A recent report titled “Women in Leadership in Corporate India” by networking platform has shown a persistent underrepresentation of women in leadership positions across Indian corporates.The percentage has remained stagnant below 30% for a considerable period.
- LinkedIn is a business-oriented social media platform, launched in 2003, that focuses on professional networking.
- Unlike general social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, LinkedIn focuses on career-related aspects.
- The data is based on LinkedIn members in India, where the firm has over 100 million people registered
Findings of the Report
Stagnation of Women Representation in Corporates
- Women representation across the workforce and in senior leadership positions is below 30% all the time, and is on a declining trend post-pandemic.
- This can be attributed to the slowdown in fresh hires of women for leadership roles.
Women in Leadership Lowest, Moderate and Highest in Sectors
- Lowest Representation: Construction, Oil, Gas, and Mining, and Utilities (11%), Wholesale and Manufacturing(12%), and Accommodation and Food Services (15%).
Slightly Better (12%): Wholesale, Manufacturing
- Moderate Representation: Technology, Information & Media, Financial Services (19%)
- Highest Representation: Education (30%) and Government Administration (29%)
Breaking the Law
- Reports show that laws such as the Companies Act, 2013, which mandates women directors on company boards, are not being followed strictly.
- Between April 2018 and December 2023, 507 companies were fined for flouting this norm. Of them, 90% were listed companies.
- India Employment Report 2024 by the International Labour Organization (ILO)
- The female labour force participation rate in India was 24.5% in 2024, a slight increase from 23.3% in 2019 (lower than the global average of 47.2%).
- Women in India are more likely to be employed in the informal sector, with 86% of working women in informal employment compared to 82% of men.
- The Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted women’s employment, with women 1.8 times more likely to lose their jobs compared to men.
- Women also face significant challenges in re-entering the labour force after the pandemic, due to increased care responsibilities and gender biases.
Labour Force Participation Rate
- It is the section of the working population in the age group of 16-64 in the economy currently employed or seeking employment.
- Persons still undergoing studies, housewives and persons above the age of 64 are not seen as a part of the labour force.