Female representation in tech contractual workforce surges to 14 pc in 2024: Report

New Delhi, May 28: Gender representation within India’s contractual tech workforce within non-tech sectors has undergone a complex evolution, finds a report on Wednesday.

The report by TeamLease Digital, a specialised staffing firm in India, showed that in 2020 female representation for tech roles in non-tech sectors stood at a mere 1.90 per cent. However, by 2023 and 2024, this reached 11.8 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively, indicating a slow but encouraging shift in traditionally male-dominated roles.

“The significant rise in female representation in tech roles within non-tech sectors from 1.90 per cent in 2020 to 14 per cent in 2024 reflects a promising shift towards inclusivity. However, persistent gaps in technical skill representation and leadership roles highlight the need for targeted interventions,” said Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Digital.

India Inc.’s journey towards gender parity has seen gradual progress, extending even to traditionally male-dominated technology roles in non-tech sectors.

The comprehensive analysis showed that female representation surged from 9.51 per cent in 2020 to 27.98 per cent in 2024, reflecting growing momentum for diversity in a space long dominated by men.

This shift underscores the increasing recognition of women’s contributions to tech roles across non-tech domains and the growing appreciation for diversity in innovation-driven functions.

Despite the progress, female representation in contractual tech roles remains uneven across non-tech industries.

While sectors such as BFSI (46.88 per cent women) and life sciences and healthcare (29.58 per cent women) have embraced gender parity, others, such as manufacturing and engineering (4.82 per cent women) and energy (6.25 per cent women), lag.

This imbalance is largely attributed to rigid hiring practices, cultural stereotypes, and limited skilling pathways for women in core technical functions.

Another concerning statistic is the low representation of women in senior roles -- a mere 3.35 per cent. Women in mid-level roles comprise 4.07 per cent, while those in entry-level roles make up 3.03 per cent. This signals a major discrepancy as male dominance considerably surges, and women continue to face challenges in ascending to leadership roles.

However, between 2023 and 2024, there has been a noteworthy increase in female representation in mid and senior levels, going from 4.98 per cent in 2023 to 5.14 per cent in 2024 in mid-level roles. Similarly, female representation in senior positions increased from 3.95 per cent in 2023 to 4.86 per cent in 2024, a gradual shift in gender parity, with greater female representation, said the report, based on a quantitative research approach, analysing a proprietary dataset of 13,000 associates.

“Now, it’s time for organisations to encourage equitable resources for women, address industry-specific barriers, and empower women to represent a larger portion of the workforce. By doing so, companies can unlock diverse talent pools, driving innovation and sustainable growth across India’s workforce,” Sharma said.