Some information was available from websites of
India needs more women in the workforce
business associations, regarding vocational training programmes targeted at SC/STs youth to enhance
48% of working women in India drop out of the
employability and entrepreneurship as part of the
workforce before they reach mid-career. The largest
Affirmative Action programme. However, this
percentage of Indian women leaving the workforce
information was not always gender disaggregated or
occurs between the junior and middle level, as opposed
updated
to between the middle and senior levels. Family pressure and cultural norms are most often cited as reasons for leaving in the early stages, and women
•
Some companies in IT, energy and hospitality sectors did provide gender disaggregated workforce
often find it easier to remain at junior levels or to leave
information by seniority and age. An analysis of this
the workforce altogether.
data indicates that a large percentage of women in the workforce are employed at junior levels in the
Source: Persis Khambatta, India Needs More Women in the Workforce, Center for Strategic and International Studies, August 9th, 2013
company. These women are generally below 30 years of age. There is a significant drop in the percentage of women in the workforce at middle levels in the
latter it ranges between 16 and 24%. It has not been
organisation
possible to chart trends on the work roles of women due to paucity of information
•
Among the companies that provided primary information for the study, intra-organisational
•
In the energy sector, women in the workforce
information pertaining to workforce varied. While
constitute less than 10%. This could be on account of the nature of the business
A fight to the end … for equal opportunities The Hotel Association of India had filed a writ petition
•
In the aviation sector, 20% of the companies did not
in the High Court of Delhi in July 1999. It challenged
disclose any workforce related information; 60%
the 92-year old Section 30 of the Punjab Excise Act
disclosed workforce information that was not gender
1914, arguing that it was enacted under the British
disaggregated; 20% of the companies reported that
Rule in 1914 was totally misplaced, "out of time" and
60% of their workforce comprises women
discriminatory towards women on the basis of sex, amounting to violation of their right to equal
•
No information was available across companies on
opportunity at workplaces in the hospitality sector.
Dalit/Adivasi women in the workforce. In disclosures, PSUs provided generic information regarding
After a prolonged legal battle that lasted five years, the
percentage of SC/STs in their workforce, while private
Delhi High Court, in a landmark judgment on January
sector companies were not forthcoming with any
12, 2006, declared Section 30 of the Punjab Excise Act
information. Responses in primary data on the extent
1914 ultra vires under Article 226 of the Constitution of
of representation of Dalit/Adivasi women in the
India. Source: HAI website
workforce mostly evoked a response of 'Don't know'.
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