The study shows that the number of women in the chemical and manufacturing sectors is increasing

According to a new report by the Udaiti Foundation and Quess Corp, the number of women in the chemical and manufacturing sectors has increased significantly over the past four years.

The study, titled ‘From Rhetoric to Action – Creating Gender-Inclusive Workplaces’, was presented at a roundtable event in Bengaluru and highlighted the increase in women’s participation in traditionally male-dominated industries.

Despite this progress, the report also found that career opportunities account for 43% of job departures regardless of gender, with women leaving their jobs at slightly higher rates than men within the crucial first 90 days of employment.

The report, the result of a year-long collaboration between Quess Corp and the Udaiti Foundation, found that while sectors such as banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) have the highest female representation at 26% and consumer services at 24%, the proportion of women among Quess associates remains low at 17%.

The study also highlighted the growing demand for women in the manufacturing sector – 11% of Quess’s workforce in this sector are women, particularly in electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies, where some companies employ up to 90% of women on their production floors.

Pooja Sharma Goyal, CEO, Udaiti Foundation, said: “The roles and representation of women in the workforce management industry have evolved significantly, reflecting broader societal shifts towards gender parity.” She stressed the importance of increasing women’s participation in the labor market to achieve India’s $10 trillion economic ambition.

“By generating data-driven evidence and engaging stakeholders, we aim to achieve significant increases in women’s representation over the next 5 years. We call on industry leaders to join us in our mission to achieve a 50% women’s labor force participation rate (FLFPR) in the coming decade,” Goyal added.

The report also highlights that comprehensive benefit packages, including Provident Fund (PF) and Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) schemes, as well as performance incentives, significantly increase women’s retention rates. Married women on PF benefits are three times more likely to stay in the company, while single women on ESIC benefits are 48% more likely to keep their jobs compared to their counterparts without such benefits.

Family responsibilities and health concerns, including pregnancy, remain the main reasons women leave work, even though better career opportunities are the leading reason for leaving for all genders.

Guruprasad Srinivasan, Executive Director and Group CEO of Quess Corp, reiterated the company’s commitment to closing the gender employment gap, which could significantly increase the country’s GDP.

“We are pleased to see an increase in women’s workforce participation at Quess over the last few years in some sectors, including logistics (35%), FMCG (24%) and manufacturing (11% but growing rapidly). According to government data, women’s labor force participation in urban India is 25.4% in the age group over 15, one of the lowest in the world. Eliminating the gender employment gap can significantly increase the country’s GDP, and Quess is committed to this cause,” Srinivasan said.

“We have worked with our clients and policymakers to employ women across a range of sectors. We have also taken several initiatives such as providing accommodation, basic amenities to support migrant workers and deputing women liaison officers in production units to supervise the welfare of women workers. We have introduced a chatbot that allows you to engage with new employees during the first 90 days to gather insights and identify potential flight risks,” she added.