67% of Indian Women Believe in Pay Parity at Work, Real Estate Sector Leads

A recent survey conducted by Naukri.com has shed light on the perceptions of pay parity among Indian women across various industries. The survey, which included 50,000 women from over 50 different sectors, found that 67% of the respondents believe that pay parity exists at their workplaces. The real estate sector emerged as the leader in this regard, with 42% of women professionals in this industry affirming the existence of equal pay.

The survey, titled 'What Women Professionals Want,' further revealed that the belief in pay parity was also strong in the FMCG (38%), pharmaceutical and life sciences (38%), and automobile (37%) sectors. Other industries where pay parity was perceived to exist include retail (35%), hotels and restaurants (35%), IT services and consulting (34%), telecom/ISP (34%), medical services/hospitals (33%), and oil and gas (33%).

The report, released on the eve of International Women's Day, also highlighted a growing demand for equal pay audits and menstrual leave. The demand for these provisions increased to 27% from 19% in the previous year, with the highest demand coming from high-earners, who constitute 48% of the respondents. This trend suggests that as women advance in their careers, they become more aware of and vocal about the pay gap.

However, the survey also uncovered some concerning trends. Nearly 50% of the respondents reported hiding their personal plans, such as marriage or maternity, during job interviews due to fears of bias. This hesitation is particularly pronounced among women with more experience, rising from 29% among freshers to 40% for those with 10-15 years of experience.

Bias in hiring and promotions was identified as the biggest challenge faced by diverse women at the workplace, with 42% of respondents citing it as a significant issue. This challenge is consistent across major metro cities, including Chennai (44%) and Delhi/NCR (43%).

Despite these challenges, the report noted a positive trend: 83% of the respondents feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant increase from 66% in the previous year. This sentiment is particularly strong among women in southern cities.

'Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83% feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done,' said Sumeet Singh, CMO of Info Edge India, the parent company of Naukri.com, Jeevansathi.com, and 99acres.com.

The findings of this report highlight the progress made in achieving pay parity and the ongoing efforts needed to address the remaining challenges in the workplace. As more women aspire to leadership roles, it is crucial for organizations to implement policies that promote fairness and equality.