Workplace gender inequality is a global phenomenon. McKinsey Global Institute estimates that women add 37% of the world’s GDP while constituting one-half of the global working age population. If they played an identical role to men in the labour markets, however, women could add about USD 28 Trillion to global GDP by 2025, or add about USD 12 Trillion if their proportion in the workforce was brought up to ‘best-in-the-region’ levels. On each of the above numbers India has the most to gain, compared with 95 other countries. Women’s share of India’s GDP is about 17%, and the above two scenarios could elevate the country’s GDP by 60% and 16%, respectively. Getting anywhere close to these numbers requires India to recast its outdated social mores substantially, however.

1. TeamLease Services

2. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Summary
2. Gender Inequality, Society and Corporate India
3. The Indian society and gender roles
4. The rationale for women in the labourforce
5. Education to Employment: the narrowing funnel
6. Diversity: What ails the workplace?
7. The glass ceiling: what, really, is the root causes of bias at the workplace?
8. What women want
9. A roadmap to Gender Equality
10. What we believe in
11. Annexure: Labour Statistics

3. 3
Summary
• India could add between 16% and 60% to its national income if women joined the labourforce in
proportionate measure. Achieving this requires India to recast its outdated societal outlook
substantially.
• A transformational change in societal attitudes and beliefs is the need of the hour, to enable
women with Education and Employment opportunities on par with men. The onus for such
change rests as much on society as it does on policy measures.
• Women are severely underrepresented in most well-paying sectors and, at the same time, they
are disproportionately well-represented in subsistence-income occupations such as care and
agriculture.
• A transformational shift in the number of women at work could bring about long-desired
outcomes of better parity with men across opportunity, role and rewards, autonomy and a
strong voice in decision making and, finally, equitable sharing in household responsibilities.
• The number of women in the labourforce is substantially lower than the number of men, across
sectors. The predominant theme is their overwhelming population of sectors that require
process-orientation rather than engineering effort.
• The labourforce participation rate is significantly skewed towards rural women, so much so that
the urban, well-qualified, working woman is more of a stereotype than a reality. Most urban,
educated, women willy-nilly desist from joining in the labourforce because of patriarchal taboos.
• The workplace bias against women is multidimensional – it creates effective resistance against
women’s advancement in their career through stereotypical roles, inequitable wages, structural
constrictions to progression and leadership.
• The root cause of bias against women arises from the labour market being largely male-
dominated and having nurtured a masculine characteristic in its DNA. We deconstruct this root
cause as a framework of Privilege, Practices, Peers and Pathways women are up in arms against.
• Survey findings indicate that there is significant divergence between employee expectations and
organizational policies related to gender equality. Organizations are perceived by employees to
be fulfilling compliance requirements more than actually effectively addressing inequality.
• In conclusion we propose a comprehensive, three-layered, approach that includes a foundational
layer of parity and advocacy, a mid-tier of effective performance review and leadership pipeline
capabilities, followed with adequately funded policy implementation.

4. 4
Gender Inequality, Society and Corporate India
The economic case for Gender Equality Workplace gender inequality is a global phenomenon.
McKinsey Global Institute estimates that women add 37% of the world’s GDP while constituting one-
half of the global working age population. If they played an identical role to men in the labour
markets, however, women could add
about USD 28 Trillion to global GDP by
2025, or add about USD 12 Trillion if their
proportion in the workforce was brought
up to ‘best-in-the-region’ levels.
On each of the above numbers India has the
most to gain, compared with 95 other
countries. Women’s share of India’s GDP is
about 17%, and the above two scenarios
could elevate the country’s GDP by 60% and
16%, respectively. Getting anywhere close to
these numbers requires India to recast its
outdated social mores substantially, however.
The role of Society As we will discuss in a
forthcoming chapter, gender bias in society
directly induces a corresponding bias in the
labour market. Education and Employment
become casualties under the weight of
traditional gender roles and patriarchal
hierarchies. Cultural and social norms offer
severe resistance to women against entering, and continuing in, the workforce. This factor can,
singularly, stall the country from reaping the above
estimated windfalls.
India, therefore, needs to start with altering the very
basics of its societal fabric. The onus for such
transformational change rests as much on society as
it does on policy measures. Such an ambitious
initiative also requires that women are enabled with
Education and Employment opportunities on par
with men. Achieving this milestone will then put the
country in a league of nations that is on a
progressive gender diversity course. And, ensure
equality in the workplace.
Our study concludes with survey findings
administered to female respondents from
The onus for
transformational
change rests as
much on society
as it does on
policy measures

5. 5
organizations across India, surveyed in connection with the primary objectives of this study. As part
of our analysis we also present trends for the number of women on the boards of publicly listed
companies.
This study envisages an appropriate public discourse on transformational change – in society as well
as in the workplace. TeamLease hopes to play a pivotal role in ushering in an era of equal
opportunity in not just Education and Employment, but also in career advancements and leadership.

6. 6
The Indian society and gender roles
The dichotomy of bias
There is a paradox in how the Indian society regards women. Traditionally, Indians – specifically, in
Hinduism – see the woman as the manifestation of a divine force. In popular culture, however,
women are often objectified – just as they are
anywhere else in the world. The dichotomy is universal
and unfathomable. The very society that celebrates
occasions to mark feminine divinity imposes
restrictions on women through patriarchal sanctions.
The juxtaposition of centuries-old tradition and
constantly evolving culture constitutes a rather strange
concoction of biases and practices – in society and in
the workplace.
Attitudes and beliefs – mostly outdated – perpetuated
through decades of cultural sanctions and patriarchal
hierarchies have had one debilitating outcome –
gender roles that hinder equal opportunity. Although
we condemn discrimination and inequality, in all forms
and in various walks of life, this study is confined to an analysis and discourse on inequality at the
workplace.
Opportunities remain limited
Reformist governments and eminent
revolutionists have fought social ills
and undertaken initiatives to further
the cause of women’s rights. Still,
barriers to women’s progress persist
and deep rooted social norms cause
the divide to vary anywhere from
inhibiting the girl child from securing
basic education to women-unfriendly
corporate policies hindering post-
maternity return to the workplace. As
a result, while women are severely
underrepresented in most well-paying
sectors they are, at the same time,
disproportionately well-represented in
subsistence-income occupations such
as care and agriculture.
Gender roles constrain occupational choices even as women attain educational qualifications that
entitle them to fulfilling and lucrative careers. Once again, cultural and corporate stereotypes act in
Gender roles
reinforced via
patriarchal
sanctions hinder
equal
opportunity
Source: McKinsey Global Institute – The Power of Parity

7. 7
collusion to limit opportunity. This is a two-pronged problem – as women graduate into higher
education their numbers dwindle drastically; and as they pursue job opportunities with
qualifications in tow the options available to them are dictated by employer preconceptions.
The outcome is sub-optimal leverage of a precious demographic segment, even as talent demand
remains unfulfilled in large pockets of industry.

8. 8
The rationale for women in the labourforce
While the economic rationale for Indian women to join in the labourforce is compelling, the socio-
cultural transformation that large scale infusion of women in the workforce could bring about is
even more appealing. Arguably, the economic and the cultural contexts are intertwined and
reinforce each other, effectively suppressing women’s rights and perpetuating gender hierarchy.
Gender hierarchy – a social ill that relegates women to a status inferior to men – is, in turn,
reinforced by the lack of financial
and vocational independence
women suffer from. Gender
stereotypes confine women to
traditionally feminine vocations –
which are not necessarily fulfilling
or enriching – and to financial
entitlements primarily decided by
men. These are the confines
women need to unshackle
themselves from to find their
rightful place in both society and
business. Financial and vocational
independence is what this
demands.
Women at work – the payoff
The measure of the economic
payoff with women joining in the
labourforce is, therefore, a
tangible outcome of women’s
emancipation. Although it is
eventually an individual’s choice
in pursuing her own course of life,
the lesser such choice is influenced by obsolete social sanctions the more freedom women would
enjoy.
A transformational shift in the number of women at work could bring about long-desired outcomes
of better parity with men across opportunity, role and rewards, autonomy and a strong voice in
decision making and, finally, equitable sharing in household responsibilities. To the familial system
this could mean the fostering of values of dignity of labour and professional success. As a greater
good for the society it could help curb several social evils such as female infanticide, child marriage,
property inheritance and violence against women. It would greatly benefit the economy by helping
to more than adequately replace an aged, retiring, workforce. On the contrary, a disproportionately
low participation of women in the labourforce may cause grave damage to the economy.
Gender Hierarchy, Stereotyping and
Subjugation
A conflation of tradition and the Victorian era has perpetuated
the above trifecta of gender hierarchy, stereotyping and
subjugation in India. The inequality faced and endured by
women has a direct consequence of gender stereotyping. Many
societal roles, behaviour and privileges are bifurcated into male
and female domains, and transgressions are either implicitly or
covertly discouraged. While the urban mindsets have, by and
large, undergone significant change the smaller cities, towns
and rural areas have retained substantial ‘small-town’ attitudes.
The Khap (Kangaroo Court) societies, for example, actively
reprimand – if not punish / advocate punishment for – violation
of such gender-space constrictions.
Although stereotyping has its share of regressive fallout for
men, women carry the brunt of this social evil. Their subjugation
at the hands of often rigid, outdated, dictats restricts much
personal choice, access to education, employment and trade /
business opportunities, as well as the freedom to pursue a
profession / vocation outside of the confines of home.

9. 9
Besides home and work, greater female participation in the labourforce would also usher equality in
the realms of political participation and leadership, law
and safety and socio-cultural autonomy.
Individual [Moral / Ethical] Considerations
It is critical to note that while we make a case for women
in the labourforce and argue that traditional norms –
many of which are obsolete – proscribe gender roles
which hinder gender equality in society and at work, we
recognize and appreciate the varied views individuals may
hold regarding gender roles.
For instance, child-rearing is a potentially conflicting area
as far as gender roles are concerned. Our stand, regarding
such deeply held norms, is that societal attitudes and
beliefs have evolved the world over. Progressive nations
have taken the leap of faith into alternative livelihood
options that make much better economic as well as cultural sense. India needs to awaken itself to
possibilities and not miss the woods for the trees – equality and justice must prevail over all other
considerations.
The Big Picture:
Equality and
justice must
prevail over all
other
considerations

10. 10
Education to Employment: The narrowing funnel
Access to education is, perhaps, the first and the most brutal discriminatory hurdle the girl child
faces, morbid chance of infanticide aside. The discrimination goes beyond just access (at multiple
stages) and significantly lesser proportion of women enrol into technical, vocational and managerial
education compared with men. The likelihood of pursuing a worthwhile career diminishes, on the
back of a forced choice of lifelong
dependence.
The discontinuity of education or the
choice of more-or-less stereotypical
choices of higher education is
determined by considerations of
marriage and homemaking. Thereafter,
the sharper drop in labourforce
participation may be explained by the
substantial number of women who
choose not to enter the labourforce
despite being qualified with technical,
vocational or managerial education.
The resultant statistic is a meagre
labourforce participation rate. Three
stark trends related to the female
labourforce participation rate are a substantially lower urban statistic, a general downtrend over the
past two decades and India bringing up the rear in participation among the BRICS nations – by no
measure is the emerging picture an encouraging sign.
Once part of the labourforce, women constitute a lower
proportion than men across almost all sectors. The
predominant theme is their populating sectors that
require process-orientation rather than engineering
effort, the couple redeeming exceptions being Software
/ Information Technology and Telecommunication. This
chart, still, does not include the millions in mere
subsistence work such as Agriculture and Care.
Urban non-working women: social signalling?
The patriarchal influence on urban women who are
educated and well-qualified but desist from joining the
labourforce warrants a separate study, perhaps. The
trend illustrating a severe rural-urban divide is telling, in
terms of the archaic sense of taboo a significant section
of society associates with working women.
It needs to be qualified that the taboo cuts across demographic and regional divides – and,
A substantial
number of
urban women
choose not to
work despite
being suitably
qualified
Source: Confederation of Indian Industry

11. 11
therefore, is prevalent in the hinterland to a greater extent than in cities. How it manifests, though,
is an interesting phenomenon. Poverty and lack of mechanisation / automation in agriculture have
traditionally driven women to subsistence work in the fields and the farm. While in the cities,
misplaced middle-class
moralities – we hypothesize –
leads to a large proportion of
this cohort accessing decent –
or even privileged –
education but choosing not to
join in the labourforce.
The social signal the section
of the Indian middle class
desisting from work, perhaps,
wants to send out is a sense
of entitlement bestowed
upon women being nurtured
in a patriarchal set up. This
out-dated societal attitude
further emphasises gender
roles and propagates bias –
especially down the societal
hierarchy.
Women want to work,
though ..
A study by the Evidence for
Policy Design Initiative,
Harvard University, reveals that women in such households – rural and urban, equally – wish to work
but social norms restrict them. The study paints a paradoxical picture of increasingly well-educated
women contrasted with the falling labourforce participation rate we have depicted above.
A strong-willed, sustained, catalytic effort from all quarters – the government, business and
enterprise, and social organizations concerned with women’s empowerment – is an absolute need
to pull society of this morass. More importantly, it might well be the educated woman’s prerogative
to demand, obtain and leverage such a catalysis for emancipation.
Source: National Sample Survey Organisation (68th
Round 2011-12)

12. 12
Diversity: What ails the workplace?
The severe underrepresentation of women in the workforce in India is symptomatic of extreme
inequality and archaic belief systems. However, the deficiency is not just at the sector level. As one
digs further one could go deep and wide and find the underrepresentation prevailing across
functional domains and along
hierarchies. This factor is not
explained enough by just the
societal resistance we have
discussed so far. Workplace bias
constitutes an entirely new
battleground for women.
There is a workplace stereotype
that is at the root of this problem.
Women are perceived – and on no
valid grounds – to be suited to
roles that do not require physical
or intellectual ‘heavylifting’ or
those that are traditionally considered ‘masculine’ in terms of their demands for ‘contact-sport’ like
vigour. Men, on the other hand, are
discriminated as well, for roles that are
considered feminine and chided for being
‘effeminate’ if they choose to work in such
roles. It could be argued that this aspect –
while it restricts the choices for men – affects
women more by painting them into a
stereotyped corner.
The global debate about discrimination on
grounds of wages also intensely plays out in
India. It is a double whammy when one
considers wage-based discrimination in
addition to the role-based discrimination
above. On the one hand the labour market
considers women less privileged to be
considered for certain, coveted, roles and on
the other, it deems fit to not pay them on par
with men. Women, on their part, do not
seem to exhibit any inherent deficiency that
deserves such malice.
A ‘male-volent’ leadership discourse
All this, and an even bigger hurdle in the form of stereotyped leadership capabilities, stand in the
way of more women that truly deserve from progressing toward leadership. This last barrier is the
The Workplace Stereotype
The workplace bias against women is hydra headed – roles,
wages, career progression and leadership are the four broad
heads that get in the way of women participating in a fair and
square labour market.
Women, in general, are more likely to be relegated to either
process-oriented roles or to staff functions. In contrast, men are
more likely to be employed in line functions. This limits the
chances of career progression within an organization for women.
Source: India Skills Report, CII-PeopleStrong-Wheebox, 2014)

13. 13
biggest and the knottiest among all. The, often, ambiguous definition and characteristic of
leadership and the mythical discourse related to it is dominated by masculine traits. The stereotype
helps in branding women as either trying too hard, being too pleasant or too aggressive, all while
they are merely carrying out their roles much like – and perhaps as effectively as their male
counterparts.
The barriers to women do not just persist in continuing and progressing within an organization. They
prevail in the various stages women might cross in their workplace journey – marriage, maternity
and child-rearing are typical milestones along the journey when women might want out,
temporarily, and many employers have yet to formulate effective policy frameworks and
organizational practices that could accommodate such realities.
While a lot of progressive organizations have put in place policies and practices that address some of
these aspects, even such measures are early in the day and work-in-progress. The increasing
demands of the modern workplace, with its cross-cultural and multi-locational work dimensions
counteract such measures as well.
Source: NASSCOM, 2014

14. 14
Career Advancement – by Sector
We now break the numbers for each sector down to hierarchical levels and look at how efficient the
sectors are, in terms of career progression. The general factors that contribute to sectors being
diverse are a modern, friendly workplace, fast growth and roles that (stereotypically) suit women in
large volumes. Sectors that are not as diverse are characterized by roles that demand a fair degree
of physical exertion, roles for which women are usually not adequately qualified and workplaces
situated far away from habitats.
BFSI and Software seem to have the most efficient career funnels for women. BFSI, particularly, has
great parity right up to the leadership level. It has, for long, had roles women comfortably took to.
Over time, progression for women has also turned out to be efficient. Software and I.T. firms are
able to offer great working conditions and have a far lower degree of bias since they are relatively
Source: NASSCOM, 2014; Evidence for Policy Design Initiative at Harvard University, 2013

15. 15
new-age. The scenario in the U.S., by the way, is contrasting. Silicon Valley technology firms have
gained a reputation for being biased against women. The Valley has nurtured a male-cult and
initiatives such as Lean In are aimed at challenging this status quo.
Airline and Hospitality businesses have historically positioned themselves as women-friendly
workplaces. Although the two sectors are awash with stereotypical roles these are roles with which
women associate a high degree of dignity and pride.
On the list of sectors that are not as diverse all, except Telecommunication, are perceived to have
jobs that demand significantly higher physical exertion and qualifications that are conventionally
male-oriented.

16. 16
The glass ceiling: what, really, is the root cause of bias at the workplace?
So, a rather chauvinistic labour market is what women in India seem to be up against. The
formidable bias against women arises from the labour market being largely male-dominated and
having nurtured a masculine characteristic in its DNA for several decades. The accretion of
stereotypes has resulted in a work ethic that is steeped in masculinity – and it is this work ethic that
women force-fit themselves on to, playing by the rules made by men. It is this masculine work ethic
that is the root cause of bias.
Let us deconstruct this work ethic. Synthesizing the arguments that we have put forth so far with the
research findings the following factors shape the ethic –
Privilege – affords men to join in the labour market and progress along the labour market journey
with little friction. Their selection into the market is more spontaneous and more men, by societal
design, are endowed with the correct credentials for this unfair advantage.
Practices – labour market practices have been designed for men, and have evolved over decades
rolling with masculine, and intellectual, ‘heavylifting’, so much so that business discourse is rarely
complete without the myths and storytelling that eulogise male characteristics.
Peers – networks in the labour market are, again, a formidable web of male domination. Good
deeds, and words that propagate the good deeds, flow mostly via male labour market participants.
Female labour market participants are, more often than not, part of male-dominated networks.
Pathways – career advancements happen through a combination of workplace qualifications, roles,
functions and reward mechanisms that are skewed towards males. Most women are inherently
disadvantaged by misaligned trajectories on such pathways.
Privilege
Practices
Peers
Pathways
Frictionless entry and progress
for men
Inherent structural mismatch
for women
Male-dominated networks,
even for women
Men-friendly practices and
men-centric discourse

17. 17
In summary, the glass ceiling women are attempting to crack open is a male-ordained set of rules
and routines. Indian employers need to see this self-fulfilling and unquestioned workplace
atmosphere for what it is – an imbalanced and inequitable architecture that needs to be redesigned
and rebuilt into a brave, new, gender-agnostic edifice.

18. 18
What women want
– findings from the survey of women professionals across senior and middle management levels
We surveyed 25 women professionals to understand their perceptions of gender diversity in Indian
organizations and their expectations from employers on measures to tackle gender inequality. The
findings indicate that there is a heightened sense of the need for equality in the workplace and for
effective measures to be implemented towards achieving this objective.
More than a third of the respondents say they clearly recognize bias in the Indian workplace. While
this may seem like a generalization, there is an equal sized respondent segment which separates the
wheat from chaff and indicates that bias is prevalent in either ‘some’ or ‘very few’ companies. Less
than a sixth felt that there is no bias in the Indian workplace.
An overwhelming majority (72%) is, therefore, aware of the presence of gender bias in the
workplace.
Yes, 36%
No, 16%
In some
companies, 20%
In very few
companies, 16%
Don't know /
Can't say, 12%
Existence of Gender Bias in Indian companies

19. 19
Organizations were seen to be at significant variance with respondent expectations of the measures
to be implemented to tackle gender inequality. The gap – as respondents perceive it – seems to be
that employers are getting there but are more compliance-oriented than oriented towards equality.
Gender role stereotypes are a thing of the past for a good, 84% of respondents. These respondents
believe that both men and women are equally emancipated and could assume whatever
Sabbaticals - learning / career
Leadership training / orientation
More women in leadership / on the board
Sexual harrassment policies
Maternity leaves and back
Transparent performance criteria / reviews
Clear wage standards and parity
Flexi-time options
7%
11%
12%
16%
22%
22%
42%
47%
15%
27%
51%
72%
37%
18%
12%
27%
Measures to ensure Gender Equality
Men and
Women must
carry out
gender-specific
responsibilities,
16%
Men and
Women can
fulfill
responsibilities
regardless of
gender, 84%
What measures are implemented | What women want
Gender Roles

20. 20
responsibility they feel is apt. However, about a sixth of all respondents still seem to believe that
each gender has its own set of defined responsibilities it must take on.
When asked to pick just one primary responsibility for women and for men, each, a majority of
respondents concurred on women’s responsibility being split between home and work, and men’s
being toward work. Just about a third exhibited a truly unbiased outlook with a belief that men must
focus on home and work equally, just as women must.
Women’s induction into the boards of directors - trends
The financial regulator’s mandate that publicly listed companies induct at least one woman on their
boards has seen some action on the ground that is favourable to bringing in equality to the board
room. Such a step, implemented across businesses, could mean better decision making through the
consideration of varied views by the boards and, therefore, better corporate governance.
We studied trends across publicly listed companies and look at those sectors that have a prominent
representation of women on their boards.
Clearly, the IT, ITeS and Telecommunication sectors, followed by BFSI, have more women directors
on their board, compared with the rest. Manufacturing – with an average of six directors on the
board – springs a surprise, since the sector has an otherwise poor population of women as a whole.
Also, there is a high divergence of the number of women directors among companies, within each
sector as indicated by the appreciable Standard Deviation values, implying that the representation is
not very consistent and that equality is yet to gain adequate currency at the board level, in spite of
policy reforms.
23%
16%
61%
15%
52%
33%
Home
Work
Home & Work
One primary responsibility - for men and women
Men Women

21. 21
.00
5.00
10.00
15.00
20.00
25.00
Max
Highest numbers of women on the boards of directors - across sectors
BFSI Manufacturing Service IT,ITES and Telecommunication Infrastructure FMCG
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
BFSI Manufacturing Service IT,ITES and
Telecommunication
Infrastructure FMCG
Statistical averages for women on boards of directors - across sectors
Mean Std. Deviation

22. 22
A roadmap to Gender Equality
The role of the Organization
Ushering Gender Equality into the workplace needs a comprehensive approach that takes into
cognizance the historic nature of a multifaceted problem which has its roots in society and culture.
We propose a layered roadmap that has a set of three building blocks at the foundation – all centred
on establishing parity.
Once the basics are in place organizations must address the managerial and leadership gaps and aim
to groom women leaders from within the organization. This second layer must then enable
employers to finally articulate policies, capitalize the initiative and catalyse the entire transformation
via technology.
Even before businesses lay out policies they – and, equally importantly, society and women – need
to address the social evil that the phenomenon of Gender Diversity is. Such sensitization must
ensure that diversity is implemented in spirits, and not just on paper.
The role of the Family
The Indian familial unit has an inherent bias built into it, that puts the girl child at a disadvantage.
Family members – parents and male siblings – play a critical role in making the girl child feel equally
important and loved as the boy and, even more importantly, to inculcate this sensibility in the boy
child. It is important that the woman is accorded an equal partner status in marriage.
Policy Measures adequately funded
and implemented via Technology
Transparent and Just
Performance Management
Parity across
roles and
functions
Advancement
and Wage
Parity
Leadership
Pipeline
Influence
societal
attitudes

23. 23
Sensitizing every individual to these tenets early on in life will help stem societal conditioning of the
bias. The right grooming, at home first and then at school will contain the biases from creeping into
society.
The pivotal role women must play
All said and done the onus for change rests, actually, with the
collective female population. Women need to realise their self-
worth and assert their right to aspiration and achievement.
They would be propagating, and reinforcing, patriarchal
conditioning when they either submit to male domination or
seek rewards and entitlements of such a societal set up.
Collectively, women must foster amongst themselves a sense of
equality rather than one of either victimhood or entitlement.
Perhaps, a gender-neutral frame of reference is a good starting
point in journeying toward equality.
“Emancipation takes nothing more
than just will power” – Sudha Murthy

24. 24
What we believe in
– Rituparna Chakraborty, Cofounder and Vice President, TeamLease Services
At TeamLease, we have pioneered staffing in India and steered a variety of Thought Leadership
initiatives. While we take pride in each of these initiatives I am glad to state that none of these has
matched our passion as the report on Gender Diversity has. Achieving gender equality is a lofty
objective and we want to be at the forefront of this debate.
Globally, employers have been taking quick strides towards truly diversifying their workforce. And
there is a deeper understanding of how women, as a very large corporate constituency, have
suffered for long. McKinsey & Co and Sheryl Sandberg’s initiative, Lean In, have accelerated this
movement in recent times and have shaped it through rigorous research and data. The time has
come for all of us – especially in India, where diversity initiatives could potentially have the biggest
impact – to join hands and bring parity into every aspect of the workplace.
We have always believed that inequality is an elephant in the room that needs to be sized up. We
have always believed that diversity can help solve for large socio-cultural and labour market
problems. The fruits of such an initiative must include both the unshackling of women from archaic
social atrocities as well as making them professionally and financially independent, in equal
measure. Here is to new beginnings!

25. 25
ANNEXURE
Labour Statistics

26. 26
Distribution of Workforce – by sector
Primary Sectors % of Female Primary Sectors % of Male
Agri, hunting, forestry 70.2 Agri, hunting, forestry 48.5
Manufacturing 10.5 Construction 12.7
Construction 4.6 Trade 10.8
Trade 3.5 Manufacturing 10.7
Education 3.4 Transport & commerce 5.6
Other social services 1.8 Public admin & defence 2.1
Others 1.6 Other social services 1.8
Health & social work 1.1 Education 1.7
Public admin & defence 0.9 Hotel & restaurant 1.4
Hotel & restaurant 0.8 Real estate 1.3
Transport & commerce 0.4 Financial intermediaries 0.9
Real estate 0.4 Mining 0.7
Financial intermediaries 0.4 Health & social work 0.5
Mining 0.3 Fishing 0.5
Fishing 0.1 Others 0.4
Electricity, gas, water 0 Electricity, gas, water 0.3
Share of Women – by Industry Group
Industry Groups Percent of Women among Workers
Agri, hunting, forestry 36.1
Construction 15.1
Education 43.7
Electricity, gas, water 7.8
Financial intermediaries 16.1
Fishing 11.6
Health & social work 41.4
Hotel & restaurant 15.5
Manufacturing 28.5
Mining & Quarrying 14.4
Other social services 29.1
Public admin & defence 12.3
Real estate 12.2
Trade 10.9
Transport & Communication 2.0
Others 67.0

27. 27
Distribution of Male and Female Workers in Different Occupational Groups in Urban Areas of
States
State/UT Male Female
AFF MFG CONS TRS OTH AFF MFG CONS TRS OTH
Andhra Pradesh 58.2 61.9 89.6 80.6 78.9 41.8 38.1 10.4 19.4 21.1
Assam 74.4 84 98.5 92.9 80.9 25.6 16 1.5 7.1 19.1
Bihar 78.6 88.5 95.5 95 90.9 21.4 11.5 4.5 5 9.1
Gujarat 65.9 85.1 92.8 93 76.2 34.1 14.9 7.2 7 23.8
Haryana 70.6 93.7 97.2 96.7 75.8 29.4 6.3 2.8 3.3 24.2
Himachal
Pradesh
41.3 75.5 91 89.3 78.7 58.7 24.5 9 10.7 21.3
Karnataka 78.2 66.2 93.9 92.1 74.6 21.8 33.8 6.1 7.9 25.4
Kerala 70.1 61 93.1 80.5 66.4 29.9 39 6.9 19.5 33.6
Madhya Pradesh 73 77.6 92.2 90.3 80.9 27 22.4 7.8 9.7 19.1
Maharashtra 56.9 76.4 89.3 91.2 74.3 43.1 23.6 10.7 8.8 25.7
Odisha 66.6 70.3 79.6 84.7 84.1 33.4 29.7 20.4 15.3 15.9
Punjab 63.1 85.5 98 96.6 72.7 36.9 14.5 2 3.4 27.3
Rajasthan 41.6 72.8 87.3 92.6 80.1 58.4 27.2 12.7 7.4 19.9
Tamil Nadu 64.5 66.5 91.5 84.8 74.6 35.5 33.5 8.5 15.2 25.4
Uttar Pradesh 77.8 75.7 96.1 96 84.1 22.2 24.3 3.9 4 15.9
West Bengal 84.1 75.7 97.3 89.5 70.3 15.9 24.3 2.7 10.5 29.7
Jharkhand 73.6 85 95.5 95.8 84.9 26.4 15 4.5 4.2 15.1
Chhattisgarh 52.4 75.2 65.4 86.3 65.2 47.6 24.8 34.6 13.7 34.8
Uttarakhand 78.8 82.5 99.4 95.2 79.5 21.2 17.5 0.6 4.8 20.5
Delhi 100 92.4 98 88.7 78.9 0 7.6 2 11.3 21.1
Other NE States 64.5 49.7 94.1 70.5 78.1 35.5 50.3 5.9 29.5 21.9
Other states 87.9 82.8 87.9 87.5 76.1 12.1 17.2 12.1 12.5 23.9
INDIA 67.2 75.8 91.6 90 76.5 32.8 24.2 8.4 10 23.5
AFF = Agriculture and Fishing; MFG = Manufacturing; CONS = Construction; TRS = Trade and Repair
Services, and; OTH = Other Occupations

28. 28
Distribution of Male and Female Workers in Different Occupational Groups – Rural Areas of States
State/UT Male Female
AFF MFG CONS TRS OTH AFF MFG CONS TRS OTH
Andhra Pradesh 52.5 50.7 67.3 74.6 76.6 47.5 49.3 32.7 25.4 23.4
Assam 77.2 88.7 91.4 95.9 84.5 22.8 11.3 8.6 4.1 15.5
Bihar 89.1 85 97.4 95.2 91.9 10.9 15 2.6 4.8 8.1
Gujarat 64.8 81.9 81.1 87.7 82.2 35.2 18.1 18.9 12.3 17.8
Haryana 66.7 91 93.2 99.5 89.2 33.3 9 6.8 0.5 10.8
Himachal Pradesh 30.4 87.8 84 87.5 79.6 69.6 12.2 16 12.5 20.4
Karnataka 64.1 67.3 91.7 81.8 82.5 35.9 32.7 8.3 18.2 17.5
Kerala 61.6 56.2 79.6 87.2 70.6 38.4 43.8 20.4 12.8 29.4
Madhya Pradesh 67.2 69.6 76.8 85.6 88.6 32.8 30.4 23.2 14.4 11.4
Maharashtra 54 79.6 82.5 79.8 83 46 20.4 17.5 20.2 17
Odisha 67 55.7 81.5 89.7 80.7 33 44.3 18.5 10.3 19.3
Punjab 59.1 74.2 98.4 92.9 77.4 40.9 25.8 1.6 7.1 22.6
Rajasthan 48.8 82.2 71.2 87.5 83.3 51.2 17.8 28.8 12.5 16.7
Tamil Nadu 61.1 55.1 45.5 71.9 80 38.9 44.9 54.5 28.1 20
Uttar Pradesh 67 76.5 95.9 93.8 84.6 33 23.5 4.1 6.2 15.4
West Bengal 81.2 48.8 91.8 92 79.2 18.8 51.2 8.2 8 20.8
Jharkhand 62.8 73.5 96.2 91.5 87.7 37.2 26.5 3.8 8.5 12.3
Chhattisgarh 53.9 68.5 65.3 77.5 76.1 46.1 31.5 34.7 22.5 23.9
Uttarakhand 39.6 72.7 96.6 92.4 91.3 60.4 27.3 3.4 7.6 8.7
Delhi 100 77.7 100 40.7 87.5 0 22.3 0 59.3 12.5
Other NE States 61.8 49.2 59.1 73.8 77.5 38.2 50.8 40.9 26.2 22.5
Other States 63.8 75.5 81.2 76.6 75.5 36.2 24.5 18.8 23.4 24.5
INDIA 63.9 66.6 82.6 87.9 82.2 36.1 33.4 17.4 12.1 17.8
AFF = Agriculture and Fishing; MFG = Manufacturing; CONS = Construction; TRS = Trade and Repair Services,
and; OTH = Other Occupations

29. 29
State-wise Worker Population Ratio
State/Union Territory Rural Urban
Female Male Female Male
A&N Islands 26.1 59.2 20 60.7
Andhra Pradesh 44.5 60.2 17 55.4
Arunachal Pradesh 27.8 48.3 12.7 45.7
Assam 12.2 54 9 54.2
Bihar 5.3 47.3 4.5 42.1
Chandigarh 4.7 56.7 12.1 54.7
Chhattisgarh 41.5 55.7 24 49.6
D&N Haveli 16.1 48.8 11.5 57.6
Daman & Diu 3.4 69.4 14.8 59.5
Delhi 14.6 49.3 10.4 53
Goa 21 54.7 15.7 51.1
Gujarat 27.8 59.9 13.3 60.3
Haryana 16.2 51.8 9.7 51.4
Himachal Pradesh 52.4 54.1 21.2 60
Jammu & Kashmir 25.5 54.7 11.7 53.9
Jharkhand 19.8 53.3 6.6 48
Karnataka 28.7 61.2 16.3 57.9
Kerala 22.1 56.5 19.1 55.2
Lakshadweep 10.5 54.8 11.6 55
Madhya Pradesh 23.9 56.1 11.5 52
Maharashtra 38.8 57.6 16.6 54.9
Manipur 26.2 51 18.2 45.6
Meghalaya 39.1 52.7 20.2 50.3
Mizoram 39.4 59.1 24.9 48.7
Nagaland 31.2 50.4 14.4 41.2
Odisha 24.6 59.2 15.5 57.9
Puducherry 22.1 51.7 14.7 54.8
Punjab 23.4 56.6 13.6 57
Rajasthan 34.7 49.5 14.1 49
Sikkim 48.7 58 27.3 60.9
Tamil Nadu 37.8 59.5 20.1 58.7
Tripura 22.8 56.2 11.3 52.5
Uttar Pradesh 17.7 49.1 10.2 51.1
Uttarakhand 30.8 45.2 8.6 50.6
West Bengal 18.9 58.6 17.4 60.2
INDIA 24.8 54.3 14.7 54.6

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