NEW DELHI: Over the past five years, women’s prospects of getting leadership positions have significantly improved.
The latest AIMA-KPMG Women Leadership Report reveals 83% of the surveyed organisations boasted a higher representation of
women in leadership
roles in 2024 compared to half the number a decade ago, reports Manash Gohain. Furthermore, 49% of these organisations observed a decline in dropout rate of women from leadership positions.
The report, however, underscored that only 50% of
women leaders
enjoy
pay parity
with their male peers. It also found family and care-giving responsibility are the biggest reasons for women failing to fulfil their aspiration of getting a leadership role, along with bias and stereotyping.
Only 50% of women biz leaders enjoy pay parity, says study | page 9
Highlighting a persisting issue that only 50% of women leaders enjoy pay parity with their male counterparts, the latest AIMA-KPMG Women Leadership Report stated that more than a quarter of women leaders believe they are paid less than their male peers, while approximately 15% perceive bias in their pay.
The report evaluates the representation of women in
leadership roles
across various industries in India and offers insights into corporate strategies aimed at promoting women leaders.
Nikhil Sawhney, president, AIMA, said the findings will “provide a roadmap for fostering a more inclusive environment where women can thrive and contribute their leadership abilities to the betterment of Indian businesses and society”.
KPMG India CEO Yezdi Nagporewalla emphasised the importance of tailored
leadership development
programmes, mentorship and sponsorship relationships, networking platforms, and a culture of continuous learning in empowering women leaders to achieve their full potential.
Key findings of the report are — 56% of surveyed organisations have a mere 10%-30% representation of women in leadership roles; 9% have no women in leadership roles; in 23%, women hold 30%-50% of leadership positions; and 77% of organisations observe that less than 30% of women hired at entry-level positions attain leadership roles within the organisation.
The report also identifies barriers hindering women’s advancement to leadership roles, with family and care-giving responsibilities cited as the “primary obstacle”, followed by bias and stereotyping, and a lack of networking and
mentorship opportunities
.
While 63% of respondents expressed satisfaction with their organisation’s interventions for women’s representation in leadership roles, 58% felt that leadership development programmes fail to address challenges faced by women.
The report offers several recommendations to enhance women’s participation in leadership roles in Indian organisations, including conducting regular reviews and audits of leadership evaluation mechanism.
