Gender Equality

Women hold only 10% key managerial personnel positions in India: Report

Women constitute less than 20 per cent of the overall workforce, and only 10 per cent hold key managerial personnel (KMP) positions even as companies are making efforts for diversity, according to a report. Women constitute less than 20 per cent of the overall workforce and hold just over 10 per cent of KMP positions, while female directors account for less than 20 per cent of the total board director positions, according to the 'Mind the Gender Gap' report by CFA Institute and CFA Society India. The 'Mind the Gender Gap' report is based on insights from 300 Indian companies through their Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR) disclosures. The report also revealed that women board members and KMPs receive significantly lower compensation compared to their male counterparts, highlighting a gender pay disparity at the top level. Female directors earn only 44 per cent of the median salary of their male counterparts, while female KMPs receive less than 25 per cent of

We have achieved gender parity in edu, focusing on pay gap: India at UN

India Tuesday said it has achieved gender parity across all levels of education and is now prioritising increasing women's workforce participation in non-conventional sectors and bridging gender pay gaps and the digital divide. Delivering the country statement at the UN Ministerial Conference on women empowerment here, Preetam B Yashwant, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, said India has worked on gender-responsive solutions to reduce "time poverty" of women such as clean cooking fuels, tap water connections and construction of toilets. "Aligned to regional trends demonstrating reduced inequalities in education, today, I am happy to share that India has achieved gender parity across all levels of education. We have one of the highest proportions of women in STEM disciplines globally," he said. Yashwant said that India has adopted a multi-pronged approach to address the issues of women on a life-cycle continuum basis for their educational, social, economic and

Patriarchy didn't stop Indira Gandhi from becoming PM: Nirmala Sitharaman

If patriarchy stopped women from achieving what they want in India, how come Indira Gandhi made it as prime minister, asked Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. She met the students of CMS Business School here on Saturday and discussed various measures undertaken by the Centre to support innovation as well as the government schemes available for young people, including the 1 crore internships for the unemployable youth' in the age group of 21 to 24 years old. Replying to a question about women empowerment, Sitharaman insisted that patriarchy is a concept invented by the Left. "Don't get carried away by fantastic jargons. If you stand up for yourself and speak logically, patriarchy will not stop you from achieving your dreams," she advised the women in the audience. However, she admitted that women are not facilitated adequately and that more facilitation is needed. Answering a question about the prospects of innovators in India, the finance minister said the Modi government

India's gender equality advancing; social norms, safety concerns remain: UN

India's progress towards gender equality has accelerated in recent years, with increased investments and focus on women's leadership at the grassroots but social norms, limited workforce participation and gaps in safety measures hinder full gender parity, UN Women officials said. In an interview, Daniel Seymour, UN Women's Director of Strategic Partnerships and Susan Jane Ferguson, Country Representative for UN Women in India, shared insights on the country's strides and the challenges that remain. The conversation highlighted India's increased investments in women's empowerment and gender-responsive policies, yet stressed that deep-rooted social norms and limited financing continue to hamper full progress. "India's progress is significant, but closing the remaining gaps requires targeted efforts across both public and private sectors," Ferguson said. India has seen substantial growth in recent years, especially in gender-responsive budgeting, which has increased to 6.8 per cent, .

Men at home, women at work: The surprising rise of the modern househusband

In 45 per cent of marriages in the US, women now earn as much or more than their husbands, a figure that has tripled in 50 years, according to a 2023 Pew Research report

A safe place for women: Military needs greater gender sensitisation

The military's growing number of women officers highlights the need for gender sensitisation. Recent harassment cases show systemic flaws that must be addressed for true gender equality

Over 850 million women face 'very poor' gender equality conditions: Report

No country has achieved the gender equality targets set by the United Nations for 2030 under the Sustainable Development Goals, said the report

EU chief aims for gender parity but commissioner roles remain male-heavy

At first glance, the European Union may seem like a paragon of gender equality what with Ursula von der Leyen heading the all-important executive branch. Still, all the talk this week is about an excess of men poised for top positions at the EU headquarters. Not that von der Leyen, the first woman to hold the position as European Commission president, would want anything other than full gender parity in the body that runs the day-to-day business of the world's biggest trading bloc of 450 million people. One of its key objectives is achieving gender balance in decision-making, the strategy of von der Leyen's outgoing European Commission boldly proclaimed. Her office was committed to lead by example, with the first female Commission president selected in 2019, and the first gender-balanced College of Commissioners during this time. When it comes to gender issues, the 27-nation EU is often seen as perhaps the most progressive grouping of countries in the world, leaving other nations a

Celebration of ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity: V-P on I-Day

The Vice-President in his message called the countrymen to commit themselves to the lofty values upheld by the freedom movement

Paris Olympics nears gender parity, a glance at athlete gender breakdown

The founder of the modern Olympics and former IOC president, Pierre de Coubertin, once said women competing in the Games would be "impractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic and improper." Over a century later, the 2024 Paris Olympic Games are targeting gender parity in the same city where women made their Olympic debut in 1900. The IOC set a goal of a 50-50 split among the more than 11,000 men and women, including backups, registered to compete from July 26 to Aug. 11. However, the latest numbers from the IOC suggest organizers might fall just short of that target. Slightly more medal events for men than women. There is still a slight edge toward men among the 329 medal events at the Paris Olympics. The IOC has said there are 157 men's events, 152 women's events and 20 mixed-gender events. Of the 32 sports, 28 are "fully gender equal," the IOC said, including the new event of breaking to music. Rhythmic gymnastics is still for women only but men are allowed to compete in artistic ...

DGCA issues advisory to increase women's representation in aviation sector

DGCA Circular is issued in line with the principle of gender equality that is enshrined in the Constitution of India

From books to uniforms: How Kerala schools are embracing gender neutrality

The Kerala government is updating school books and introducing gender-neutral uniforms to promote the idea of a gender-neutral society among young people

Major Radhika Sen receives UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award

Major Radhika Sen is the second Indian peacekeeper to receive this award, after Major Suman Gawani in 2019

Gender equality at work place triples women's productivity, loyalty: Survey

Deloitte's recent "Women @ Work" survey represents the views of 5,000 women across 10 countries, including India

Women working in cos leading in gender equality more productive: Survey

Around 41 per cent women have asked for a reduction in their hours, 31 per cent said it has negatively impacted their mental well-being

Women's day: Gender diversity, inclusion a strategic necessity for biz

The Indian IT industry has seen significant progress in gender diversity with more women now in entry and mid-level workforce. However, their fair representation at the top and male-dominated corporate boardrooms is still disproportionate and "needs a lot of work", according to tech leaders. Any organisation which does not encourage, and indeed, proactively work towards equitable gender representation is unlikely to have a long business life span, even client acceptance, experts said adding companies need to offer flexi-scheduling and enable remote work options where needed, to support women juggling their professional responsibilities with their personal commitments and caregiver roles. Mentor circles at work, they point out, can also provide a strong support system, wherein senior women executives can handhold young working women and help them overcome obstacles to progression. "India is not doing bad when it comes to education for women. 29.5 per cent of engineers in our country

India Inc lauds establishment of gender equity Alliance at WEF meet 2024

Indian industry on Sunday lauded the government for establishing the 'Alliance for Global Good- Gender Equity and Equality' announced on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting 2024 here. The idea of this alliance emerged from the G20 Leaders' Declaration and India's abiding commitment to the cause of women-led development as propounded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As a follow up to the activities of the Engagement Group and initiatives under the G20 framework, inter alia, the Business 20, Women 20 and G20 EMPOWER, this alliance aims at taking forward the commitments of the G20 leaders for the benefit of the larger global community, the government said while announcing the alliance. Lauding the initiative, apex industry chamber CII's president R Dinesh said, "The leadership of India for women empowerment during its Presidency of G20 was well recognized and the launch of the 'Alliance for Global Good - Gender Equity and Equality' at Davos is yet another opportuni

India sets up int'l alliance for global good, gender equity and equality

India on Thursday announced here a new alliance for global good, gender equity and equality, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, with the WEF Founder and Chairman Klaus Schwab offering to partner this initiative with full support. The announcement was made at an India Reception on the sidelines of the WEF Annual Meeting, hosted by apex industry chamber CII and attended by union ministers Smriti Irani and Hardeep Singh Puri as well as WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab, among others. The idea of this alliance emerged from the G20 Leaders' Declaration and India's abiding commitment to the cause of women-led development as propounded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said. As a follow-up to the activities of the Engagement Group and initiatives under the G20 framework, the Business 20, Women 20 and G20 EMPOWER, this alliance aims to take forward the commitments of the G20 leaders for the benefit of t

Gender budgeting in India: What does it mean and how it impacts policy

India adopted its first gender budget in 2005-06, marking a significant step towards addressing gender disparities in resource allocation

Nearly half of Indian consumers want more diversity in ads, shows study

48% of Indians have expressed the need for more inclusive representation by brands, according to a UN-supported study on diversity and inclusion in the advertising sector