As demand for tech jobs grows in India, where are all the women in tech?
14 Jun 2023, By Theja Ram - Content Director & Senior Manager Servicing
14 Jun 2023, By Theja Ram - Content Director & Senior Manager Servicing
Participation of women in the labour force has historically been low in India, and while we’ve seen some progress, the gap remains stark. According to recent government data, the urban female labour force participation rate (FLPR) has hovered around 25% – a notable step up from the single digits seen a few years ago, but still lagging far behind rural participation and male counterparts. Women in tech have always been underrepresented and undervalued. Reversing this trend is critical for the tech sector, especially at a time when a vast majority of businesses continue to report difficulties in finding the specific technical talent they need. A clear opportunity lies for radical change and it begins with the understanding of why there are so few women in tech and how adding more women to the workforce is good for business.
Let’s look at the major reasons why there are so few women in tech. Recent workplace studies show that lack of equity in opportunities, lack of role models in the tech field, and subtle or overt harassment at work remain the primary reasons for the underrepresentation of women in tech. And this is not unfounded. In India’s tech ecosystem, men still dominate executive suites, and women hold a fraction of the core business operations, project management, and program management leadership roles.
So how can businesses bridge the gender gap and in turn the skills gap?
Data management, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing are the leading areas of interest to women in tech. Big data, AI integration, and cloud architecture are also top investment areas for IT departments today. Despite this interest, women have historically made up only a tiny sliver of the cloud computing and core infrastructure workforce. At a time when demand for skills in advanced cloud computing and AI is surging, and businesses are taking up massive reskilling exercises, it is important for women to get equal opportunities at the workplace. When offered no room for growth, it becomes difficult for women to continue working in the tech sector.
Hiring more women in the workforce can fill crucial shortages and skills gaps in this field—and it also gives them the opportunities to earn more. On a positive note, current 2026 hiring trends show that women’s share in emerging tech roles has finally climbed to 31%. Doubling down on this movement goes a long way in dispelling scepticism in the workplace and building long-term credibility, which remains an ongoing concern for many women in the industry.
Many businesses have taken measures to employ and retain the women workforce, but a lot is yet to be done to truly put women on the map in the tech industry. Recent market surveys show that women in tech consistently cite inequity in pay, lack of true flexibility in work hours, inadequate family benefits, and bias regarding their technical abilities as top concerns. Businesses in the tech sector, particularly, need to design fair remuneration and benefits policies. When people, policies, and processes focus on creating more opportunities for women to perform and grow, it naturally attracts top-tier talent and significantly increases retention rates.
While the massive talent churn of the post-pandemic years has cooled down- with India’s overall tech attrition rate stabilizing around 13% to 15%—the attrition that does occur among women is still primarily due to a lack of clear paths for upward mobility. For businesses to ensure women in tech don’t leave the workforce, it’s important to create an environment of continuous learning that can help them grow and thrive.
In India, nearly half of women in tech state that advanced training is vital to improve their quality of work, earn more responsibilities, and secure promotions. An overwhelming majority of women actively want to pursue specialized certifications to upskill. It is important that businesses create targeted upskilling or reskilling programs for women employees, which will in turn put them on the path to being in leadership roles.
In fact, most women in leadership roles emphasize that advanced technical skills and team management are crucial for success, yet they often have to work significantly longer to climb the corporate ladder compared to men. While men with 15-20 years of experience frequently anchor executive roles, women historically have had to navigate the corporate ladder for much longer to reach the same positions. Without data-driven, women-centric policies, organisations will not be able to craft mentorship programmes that actually work. Women-centric mentoring and training is critical for them to grow and advance in their careers. Change can only occur when systems, policies, processes, and people are genuinely open to reform.
Through a better understanding and strategic changes in policies and processes, businesses in the tech sector can encourage more women to pursue and advance tech-related careers. What women in tech need are the right opportunities to upskill, build confidence, and reach their personal and professional goals. Without these, bridging the gender gap and skills gap in the tech sector will remain a Herculean task. It’s important that tech companies in India continue addressing the issue aggressively today.
As the demand for equity in opportunities and pay for women is steadily growing, it’s important that your business’ diversity goals and initiatives are acknowledged and encouraged. At Star Squared PR, an organisation with a 90% women workforce, we are well-placed to help tell your organisation’s diversity story through inclusive leadership profiling to help the media truly understand your workplace culture.
