67% of Women Believe in Pay Parity at Workplaces; Real Estate Sector Leads: Survey
Mumbai, Mar 7 (PTI) A recent survey conducted by Naukri.com has revealed that more than 67% of women in India across various sectors believe that pay parity exists at their workplaces. The report, titled 'What Women Professionals Want,' is based on a survey of 50,000 women across more than 50 industries in the country.
According to the report, 67% of the respondents stated that pay parity exists at their workplaces. This belief is particularly strong among professionals in the real estate sector, with 42% of respondents from this industry affirming pay parity. The FMCG sector follows closely with 38% of respondents, along with the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector. The automobile industry also reported a high belief in pay parity, with 37% of respondents.
Other sectors where a significant number of women believe in pay parity include retail (35%), hotels and restaurants (35%), IT Services and Consulting (34%), Telecom/ISP (34%), Medical Services/Hospital (33%), and Oil & 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 measures has risen to 27% from 19% in the previous year, with the highest demand coming from high-earners (48%). This trend suggests that 'the closer women get to the top, the more they can see the gap,' as noted in the report.
Interestingly, the report revealed that nearly 50% of respondents chose to hide their personal plans, such as marriage or maternity plans, out of fear of bias. This hesitation is more 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 remains the biggest challenge for diverse women at the workplace, with 42% of respondents citing it as their primary concern. This figure has grown by 7 basis points year-on-year, and the trend is consistent across major metro cities like Chennai (44%) and Delhi/NCR (43%).
Despite these challenges, 83% of the respondents feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, up from 66% in the previous year, particularly in southern cities. Sumeet Singh, CMO of Info Edge India, the parent company of Naukri.com, commented, '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.'
Info Edge India, the parent firm of Naukri.com, Jeevansathi.com, and 99acres.com, continues to support and advocate for gender equality in the workplace through such insightful reports and initiatives.
