More women join workforce, but leadership gaps remain, shows study

Over the years, while the representation of females in the workforce in India has grown from 23.9 per cent in 2016 to 26.8 per cent in 2024, there is a notable decline in female representation at the managerial level, which stands at only 18.59 per cent, said a report.

According to a joint report by LinkedIn and Delhi-based think tank The Quantum Hub titled ‘Women in Leadership in Corporate India’, the percentage of women in senior leadership roles increased from 16.6 per cent in 2016 to 18.7 per cent in 2023. However, there has been a continuous decline in female representation in leadership positions, with 20.1 per cent at director roles, 17.4 per cent at vice president roles, and 15.3 per cent at C-suite positions.

The report, based on LinkedIn's economic graph data, offers insights into gender representation across industries and job functions in India. The data, self-reported by over 1 billion LinkedIn members, covers trends from 68 million companies, 135,000 schools, and 41,000 skills globally.

“Boosting women’s leadership in Indian businesses is crucial for better outcomes. LinkedIn economic graph data shows that despite progress, women still face obstacles in reaching leadership roles due to bias, societal norms, and structural barriers. However, recent focus on 'women-led development' has led to concerted efforts by both policymakers and business leaders to tackle these challenges. I hope this report will inspire tangible steps towards narrowing gender disparities, particularly in senior leadership positions,” said Aditi Jha, board member, country head, legal and government affairs, LinkedIn India.

The findings of the report also reveal sector-wide variations in women's leadership representation. Industries such as education at 30 per cent and government administration at 29 per cent have the highest representation of women in leadership roles.

This was followed by administrative and support services, and hospitals and healthcare, each with 23 per cent representation.

Sectors like technology, information, and media, and financial services each have moderate female representation in leadership at 19 per cent.

The lowest representation was found in construction, oil, gas, and mining, and utilities, each with 11 per cent female representation in leadership, while the wholesale and manufacturing sector had 12 per cent, and accommodation and food services had 15 per cent representation.

While some industries have seen overall improvements in the percentage of female leadership hired, such as consumer services, which experienced a significant increase from 30 per cent in 2016 to 37 per cent in 2024, industries like construction and utilities have shown relatively stable percentages over the years, indicating consistent but slower growth rates in female leadership hires, according to the study.

Based on its analysis of the ecosystem, the report suggests pathways such as a ‘skills-first’ approach to hiring, mentorship and networking opportunities, and shared parental leave, among others, for different stakeholders including government, industry, and civil society to support and promote women in leadership roles.