Women's workforce rises to 26% in Indian firms in 2023, says report

Indian organisations have witnessed a remarkable 26 per cent representation of women within the workforce in 2023, a significant increase from 21 per cent in 2021, a new report showed on Wednesday, 27 September. Women represent 39% of the global workforce, according to a report by S&P Global.

According to the Great Place To Work India report, while there is a 38 per cent difference in women's representation between industries with the highest and lowest female presence, there is only a 2 per cent difference in positive perception. 

This suggests that women benefit from a positive workplace culture even in industries with lower female representation. 

Moreover, about eight per cent of Indian CEOs (chief executive officers) are women, with 32 per cent of these women in senior leadership positions lacking female peers in their organisations, the report said.

"Our findings reveal that the Best Workplaces for Women in 2023 offer their female employees an extraordinary 5 per cent higher satisfaction level, resulting in a remarkable 89 per cent of women displaying a strong commitment to exceeding expectations in their roles," said Yeshasvini Ramaswamy, CEO of Great Place To Work India.

"It has risen from 21 per cent in 2021 to an impressive 26 per cent in 2023, with the best workplaces leading the way by employing 17 per cent more women compared to their counterparts," she added.

Further, the report mentioned that sectors like education & training and non-profit and charity organisations, with 45 per cent and 47 per cent female representation, respectively, exhibit higher gender diversity and increased trust levels. 

Whereas industries like transportation and manufacturing & production, with lower gender diversity at 13 per cent and 9 per cent, still manage to achieve moderate to high trust levels among employees.

Organisations that prioritise a 'For All' experience witnessed a 14 per cent increase in employee perceptions related to professional and leadership development, as well as employee involvement in decision-making, the report found.