 "Flipkart, Zomato, Amazon lead efforts to recruit women for night shifts")
India's e-commerce and delivery giants, including Flipkart, Zomato, and Amazon, are spearheading initiatives to recruit women for night shifts, aiming to enhance diversity within the blue-collar workforce, according to a report by the Economic Times (ET). Many industries are taking active measures to create initiatives that make typically male-dominated industries more gender-neutral. To accomplish this, companies are introducing new policies to enhance the safety of all their workers.
Despite challenges such as social norms, transportation, and safety concerns associated with night shifts, e-commerce and delivery firms are implementing measures to create conducive work environments for women. These initiatives include comprehensive training programmes covering road safety, fire safety, self-defence, prevention of sexual harassment (POSH), and gender sensitisation. Additionally, provisions for safe transport, adequate physical infrastructure, night canteens, and constant monitoring through CCTVs are being implemented.
Since September 2023, Flipkart has been actively hiring women for fulfilment and sortation centres in Haryana. Similarly, Amazon India recently launched the Women in Night Shifts (WINS) initiative at one of its sorting centres in Haryana, with plans to expand the programme across other states. These efforts align with the broader objective of increasing the representation of women in blue-collar roles within the industry.
Flipkart boasts a workforce comprising close to 30 per cent women in its supply chain, including last-mile delivery roles. The company reportedly has over 800 women currently working night shifts across various locations in Haryana. Zomato also boasts over 2,000 female delivery partners nationwide.
Presently, women constitute approximately 10 per cent of the overall workforce in e-commerce companies, according to ET. However, this figure is expected to see a significant uptick, with projections indicating a 25 per cent growth in the size of the women workforce in the industry by 2024.