women workforce: 85% Indian women miss out on raise, promotion – Times of India

CHENNAI/BENGALURU: About 85% of Indian women have missed out on a raise or promotion because of their gender, according to LinkedIn’s Opportunity Index 2021 report. The analysis also showed that more women in India have experienced the impact of gender on career development when compared to their counterparts in the Asia-Pacific region.
The report said even though 66% of people in India feel that gender equality has improved compared to that in their parents’ age, India’s working women still contend the strongest gender bias across Asia-Pacific countries.
When asked about their reasons for being unhappy with opportunities to advance in their careers, 1 in 5 (22%) working women in India said their companies exhibit a favourable bias towards men at work. The Apac average is 16%.
LinkedIn commissioned independent market research firm GfK to conduct this research in January. The survey was conducted among 18- to 65-year-olds and it had over 10,000 respondents across the Apac region. The survey covered 2,285 respondents in India, 1,223 of whom were men and 1,053 were women.
The report showed 69% of working mothers face discrimination due to familial responsibilities. While 37% of India’s working women say they get fewer opportunities than men, only 25% of men agree with this.
This disparity in perception is also seen in conversations about equal pay, as more women (37%) say they get less pay than men, while only 21% of men share this sentiment.
Women have been disproportionately impacted amid Covid-19, and the expectations to juggle home and work life have added to their stress.
Because of the barriers faced by women at work, more than 1 in 2 women and working mothers in India expect organisations to offer reduced or part-time schedules (56%) and robust maternity leaves and policies (55%) to make the transition smoother.