India has almost doubled the size of its economy to become one of the fastest-growing nations in the world over the last decade. Yet more than 19.6 billion Indian women quit their jobs during the same time. If all of these women were to be put together as a city it would be the third most populated city in the world. With all the talk of women empowerment and the enrolment rate of girls in higher education at an all-time high, this comes as a surprise.
So where are these women going?
48% of Indian women leave their jobs mid-career owing to marriage and added household responsibilities. As per a survey, 84% of Indians agree that men have more of a right to work than women. Even if women are allowed to work by their male family members, they are constrained to certain types of jobs and industries, those that are considered suitable for women. Companies have this mindset that having female staff comes with a lot of added responsibilities. They can't make it. to work for long in office, they will have to be given long maternity leave or they might get married. So, let's avoid female staff as far as possible and stick to only male staff.
As per data from a survey, the fastest growing sectors such as telecom, banking, and the core sectors are all dominated by men. And whenever a woman tries to enter this sector, she is either not hired or is met with questions about her capabilities. Even if they manage to overcome these hurdles and acquire jobs of their choice, the work environment is not conducive to their growth.
Huge leakage of talent
Gender inequality, a loss of education and childcare amenities, social burdens, and rising crime in cities are all mentioned as reasons for women opting out of the workforce. Studies across the world have shown that working women's children are better nourished, better educated, thus building social capital for the economy.
The number of female financial directors is very less as compared to males. Though this number is slowly increasing with time, still there is a long way to go. Women in India need to be educated more about the significance of economic planning. Things have shaped today so whether it is politics or sports or about flying fighter jets, they are playing an active role in all areas of society.
There are many people and organizations including the Government that is working for enhancing the social and economic status of women. It's just that they need some help or a morale boost to do well in their career. In fact, some of the current schemes by the government like "Beti Padhao Beti Bachao" and "Support to Training and Employment Program(STEP)" for women, etc are really good initiatives by our government in that direction.
What about unpaid work?
While the case for bringing women into the market economy is strong, there is another view that women in India, though not earning money, are still working - at home. Cooking, washing, and taking care of the seniors and kids is unpaid work, argue some economists, that should be counted as part of the country's GDP. It disempowers even paid women workers since as a consequence what women do is undervalued, and adds to large gender gaps in salaries.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Indian women themselves will have to play a key part in maintaining a space for themselves in India's workforce. Personally, I will proceed to support them. I hope you will join me. Let's all pledge collectively today to strengthen women's participation in the workforce, and achieve a higher level of growth and development for India that is more comprehensive and sustainable.