~ The gaping void in women’s leadership is a lost opportunity to catalyse GDP growth to 8% by 2030
~The 7.7 per cent cumulative increment for Indian women leaders since 2014 is insufficient for a transformative impact
Chennai: EdelGive Foundation, a leading grant-making organisation, released A Study on Pathways to Leadership for Women in Finance and Economics. The report highlights the slow progress in women’s leadership roles in India – only 100 out of 2000 (5%) companies listed on the National Stock Exchange have women CEOs. The launch event included a fireside chat between renowned journalist Faye D’Souza and Shamika Ravi, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, GoI. Along with extensive secondary research, the comprehensive study has included in-depth interviews with 55 women professionals in senior finance roles across industries (e.g., CFO, Head of Audit).
The study presents valuable and highly layered insights from women leaders who have firsthand experience with workplace challenges, illuminating the need for broader support and resources to foster their professional growth.
One such insight of the report from a leader highlights that “While women are far better than men in terms of attention to detail, empathy, and many other aspects of leadership, the only thing they seem to be lacking is strategic thinking. This is because this needs to be built and cannot be acquired through an educational degree. Investments are far and few in between to support women in strategic thinking.”
Notably, the study found that diversity goals in recruitment can sometimes be perceived negatively, suggesting favouritism and undermining women’s competence. Proactive measures by organisations and regulatory bodies are essential to cultivate supportive environments.
