need for support.
Why many Indian women are saying no to marriage
Today’s young women know that this patriarchal arrangement will take away their power, forcing them to share responsibility disproportionately and render them financially unequal
India Inc helping more wonder women get C-suite superpowers
At Accenture, 29% of the leaders in India are women. Diageo India has 30% women in senior leadership. In the last few years, Marico's efforts have pushed women into close to 30% of leadership roles. PepsiCo is looking at 40% women in the India leadership team by next year. Larsen & Toubro handpicked 495 women employees to undergo leadership development programmes in the last few years.
Gender diversity still a long way away among CFOs as women still remain underrepresented
Despite gender diversity efforts in India, women are underrepresented in CFO roles. Challenges include bias, retention issues, and supply-side constraints. Companies struggle to retain high-potential women, impacting women's rise to top finance roles.
Pharma, financial services lead in female KMP representation
While female KMPs in the financial services sector were all professional leaders, in pharma, they were promoters, according to data from FY23 collated for ET by executive search firm EMA Partners India.However, Indian companies continue to struggle to have a better gender balance when it comes to KMPs. According to the Companies Act, KMPs are the CEOs or managing directors, chief financial officers, company secretaries and wholetime directors.
Women are more loyal, productive when working for firms that score well on gender equality: Deloitte
Deloitte's survey illustrates the positive impact of gender equality on women's workplace experiences, emphasizing the need for inclusive practices, flexible options, and safety measures to support women professionals in India.
A startup needs to find balance between growth and profitability: Sanchi Connect’s Sunil Shekhawat
Sanchi Connect wants to build relationships and connections among deep tech early-stage founders with the institutional funding ecosystem.
View: Time for hum do, hamare do 2.0?
While demographic and lifestyle changes have led to this global trend, most countries have failed to acknowledge and reward their women for the socioeconomic value of their ability to reproduce. Instead, women feel penalised by being unpaid and unrecognised producers, nurturers and caregivers. And even when they are rewarded, it is often too late. For instance, South Korean construction group Booyoung is offering workers a $75,000 bonus for each baby they produce when the country's fertility rate dropped from 0.78 in 2022 to 0.72 in 2023. The administration has spent $270 bn in incentives since 2006 to improve the birth rate.
There are more women in leadership roles now, but challenges & biases still remain
Despite progress, gender diversity challenges persist in corporate India. Initiatives like gender-neutral job descriptions and mixed-gender interview panels aim to reduce bias in hiring processes, supporting women's career advancement and retention.
Humans of business, raise animals' spirits
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can benefit society by enabling gender equality and protecting indigenous populations. Governments address human interactions with animals through conservation efforts, but businesses should also contribute financially. This includes domesticated animals that have improved human existence and contributed to surplus production. Businesses can strengthen wildlife conservation efforts through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and develop veterinary sciences.
Winpe joins hands with PwC India for second edition of Winpe Leadership Awards
The Winpe Leadership Summit, which will take place at Taj Lands End in Mumbai, will commemorate Winpe's dedication to bringing together women for educational purposes and fostering networking opportunities
In the era of gender disparity, women still find it a challenge to ask for a pay raise
The gender gap in pay raises persists due to women's hesitation influenced by confidence disparities and unconscious gender stereotypes. Organizational culture, compensation philosophy, and market benchmarks play a crucial role. Women should keep records, conduct research, negotiate, and consider non-monetary incentives.
Gender diversity, inclusion not just ideal, but a strategic necessity for businesses: Industry
The Indian IT industry has made progress in gender diversity, but there is still underrepresentation of women in top positions and boardrooms. Companies should offer flexible work options, mentorship programs, and robust support structures to support women's progress. Encouraging women's participation in STEM fields and bridging the gender gap requires institutional-level initiatives.
The rise of women in entrepreneurial roles in India
India's startup ecosystem, currently ranked as the third-largest globally, is witnessing an unprecedented boom, with women entrepreneurs playing a pivotal role in this surge.
Only 1.6% of companies listed on Fortune India 500 have women at the helm: Study
A study by Fortune India and SP Jain Institute of Management and Research has revealed that only 1.6% of companies listed on the Fortune India 500 have women at the helm, while the figures stand at 5% for the Fortune India Next 500. The study, supported by the Women and Child Development Ministry and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, engaged 130 industry leaders, with a representation of 54% female and 46% male CEOs, in 16 roundtable discussions across Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru.
Fewer women are getting promotions compared with men, shows study
Women are also getting a smaller chunk of the promotion budget. Of the entire promotion budget that companies have, women are paid Rs 88 for every Rs 100 that men are paid, according to data from global professional services firm Aon, shared exclusively with ET. This indicates that women are not getting higher-paying jobs or are getting fewer high-paying roles.
On shopfloors of automakers, women gradually taking control
Automakers like Tata Motors, Hero MotoCorp, and MG Motor India are actively hiring more female workers for their shopfloors to improve gender balance. They are adopting advanced technologies and providing various benefits to attract and retain women in their workforce. To attract female workers, companies are offering benefits ranging from safe company-sponsored transportation to medical costs to avail of IVF and gender- neutral parental leave.
Ecommerce cos step up diversity hiring for supply chain roles
Ecommerce companies like Flipkart, Meesho, and Jumbotail are fixing the gender balance in supply chain roles through various initiatives. These include creche facilities, gender-balanced sourcing, partnerships with women’s campuses, and training programs. Recruitment firms have seen a surge in demand for female talent.
Fin sector, reforms may drive India's growth at 7 per cent in FY25, says government
Presented ahead of the interim budget for FY25, the review identified education, health and energy security; reducing the compliance burden for small businesses; and improving labour market gender balance as the priority areas for future reforms. It flagged the elevated risk of geopolitical conflicts as an area of concern.
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