This Women’s Day, Beenish Shafi, Krithika Poornavel, Tasneem Bandukwala and Ramya Jayaraman, women leaders from e-discovery and information governance software provider, Exterro examine why women struggle to move beyond junior roles, the systemic barriers that push them out of leadership pipelines, and how organizations can drive real, lasting change.
India has made tremendous progress in increasing women's workforce participation over the past few decades. More women than ever before are pursuing higher education, stepping into corporate roles, and making their mark in industries once dominated by men. However, while this shift is encouraging, it does not tell the full story.
The reality is that women are entering the workforce, but they are not climbing the corporate ladder at the same pace as men. Many find themselves stuck in mid-level roles, facing invisible barriers that keep them from advancing into leadership positions.
Despite efforts by businesses to promote gender diversity, the numbers paint a stark picture. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2024, India ranks 142nd out of 146 countries in women’s economic participation. While women constitute 19.2 % of India’s workforce, the global average stands at 46%. Even more concerning, only 18% of senior leadership positions in India are held by women, as per McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2023.
The problem is not just about hiring more women—it is about ensuring they have access to leadership opportunities, equal pay, and the support needed to build long-term careers. If companies truly want to build gender-equal workplaces, they must go beyond hiring initiatives and address the structural challenges that prevent women from reaching leadership.
Beenish Shafi, Krithika Poornavel, Tasneem Bandukwala and Ramya Jayaraman, women leaders from Exterro examine why women struggle to move beyond junior roles, the systemic barriers that push them out of leadership pipelines, and how organizations can drive real, lasting change.
The Barriers: Why Women Struggle to Build Careers in India
While there is often an assumption that women who don’t reach leadership roles choose to prioritize family over work, the reality is more complex. Women’s career struggles are shaped by deeply ingrained workplace biases, social norms, and outdated corporate structures that fail to support their professional growth.
The ‘Work-Life Balance’ Myth: A Systemic Issue, Not a Personal One
One of the biggest misconceptions about women in the workplace is that they struggle to balance their personal and professional lives, while men are assumed to be fully committed to their careers. Women who take maternity leave, request flexible work arrangements, or manage household responsibilities are often perceived as "less ambitious" or "not serious about leadership."
This bias leads to invisible career penalties—women are quietly removed from promotion shortlists, given fewer high-visibility assignments, and often encouraged to take on "lighter roles" that do not lead to leadership positions. A survey conducted by Aon’s ‘Voice of Women Study – India’ (2024) found that 75% of working mothers faced career setbacks due to their caregiving responsibilities, and 37% reported bias after returning from maternity leave.
Beenish Shafi, Marketing Director, Growth for MEA, APAC, and South Asia at Exterro,
highlights how companies that truly support women's careers ensure that flexibility does not come at the cost of growth. “At Exterro, we have a work culture that values impact over physical presence. Flexibility should not mean career stagnation. Companies must ensure that hybrid and part-time roles still lead to leadership opportunities,” she explains.
The Leadership Drop-Off: Why Women Aren’t Moving Up
At the entry level, gender diversity in corporate India appears promising. In sectors like IT and finance, women make up nearly 50% of entry-level employees. But as careers progress, women disappear from leadership pipelines. By the time we look at C-suite positions, only 1% of Indian IT leaders are women, according to NASSCOM’s Women in Tech Report 2023.
This phenomenon—where women remain underrepresented in leadership despite strong representation at lower levels—is often called the "leaky pipeline." A McKinsey Women in the Workplace 2023 study found that for every 100 men promoted to management, only 87 women receive the same opportunity.
Krithika Poornavel, Associate Director, Product Management at Exterro, reflects on how companies can break this pattern. “I’ve had the opportunity to lead large-scale global projects and strategic initiatives at my organization, which has been instrumental in my growth. A strong leadership pipeline for women depends on ensuring they are given the right opportunities at the right time,” she says.
To close the gender gap in leadership, companies must track gender-based promotions, mandate gender diversity in succession planning, and ensure that senior executives actively sponsor high-potential women.
The Gender Pay Gap: The Invisible Career Blocker
Even when women remain in the workforce and advance in their careers, they continue to earn significantly less than men for the same roles. The gender pay gap is not just about salaries—it affects bonuses, stock options, and long-term career earnings.
According to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 report, women in India earn 19% less than men on average. In the technology sector, this gap widens further, with women earning 30% less than men for the same roles, as per Glassdoor’s Gender Pay Gap Report 2023. Shockingly, only 42% of Indian companies conduct pay equity reviews, according to Mercer India Pay Equity Report 2023, meaning that many organizations do not even track wage disparities.
Tasneem Bandukwala, Director of Marketing for Privacy Solutions at Exterro, highlights how ensuring fair pay is less about gender and more about fostering a merit-driven workplace. 'The key to addressing pay disparities is creating a transparent salary structure and promoting individuals based on their skills, contributions, and leadership potential. At Exterro, we focus on a culture where success is defined by performance, not assumptions about one's role in the workforce,' she explains.
To address this, companies must take proactive steps. Pay transparency is key—organizations should publicly disclose salary ranges and ensure pay equity audits are conducted regularly. Additionally, eliminating salary history questions during hiring can prevent pay gaps from carrying forward across a woman’s career.
Career Break Penalties: Why Returning is Harder Than Leaving
Many women leave the workforce due to maternity or caregiving responsibilities—but when they try to return, they often find themselves in lower-level roles or struggling to secure employment altogether.
According to the ILO Report 2023, 50% of Indian women do not return to work after maternity leave. Among those who do, 40% report that their pay or job role changed negatively, as found in Aon India’s 2024 report.
Ramya Jayaraman, Associate Director - Engineering at Exterro, shares how structured returnship efforts can make a difference. "I feared that taking maternity leave would set me back years. But structured returnship efforts by our HR team here helped me transition back into leadership role," she says.
For companies to retain female talent, they must implement returnship programs—structured career reintegration initiatives that help women upskill and transition back into leadership roles. Additionally, performance evaluations should not penalize career breaks, and organizations should provide mentorship and coaching for women re-entering the workforce.
The Way Forward: How Companies Can Drive Lasting Change
Fixing the Leadership Pipeline
A major issue preventing women from advancing is the lack of structured leadership development programs designed for them. Many organizations have diversity hiring goals but fail to create clear pathways for women to move into executive roles.
Ramya Jayaraman highlights how mentorship and sponsorship can make a difference. "Having structured career planning and leadership development programs ensures that talented women are not just retained but actively prepared for senior roles," she says.
To fix this, companies must, Ensure equal representation in leadership succession planning, Provide leadership training programs specifically for women, Mandate senior leaders to sponsor at least one high-potential woman.
Transforming Workplace Culture
A company’s culture plays a critical role in career progression. If workplaces do not actively eliminate bias and create an inclusive environment, women will continue to face barriers in their growth.
Businesses should:
- Ensure hybrid and part-time employees are eligible for leadership roles.
- Implement zero-tolerance policies on gender bias and discrimination.
- Promote men’s involvement in caregiving through equal parental leave policies.
Pay & Promotion Equity
Pay gaps and unfair promotion practices remain one of the biggest obstacles to gender equality in the workplace.
Tasneem Gandhi Bandukwala emphasizes why transparency matters. “Equal pay and fair promotions are non-negotiable in building an inclusive workplace. At Exterro, open conversations about growth, compensation, and recognition ensure that biases don’t go unchecked,” she explains.
To drive change, companies must require publicly reported gender pay audits, implement standardized promotion criteria to eliminate bias, and ensure diverse hiring and promotion panels at every level.
The Economic & Business Case for Gender Equity
A McKinsey Global Institute report estimates that closing the gender gap could add $770 billion to India’s GDP by 2025.
Why is gender equity beneficial for businesses? Research shows that companies with higher gender diversity perform 25% better financially (McKinsey 2023).
More women in leadership leads to stronger innovation, better decision-making, and improved employee retention. Workplaces with gender-inclusive policies report higher employee satisfaction and productivity.
Tasneem Gandhi Bandukwala, puts it best: “When women thrive, businesses thrive.”
Conclusion: Moving from Hiring to Leadership Equity
The true measure of progress is not just hiring more women, but ensuring they have sustainable, long-term careers that lead to leadership roles. The businesses that succeed in closing the gender gap will boost innovation, improve retention, and drive long-term profitability.
The question is no longer whether gender equality is important—it is whether businesses are willing to take real action. Will Indian companies rise to the challenge, or will the leadership gap continue to stall progress?
