Introduction
Acknowledging the significance of gender diversity in India highlights the need for an increment in opportunities for everyone in the workplace. An inclusive environment can be built through the integration of initiatives promoting gender equality and diversity.
According to the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap report, it may take roughly 135 years to close the gender gap entirely. However, some businesses have recognized the value of gender equality and are actively working to promote gender diversity. Their contribution should be duly noted and appreciated. Let's look at the list of top companies that are promoting gender diversity in the workplace.
1) Infosys
Established in 1981, Infosys is an Indian Multinational Corporation, with being the 3rd largest IT service provider in India. Infosys practices gender diversity through its various policies and investments related to the development of women and is also a signatory to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP). 38% of Infosys employees are women.
Following are the initiatives taken by Infosys to promote gender inclusivity :
The Infosys Leadership Institute has a curriculum to prepare women for leadership positions.
The #IamtheFuture programme, a one-year initiative developed in collaboration with Stanford GSB, offers chances for holistic leadership development for our female leaders around the world.
Orbit Next seeks to advance and empower women so they can succeed in their jobs in technology. Women who participate in this programme receive mentoring, technical training, networking opportunities, and leadership development interventions, as well as exposure to other successful Infosys employees. Additionally, this intervention gives women the chance to study, work on specialized technology, and take part in both internal and external courses.
They are also named the Champions in the Most Inclusive Companies Index in India by Avtar, in collaboration with Seramount.
For five years, Infosys was listed among the 100 Best Companies for Women in India, earning it a spot in Avatar's "100 Best - Hall of Fame." The company also aims to have 45% women representation in its workforce by 2030.
2) HCL
Founded in 1976, HCL is another one of the top IT companies in India.
And what makes it a desired destination for any woman looking for a job? Its constant commitment to making the workplace inclusive for all genders at every level of employment.
And not just this, but HCL has also undertaken various initiatives to add more to the existing inclusive design. Some of the initiatives taken by them are as follows:
ASCEND is a leadership development program aimed at providing a platform curated to help min-management women navigate through their careers with peer coaching and consultancy.
Cultural Empathy and Dexterity is a comprehensive programme that aims to improve the cultural dexterity of HCLTech employees at all organizational levels. Increased cultural empathy enables HCLites to interact with peers globally with cultural awareness and aids HCLTech in developing highly productive collaborations.
SheInspires documents the lives of women who have made significant contributions to the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to motivate the subsequent generation of female leaders to pursue an education or profession in these areas.
Recently, HCL bagged a position in Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the second consecutive year. It stands as a testament to their work towards gender diversity in India.
3) Dr. Reddy's Laboratories
Next on the list is Dr. Reddy's Laboratories. A trusted company in the pharmaceutical industry that commenced its business in India in 1986.
Amongst Seven Indian companies, they emerged as the sole pharmaceutical company to be listed in the Gender-Equality Index (GEI) 2022. The business has been included in the GEI index for five years running.
The company has undertaken various projects and initiatives to promote gender inclusivity in its workplace and provide a thriving environment to its employees. Some of them are listed below :
They follow a method of conscious hiring of women in the sales force and manufacturing. This makes up 60% of their workforce across all levels.
Women can now work night shifts in plants and in API production, according to the law (select plants).
They hire women who are on career breaks through a unique platform- "Career Comeback for women."
Their bio-similar factory is set up with shifts so that a five-day work week is possible. The two weekly days off and more predictability provided by the 9.5-hour (fixed shift schedules) A and B encourage women employees to choose both shifts. With the overlap, it also makes correct shift changeover easier.
The company came up with SHE- Special Hospital Executives, an all-women sales force (Medical Representatives). A group of women who had taken professional breaks was assembled to boost the diversity of their field sales and effectively broaden their market reach.
4) Tech Mahindra
Tech Mahindra is a well-known Indian Multinational IT services and consulting company that have made continuous initiatives in the realm of gender diversity in India.
The company was also recognized by the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for three years in a row.
They do so by incorporating the following practices and initiatives :
Tech Mahindra empowers women entrepreneurs across the nation by offering mentorship, co-creating solutions using cutting-edge technologies, and assistance in creating a go-to-market plan in partnership with NITI Aayog's Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP).
They have been an equal opportunities employer, and hire a minimum of 50% of women from across campuses in India and a minimum of 30% of their lateral hiring consists of women.
Conclusion
Gender discrimination in India has existed for a long time. However, the current scenario is changing as many are standing up to work for the betterment of society by curating and enforcing policies that are not only gender inclusive but also highly progressive in nature.
These companies are examples of what society is doing on its part to make gender diversity accessible and approachable. Even though there is still a long way to go, this offers the surety that interventions are being made.
QWEEN is on a mission to create equal opportunities and make workplaces more inclusive. Connect with us and understand how Qween Network LLP can help you in building a more diverse workplace - https://qween.in/for-employers
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