India has observed a 61 per cent surge in the number of women applicants for work, during the July-September 2023 period, as per a report from apna.co. This increase reflects a growing demand for female professionals in various sectors, especially during the festive season. Industries such as ecommerce, retail, and hospitality have witnessed increased activity and a heightened interest from women seeking employment.
The job market has undergone significant changes from 2022 to 2023, with the top five job categories of tele-calling, accounts, business development, marketing, and delivery leading the transformation.
Major companies like Bajaj, Axis Bank, Paytm, Flipkart, and Reliance have actively engaged in the hiring process during the festive season, offering enticing incentives to attract top talent. Notably, more than 1.2 lakh job openings were registered in key Indian cities in August and September 2023, reflecting a surge in hiring demand in anticipation of the festive period.
India’s Women In The Startup Space
Similarly, the landscape of women-led startups in India too has experienced substantial growth. There has been a significant increase from 2017 when merely 10 per cent of India's 6,000 startups were led by women entrepreneurs. By 2022, the startup ecosystem had expanded to encompass 80,000 startups, with women-led enterprises now constituting an impressive 18 per cent of the market.
The data from the 'Women in India's Startup Ecosystem Report' (WISER) is derived from the active participation of over 200 startups, including well-established names like Urban Company, Meesho, and Zomato.
India has made significant progress in advancing women's participation in the job market and promoting women-led entrepreneurship.
Continuing Disparities
While these statistics signify substantial advancements, there remain notable inequalities that demand attention. The report suggests that even after a decade in their careers, 8 out of 10 men in startups hold director-level positions or higher, while only 5 out of 10 women attain such positions.
Furthermore, in Asia specifically, there is a considerable gender gap in leadership roles. On average, there are approximately four women for every 10 men in leadership positions. Agoda's ’Women in the Workplace: Asia‘ survey, which compiles insights from 12,000 individuals across 10 Asian markets, reveals that while 70 per cent of respondents believe that the workplace has improved for women over the past five years, only 8 per cent perceive a deterioration. Countries like Japan and South Korea received the lowest ratings for enhancing the workplace environment for women, while the Philippines, India, and Indonesia received high scores for their improvements.
This disparity underscores the prevailing gender imbalance in leadership roles within Indian enterprises, and is being worked upon by various organisations.