Women reported to constitute 34 per cent of the workforce as per a study by HerKey, a career engagement platform for women. Large enterprises show a 38 per cent participation rate for women at the entry level, this declines to 19 per cent at mid-management and senior levels. Additionally, the proportion of women hired in the C-suite has decreased to 24 per cent from 37 per cent in 2022.
84 per cent of companies surveyed have considered initiatives for recruiting women and 98 per cent of large enterprises have committed to gender diversity goals in hiring, with 88 per cent achieving the objectives. Start-ups and SMEs are also following suit, with a rate of 97 per cent.
Despite a rise in companies providing paternity leave, from 86 per cent in 2020 to 91 per cent in 2023, a decline was noted in 2023, with 12 per cent of companies not offering paternity leave, up from 6 per cent the previous year.
HerKey - A key to upliftHer
“Women don’t face a constraint on ambition—they face a constraint on opportunity. The DivHERsity Benchmarking Report underscores the need for continued efforts to elevate women to leadership roles. Through campaigns like #strongHERtogether, we would like to foster a supportive community where women can share experiences, gain strength, and inspire each other,” said Neha Bagaria, Founder and CEO, HerKey.
96 per cent of large enterprises and 94 per cent of SMEs/start-ups prioritise flexibility in work arrangements, followed by work-from-home policies practiced by 90 per cent of participating companies as per the report.
(Inputs from BL intern Meghna Barik)