In top manufacturing companies, women employees are a minority, ETHRWorld

Mumbai | Bengaluru: Top Indian manufacturing companies employ fewer than seven women per 100 employees on average despite initiatives that promote workplace gender diversity, data from constituent companies of S&P BSE India Manufacturing Index put together by ET show.

The numbers are worse when analysed for factory jobs, where, on average, women make up just about 5% of the workforce. Women make up just above a tenth of the white-collar workforce at these companies.

Experts attribute this disparity to a myriad of reasons, ranging from unsuitable working conditions for women in manufacturing jobs to cultural barriers and lower preference among female students for core manufacturing jobs.

“Shifts, lack of a systematic method of providing flexible working, and gender discrimination and biases around what careers women can pursue have been some common challenges,” said Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder – President, Avtar Group, a leading diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting firm.

“There is a talent supply issue as well with fewer girls choosing technical courses like mechanical, industrial production, or electrical engineering or diplomas in similar streams,” she said.

Moreover, even…