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Working mothers in India’s corporate sector are grappling with significant challenges, as revealed by Aon’s 2024 Voice of Women study, which surveyed 24,000 women employees across more than 560 companies. The study uncovers a pervasive "maternity penalty," with 75 per cent of working mothers reporting a career setback of one to two years after returning from maternity leave.
Additionally, nearly 40 per cent of these women noted that going on maternity leave hurt their pay, and many found their roles altered to positions they did not prefer.
Bias, discrimination await women in workplace
The survey also highlighted a broader issue of bias and discrimination in the workplace. Nearly half of the women surveyed mentioned experiencing bias or potential bias at work, while 37 per cent revealed they had encountered insensitive behaviour. Furthermore, 6 per cent of respondents reported experiencing sexual harassment, with less than half of these cases being officially reported.
A significant finding from the study is the disparity in experiences of bias based on career progression. Women in senior management and leadership roles are twice as likely to face discrimination compared to those in entry-level positions, with 34 per cent of senior women reporting bias versus 17 per cent of entry-level women.
This growing bias, as women climb the corporate ladder, significantly affects their perception of fairness within their organisations.
Women who have experienced bias are 3.5 times more likely to view aspects of their organisational experience as unfair and are more likely to consider leaving their jobs within a year.
Female leadership combats workplace discrimination
The study further highlights the positive impact of female leadership in organisations. Over half of the women surveyed (53 per cent) who had visible female leaders reported increased confidence in their career growth, and 52 per cent noted a positive impact on their workplace culture. Additionally, the presence of female leaders was found to reduce the perception of unfairness in critical people processes such as performance reviews, promotions, and compensation.
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Shilpa Khanna, associate partner and DEI practice leader of Talent Solutions in India for Aon, stressed the importance of addressing gender issues, particularly as businesses face talent shortages and an uncertain business environment.
"The data clearly highlights that the higher the positive experiences women have at the workplace, the greater the representation of women in the workforce," Khanna said. She advocated for businesses to deepen their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) efforts by actively listening to women in the workplace and using data-driven insights to make informed decisions that support women employees at various life stages.
Businesses need to address bias in office
Nitin Sethi, CEO of Talent Solutions in India for Aon, emphasised the critical need for businesses to address these issues.
"Bias at work is impeding businesses’ efforts to engage and retain skilled and committed women in the workforce. It is a reality that cannot be brushed aside. Building inclusive work culture has to be a CEO-led priority," Sethi stated.
He urged top leaders to take active steps in promoting inclusive policies and practices, particularly around equitable pay, career progression, and maternity support, while also role-modelling the right behaviours to foster an inclusive culture.
The Aon 2024 Voice of Women study is one of the largest pan-India surveys of working women, aimed at identifying factors influencing their success in the workplace and understanding their experiences of inclusion. The findings contribute to Aon’s Women’s Workplace Experience (WWE) Index, which assesses women’s experiences in the workplace and correlates higher positive experiences with greater representation of women in companies.