Breaking down walls: Women ready to assume leadership roles in India

When it comes to career growth, female employees in India do not appear to lack in ambition. What is holding them back, however, are obstacles such as persistent bias and discrimination.

According to Aon’s new 2024 Voice of Women Study India, an overwhelming number of women (90%) in corporate jobs in India said they are prepared to put in extra time, volunteer for challenging projects and upskill themselves to grow in their careers.

Unfortunately, 42% of the women surveyed said they face bias or potential bias at work and 37% revealed that they have experienced insensitive behaviour.

The challenges grow for working mothers, with three in four having to face a career setback of one-to-two years after maternity leave and close to 40% said going on maternity leave had a negative impact on pay and their employers changed their job roles to something they did not prefer.

Urging Nitin Sethi, CEO of Talent Solutions in India for Aon, said, “Bias at work is impeding businesses’ efforts to engage and retain skilled and committed women in the workforce. It is a reality that cannot be brushed aside.

“Building inclusive work culture has to be a CEO-led priority. Business decision makers must urgently take steps to address systemic bias through inclusive policies and practices for equitable pay, career progression and maternity guardrails. But more importantly, top leaders must role model the right behaviours and drive accountability for an inclusive culture that determines everyday behaviour in teams and within the organisation.”

READ MORE: Young employees in India face more ageism than other age groups

Aon also found that having women in leadership roles has a positive impact on female employees in an organisation. 53% of women who have visible female leaders in their organisation felt more confident about their own career growth, 52% said it had a positive impact on their culture and 41% saw women leaders as role models.

Shilpa Khanna, Associate Partner and DEI practice leader of Talent Solutions in India for Aon and the study’s leader, added, “Addressing gender issues is critical for businesses in India as they tackle talent shortage and navigate an uncertain business environment. The data clearly highlights that the higher the positive experiences women have at the workplace the greater representation of women in the workforce.

“Businesses must deepen their DE&I efforts by actively listening to women in the workplace and utilising data-driven insights to ensure they make informed decisions to remove barriers for progress and reframing policies that support women employees at different life stages.”