Bengaluru jumped from second position in 2023 to the top spot in 2024 as India's metropolis for working women, according to a report by workplace culture consultancy Avtar. According to Avtar, the ‘Top Cities for Women in India 2024’ (TCWI) index highlights best practices and role model cities while offering a framework for individuals, organisations, and legislators to promote well-rounded urban development, which is a key factor in the advancement of women across the country.

In addition to Avtar’s own research, the index was created by combining data from a number of sources, such as the World Bank, the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE), crime statistics, and the Periodic Labour Force Survey. Between February 2024 and November 2024, 1672 women from 60 cities participated in a nationwide poll. For the study, 120 Indian cities were taken into consideration to gauge their capacity to promote gender equality and their potential for inclusivity. The Social Inclusion Score (SIS) and the Industrial Inclusion Score (IIS) were the two factors used to determine each city’s CIS. The SIS was the total score of four factors: women’s empowerment, safety, employment representation, and city livability.

Bengaluru became India’s top city for women in 2024 after rising from second place in the TCWI ranking the previous year (2023). Bengaluru was followed by Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Pune.
Avtar’s study and available government statistics are used to determine each city’s total ‘City Inclusion Score,’ which is used to rank the cities. The Social Inclusion Score (SIS), Industrial Inclusion Score (IIS), and Citizen Experience Score (CES) are the three pillars that make up the City Inclusion Score (CIS). Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Vellore, Madurai, Salem Erode, and Tirupur are the eight cities that make up Tamil Nadu’s ‘Top 25’ ranking in the Index.

With relatively higher scores in both social and industrial inclusion, the South was shown to be the most inclusive region. The South’s average city inclusion score is 18.56. The West follows closely behind at 16.92. With respective averages of 11.79 and 10.55, the Central and Eastern areas lag behind. North India has an average city inclusion score of 14.
We need Indian women professionals to achieve parity with their male counterparts if we are to fulfil our vision of a developed country, or Viksit Bharat, by 2047. Only when cities are genuinely gender-inclusive and provide an environment that maximises women’s strengths, will this be feasible. Women must be offered competitive pathways for economic success and chances to flourish as company executives, in addition to secure streets, easily accessible healthcare and education, and reasonably priced housing—all of which are essentially reparative measures.
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