MAM
Dentsu Aegis Network launches DAN Women’s Council
MUMBAI: In an attempt to encourage women to reach top positions inside corporate India and to create an environment where they can flourish, Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) has established the DAN Women’s Council. This is for the first time that a council of such stature has been envisaged and crafted by any marketing communications agency in India.
Chaired by Carat India EVP Rajni Menon, the advisory committee will have WATConsult COO Nipun Kapur, Dentsu Media CEO Divya Karani, Dentsu Marcom SVP Sunita Prakash, Dentsu Aegis Network VP – finance Neha Mayekar, Dentsu Media director – HR Dimple Maheshwari, Dentsu Aegis Network EVP – group trading Harsha Joshi, Fountainhead-MKTG AVP – human resources & administration Komal Verma and Dentsu Communications CEO Simi Sabhaney as its key members.
The DAN Women’s Council will primarily focus on helping women reach their highest potential based on merit, facilitate a path for more women occupying leadership positions in the organization, provide an avenue for a structured mentoring process and create an environment which is safe and equal.
“Though at an overall level the DAN numbers are significantly healthier than the industry average, we felt it was time to take a proactive step as leaders of the marketing communications industry to ensure that in a growing network, the environment and policies are conducive to grow the women numbers at all levels,” says Menon.
With a compelling number of woman choose to move out post marriage/child birth due to various circumstantial pressures, the woman workforce at senior positions witness a significant decline when compared to their counterparts in other Asian countries.
If they do choose to join back the workforce post their maternity gap, they tend to lose their seniority. Of course, reasons such as harassment at workplace, lower compensation than their male counterparts and lack of flexibility at workplace also add to the pressure.
“Our women leaders and managers will continue to play a very crucial role in taking us forward as we move ahead to become the No. 2 marketing communications agency group in India by the end of 2017. Today, we are already the leading network when it comes to creating a balanced and uniform work-environment for our women workforce in India. Now, our ambition is to surpass global standards and make DAN the gold standard for encouraging the women talent force. I believe our women managers are second to none,” said Dentsu Aegis Network chairman & CEO South Asia and Posterscope & MKTG – Asia Pacific chairman Ashish Bhasin.
The agency also plans to expand the council to include more women leaders in the future. The council will also work on getting the male perspective through representation within the council. It will conduct gender sensitisation workshops and create options for delivering additional flexibility.
Brands
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.
