Gender inequality in the workplace in India

Thursday 8th March is International Women’s Day: A day where the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women are celebrated. Like many countries, this day stands for so much in India, and represents a collective movement for women’s rights.

To coincide with this event, we decided to look specifically at gender inequality in the workplace.

Pay gaps and inequality are unfortunately still issues that surround females in the workplace. In some countries, there has been a concerted effort to reduce these gaps and promote a fairer, more equal workforce. However, The World Bank reported that India has actually seen a decline of female workers in the last 25 years. This remains a societal challenge there, especially when you consider in contrast just how rapidly the economy is growing.

We heard from Srikant Venkata, our Head of Candidate Attraction & Engagement, in India, who has some very relevant and interesting first hand views on the matter.

Should men be more invested in the feminist discourse at work?

I grew up with a bit of a unique perspective. I’m a non-Arab, non-Muslim, who was raised in Saudi Arabia and went to college in Canada. The former has very few rights for non-locals or women - local or otherwise, and the latter is an exceedingly welcoming country that greeted me with open arms.

I was fortunate to have grown up surrounded by women who were exceedingly strong in the face of extreme discrimination, and fought for their rights against insurmountable odds. Perhaps because of where and how I was raised, I am a feminist. I’m a man and a feminist, and no, these aren’t mutually exclusive words. It’s not a trend, buzzword or hashtag. It’s a human and ethical issue. I genuinely believe that men and women should be afforded the same rights and opportunities, be it societal, political or professional.

I now live and work in India, which has quite well documented gaps between men and women. The inequality that women face at the workplace is indeed a symptom of a much broader issue. The discrimination that women have, and continue to face, is in stark contrast to the way the country sits as a global growth leader.

Is this even an issue?

I’ve heard a lot of men say “Oh, this feminism issue again.” or my personal favourite, “why don’t we have a men’s day? Isn’t it about equality?” And the most common answer you will receive is “every day is men’s day” to which the eye rolling reaches alarming RPMs.

To understand equality, you must understand privilege. We understand the word in a social context. For instance, some people are privileged because they have the money or the social standing to go to the best schools which not everyone can afford. This then leads them to better, higher paying jobs and so on. Now try and apply that to gender issues.

There is a whole gender that does not have the same privileges that men do. If you’ve never worried about one or more of the following situations, you’re likely in a position of privilege.

• Being overlooked for a job if you reveal you’re newly married or a new parent who must take care of their kids
• Not getting a job you’re qualified for because the person hiring might instinctively believe you are less capable of handling stressful situations or putting in long hours
• Ensuring a safe journey home, or be safe at the office premise, if you work late at night
• Being paid fairly, vis-a-vis your male colleagues

These are just some of the issues women ask themselves everyday. When you can take something for granted that isn’t afforded to someone else, you’re in a position of privilege.

What are some of the issues?

Today’s world is not equal for men and women. You’ve no doubt heard of some of the issues that women face today. A few examples:

• Women are expected to be homemakers, wives or mothers first and professionals second
• The Glass Ceiling where the number of women in positions of power, be it heads of state, senior managers or CEOs, are a fraction of what it should be (equal!). The BBC reported (This link opens in a new window) that in 2015, females made up only 11.2% of board members in Indian firms
• The gender pay gap; a 2016 article in The Hindu stated (This link opens in a new window) that the gap in India was as high as 27%. Which means, all else being equal, a woman colleague would earn only three quarters of her male counterpart

Also, while most men agree that teams with a significant female population help make a team successful – 75% according to a McKinsey diversity study, only around 19% believe that women face significant challenges at the workplace. Men are also likely to see less value in diversity initiatives, and believe that these initiatives are unfair to men.

As reported on the #BeBoldForChange International Women’s Day campaign, The World Economic Forum predicts the gender gap won’t close entirely until 2186. How can equality be so far away?