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‘#ConnectedSheCan’ with Voda on International Day
MUMBAI: Armed with a key focus of building a diverse and inclusive work culture, Vodafone India will celebrate the International Women’s Day with a week-long series of exciting events lined up from 6- 10 March, 2017. The theme #ConnectedSheCan is aimed to bring a positive change to the lives of millions of women worldwide by enabling financial inclusion, improving health and wellbeing and building skills and entrepreneurship abilities in them.
Over the years, Vodafone India has consciously worked to build an inclusive work environment and acknowledge the role that women play within the organization and society at large. It has also focused on increasing the representation of women in its 13,000+ strong countrywide workforce.
Expressing his views on the organization’s future ambitions for women empowerment, Suvamoy Roy, Director – Human Resources, Vodafone India said, “We are an equal opportunity employer. Our diversity journey is built on the foundation of creating an ecosystem that is attractive to women professionals and enables them to succeed at the workplace. We are delighted to host a series of engaging initiatives as a part of #ConnectedSheCan to celebrate our women colleagues and their contribution to the workplace during this week.”
Vodafone India’s Diversity Journey: Quick Overview
• Discover Graduates hires: over 50% women hires vs. 38% in 2013. In 2016, we have on-boarded 120 students through this programme. Out of the total, 52% are women hires.
• The gender ratio at our mid to senior level management positions is at about 16% (135 women out of 836 senior management positions) up from 10% in 2013.
• Vodafone India currently operators 40 Angel Stores (women only stores) across India
BOLTRED is Vodafone India’s flagship program – aimed at offering an accelerated leadership development journey for high potential women, who undergo 10-months of training based on three primary pillars – Functional and Business Acumen, Leadership and Change and most importantly Personal Impact.
RECONNECT
Vodafone India aims to become the best employer for women, supporting them at the workplace in every stage of their lives.
CONNECTING WOMEN – Aiming to connect 50 million women by 2025
1. Vodafone India has introduced ‘Vodafone Sakhi’, a unique proposition empowering women in rural India. ‘Vodafone Sakhi’ allows women to make a Private Recharge through an OTP code, without mobile number sharing.
2. Smart Snehidi programme is India’s first targeted women centric proposition under the global ‘Vodafone mWomen’ initiative. The objective of the programme is to digitize rural women by overcoming their barriers to Internet usage to enhance their livelihoods. Launched in November 2016, 1000 ‘Snehidis’ have been enrolled across 3 districts in Tamil Nadu.
WOMEN OF PURE WONDER
Vodafone is committed to helping women compete on an equal footing across India. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Vodafone Foundation will release the 4th edition of its Women of Pure Wonder book that further reinforces this vision.
INTERNAL ENGAGEMENTS
A series of exciting events have been planned for Vodafone’s women employees, with multiple training sessions and inspiring discussions with renowned women speakers across the globe.
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33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
