There is growing evidence that gender equality identifies with a more productive workplace. In a country that has a 50% population of females, there is a need to have more women as part of the workforce. Workplace gender equality can only be accomplished when people have the same rewards and opportunities regardless of gender.
It has been understood that while men and women enter organizations in equal numbers at entry-level positions, women’s representation falls off dramatically midway up the ladder leaving few women at the top levels of management. 90% of the companies have less than 20% women in their employees, whilst in only 10% of the companies, women account for 25% of the workforce.
Uzma Zaidi, Director Human Captial at Deloitte shares her view on the topic saying “With time this has become a social and economic issue and needs to be addressed keeping the myopic view out”. Women play different roles at one time and they need to be recognized as caregivers whilst having their careers.
The industry needs to create inclusivity and opportunities so women can be a part of the workforce and the number can increase. Women come into jobs but not many make it to executive-level positions due to several reasons, this perspective of taking a career break needs to be normalized and a funnel of support needs to be created so they can grow. It’s time to shift perspectives and women’s leadership is important to progress as a nation and the disparity regarding opportunities, salary brackets and growth must be equal to create a balance. Women are paid lesser when they have other obligations to fulfill which has left the representation to only 35 percent of the total workforce.
On the other hand, women need to support other women as well to create a support network and work together to increase representation and bring more opportunities to the table. Women in senior positions should also welcome the young talent coming in and guide them to reduce the fallout while they reach mid-level positions. It is important to create a cohesive culture where women can opt for diverse roles and contribute to growth, learning, and development.
In today’s world, it is important to educate women about their basic rights regarding careers, education, and growth, without this we cannot grow beyond a certain level. These conversations need to happen to create more awareness about basic rights and not wait for someone to come and bring options, instead, we all should be adding value as an individual. Financial independence is crucial for a woman so she can pursue her dreams and goals and not rely on someone else for her needs.
We need to change the whole dialogue here and bring a revolution where women are more aware, open to opportunities, and ready to take on. This is the only way to increase women’s inclusion in different sectors of our industry. Once the grassroots change comes in the representation will increase on a larger level.
