Driving Gender Parity: The Role of Flexibility in Retaining Female Leadership
LinkedIn has a vision to create economic opportunities for all members of the global workforce. LinkedIn India commissioned a report, which was prepared by The Quantum Hub. The analysis uses useful insights from LinkedIn’s Economic Graph data across sectors to assess the current state of women’s leadership in India. The Quantum Hub is a public policy research firm headquartered in New Delhi. LinkedIn’s economic graph data is intended to provide business leaders with the economic data and insights they require to understand the rapidly changing world of work and connect people to economic opportunities. LinkedIn’s economic graphs, which are based on self-reported data available on the network, feature trends from over 1 billion individuals, 41,0000 skill sets, 68 million enterprises, and 135,000 schools globally, providing a unique real-time snapshot of the global labor market. It can uncover trends such as talent movement, recruitment rates, and region-specific skill requirements.
According to the latest Economic Graph report from LinkedIn and The Quantum Hub, while overall female representation in India Inc. has increased from 24% in 2016 to 27% in 2024, progress in elevating women to senior leadership roles has been slow, rising from 17% to 19% during the same period. The Indian business landscape is steadily changing, with a greater acknowledgment of the value of gender diversity in leadership. The 2013 Corporations Act contributed to this transition by requiring at least one female director on the boards of publicly traded corporations. According to LinkedIn’s Economic Graph statistics, the share of female leadership hiring has increased between 2016 and in India, firms are trying to increase gender diversity and adopt an inclusive hiring approach by 2021. Female leadership hires increased from 18.8% in 2016 and 2017 to 25.2% by 2021, a notable milestone. However, development has stalled, with percentages maintaining at 24.2% in 2022 and 2023, and a further fall to 23.2% as of January 2024.
Women’s representation varies widely among sectors, depending on factors such as work environment, travel requirements, wage discrepancy, number and kind of needed hours, and industry-specific rules.
For example, women frequently leave occupations that demand frequent travel or transfers. Many businesses, including manufacturing, do not provide gender-responsive infrastructure on-site. Stereotypes about women’s devotion and skill at work continue to prevail.
From 2016 to 2023, countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States have seen a slight but positive increase in women’s representation in leadership positions. These pieces of information highlight a notable disparity in female leadership across different economies, suggesting that while there has been growth, there remains a significant gap in achieving gender equality in top management roles globally.
According to an SPJIMR whitepaper titled ‘Enhancing Women Leadership In India Inc’., only 1.8% of Fortune 500 businesses in India have a board with at least three female directors, whereas around 20% have at least one female director by FY23. Women account for only 1.6% of MDs and CEOs in Fortune 500 businesses in India. Only 3.2% of India’s Fortune 1000 companies are run by women MD/CEOs. This figure jumps to 5% in the Following 500, which assesses developing enterprises. As well as KPMG19 has vowed to increase women’s leadership to 50% before 2030. Professional associations and networks have also pledged their commitment to increasing women’s representation. Women in Big Data India, a global non-profit organization, is collaborating with industry associations and corporations to provide skill development programs for female leaders in the sector.
A research indicates that flexibility is crucial for retaining women in junior and middle management roles, where they must balance career goals with family responsibilities.
According to a Grant Thornton analysis, employers’ sustained commitment to providing flexible working arrangements is likely the most significant boost to reaching gender parity. To develop the pipeline from skilled younger professionals to female leaders, focused initiatives toward flexibility are required. For example, France implemented a gender equality index to assess organizations’ diversity strategies, while Switzerland requires salary equality audits.
While the government provides 15 days of paternity leave for male employees in specific services, the private sector does not have a similar option. Encouraging men to take an active role in childcare from infancy may have long-term effects on the distribution of unpaid work, allowing women to re-enter the workforce comfortably.
As women go up the organizational ladder, they may need to take breaks to care for their families and elders.
Reorienting this caring role to be more egalitarian will assist inspire more women to return to job paths. Various countries, such as the Argentina government, provide government funding to incentivize firms to deliver training targeting female employees and integrating a gender viewpoint.
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