Based on insights from a survey of 200,000 women, work-life issues emerged as the primary challenge, highlighting the need for comprehensive strategies to address the issue.
The report emphasised the challenges faced by women returning to work after a hiatus. Factors such as feeling out of touch with technological advancements, concerns about skill degradation and difficulties in finding suitable job opportunities were cited as significant obstacles. Despite the desire to reacclimate and progress in their careers, these challenges often hinder women from fully leveraging their potential in the workplace, it said.
Amid these challenges, however, there are promising signs of progress in diversity and inclusion efforts within organisations, according to the report. It said 77% of the respondents said they had observed an increase in the representation of women in leadership positions compared to previous years.
Additionally, 59% of the respondents said women in today’s workforce have equal opportunities as men, attributing the progress to supportive leadership, gender-inclusive hiring and promotion practices, as well as diversity initiatives implemented by organisations.
Moreover, 78% of the respondents who acknowledged the benefit of having more women in leadership positions said it contributed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace culture. Despite these advances, the report revealed persistent biases faced by women in the workplace. Lack of growth opportunities, microaggressions and pay disparities were key challenges, according to the majority of respondents. Challenges in reacclimating to the workplace culture after career breaks were also highlighted by the women respondents. In addition, 55% of the respondents advocated that organisations should offer specialised upskilling programmes to women returning to work after a career break.“It is evident that though progress has been made, more work must be done to ensure equal opportunities for women in the workplace. There is need for continued efforts in fostering a supportive environment, addressing biases and providing avenues for professional development,” Hero Vired CEO Akshay Munjal said in a statement.