Indian leading industries are enhancing workplaces for women through comprehensive training programs, safety measures, and infrastructure improvements, aiming to increase the e-commerce industry's female workforce by 2024. Despite challenges like social norms and transportation safety, some of the major e-commerce companies like Amazon, Flipkart, and Zomato are introducing night shift programs to implement inclusivity and diversity in their workplaces for women employees ensuring their utmost safety and security.
Industry giants, Flipkart has been already working on this initiative since September 2023 by hiring more than 800 women who are working night shifts at a number of locations for the fulfillment of sortation centers in Haryana whereas Amazon India has launched Women in Night Shifts (WINS) Program last month in a sorting center in Haryana to accelerate economical growth and women's empowerment in India. Both the e-commerce giants have women employees working night shifts all over the nation.
In order to drive this effort, a leading online food delivery company, Zomato plans to implement women working night shifts in the blue-collar workforce. Zomato's Chief Sustainability Officer, Anjalli Ravi Kumar, highlights the opening of the night economy across multiple sectors, with over 2,000 female delivery partners across the country, capitalizing on warehouse business during the late evening deliveries.
At present, women just make up to 10 per cent of the workforce in the e-commerce platform, however, it is expected to increase by 25 per cent by the end of 2024 due to the implementation of several prominent initiatives by the companies. These industry giants are addressing challenges like social norms, transportation, and safety by providing comprehensive training programs including the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, safe transport, physical infrastructure, night canteens, and CCTV monitoring. E-commerce and logistics firms also plan to employ over 500,000 people to generate employment.
