The Systematic Overcoming of Challenges:

Research by EY and the Peterson Institute shows that increasing women in leadership roles from zero to 30% can boost a company’s net margin by up to 6% points — a powerful indicator of the direct business value of gender diversity.

In Asia, women occupy only 11% of board roles, and although this figure is relatively small, it shows a gradual increase in share. According to a report by Deloitte Global Boardroom Program, ‘Women in the Boardroom’, states that the number of board seats held by women across India Inc has increased to 18.3 per cent in the past five years, which is still lower than the global average of 23.3 per cent.

India has been experiencing an enhancement in the gender ratio within corporates in general and within leadership roles in particular. An increasing number of women are advancing beyond middle management and stepping into roles that shape decisions, strategy, and culture.

Over the past decade, many businesses have taken deliberate measures to promote women’s progress and create a more equitable work environment – and its making a difference. Employees acknowledge this shift: most believe that opportunities for women to grow have improved and that organizations are making meaningful efforts to level up the playing field.

A notable advancement is in terms of the broad support that is now being made available to employees navigating parenthood, caregiving, or health related issues, These policies, once considered progressive, are now near universal – and are seen to strongly link to improved employee happiness and retention. For women, who disproportionately shoulder caregiving responsibilities, such support is not just helpful — it’s empowering.

Another game changer has been the rise of workplace flexibility. Primarily fuelled by the pandemic and the digital shift, businesses significantly expanded their hybrid and remote work opportunities. In fact, 80 per cent of employees indicate that flexibility has increased in the last decade, leading to enhanced productivity and decreased burnout. Flexibility holds particular significance for women, who indicate they have more concentrated time to be productive when working from home.

Together, these shifts are not just changing how women work — they’re changing what’s possible. However, the real challenge lies in the attrition rate of women work-forces. The common drivers include-

• Disruptions due to officereturn policies.
• Imbalance between work and personal/care responsibilities.
• Pay gaps and biases in performance evaluations.
• Lack of flexible schedules, career progression, and tailored return-to-work programs

Several companies in India and abroad have been able to arrest the attrition rate of women workforces through inclusion based policies, safety measures, women’s networks, leadership programs, hybrid models and mother-friendly talent initiatives; however a lot is still to be innovated on strategical purview and on-ground realistic implementation.