Women's Leadership Roles Surge To 23.2% In Early 2024, Reveals Report

According to a recent analysis published by LinkedIn and The Quantum Hub, India's corporate world has undergone a major transformation in recent years, heralding a notable move towards gender diversity and inclusivity in leadership roles, with a surge of up to 23.2% across various sectors in early 2024 from 18.8% in 2016 to peak at 25.2% in 2021, indicating a promising trend. However, despite these advancements, the research shows that even as more women enter the profession, leadership discrepancies persist.

Persistent Gaps in Leadership Representation

The data revealed that female representation in the workforce increased over time, from 23.9% in 2016 to 26.8% in 2024.  However, the report indicated small deviations between 2022 and 2024, with a 0.5 percentage point reduction. The proportion of women in top leadership positions rose from 16.6% in 2016 to 18.7% in 2023 but fell slightly to 18.3% in 2024. The report stated that the proportion is likely to be adjusted by the end of the year.

Despite strong female representation at the entry level (28.7%) and senior independent contributor levels (29.53%), there is a substantial decline in female representation as women advance to managing positions, with figures falling to 18.59%. This declining trend continues throughout leadership jobs, with only 20.1% in director roles, 17.4% in Vice President roles, and a meagre 15.3% in C-suite positions.

Industry-Specific Trends

While businesses such as Consumer Services have seen substantial improvements, with female leadership hires increasing from 30% in 2016 to 37% in 2024, sectors such as Construction, Oil, Gas, Mining, and Utilities fall behind, accounting for only 11%.

"Boosting women's leadership in Indian businesses is crucial for better outcomes," said Aditi Jha of LinkedIn India, according to Mint. 

The study suggests that, despite improvements, women continue to face obstacles in reaching leadership roles due to bias, societal norms, and structural limitations. She stresses that the recent focus on 'women-led development' has resulted in concentrated efforts by politicians and corporate leaders to address these problems. 

"I hope this report will inspire tangible steps towards narrowing gender disparities, particularly in senior leadership positions," Jha added.