Women’s chances of getting leadership positions have improved greatly during the past five years, according to AIMA-KPMG Women Leadership Report 2024. The report finds that 83% of the surveyed organizations had more women in leadership positions in 2024 than five years ago. Also, 49% of the organizations witnessed a fall in the dropout of rate of women from the leadership ranks.
However, the report finds that only 50% of women leaders enjoy pay parity with male peers. More than a quarter of them believe that they get paid less than their male counterparts and about 15% sense bias in their pay. The rest 10% lack the information to be sure.
The AIMA-KPMG report measures representation of women in leadership positions across industries in India and provides insights on corporate practices to promote women leaders. It looks at the current status of women’s presence in leadership roles, their leadership aspirations and barriers, their leadership training, and the leadership opportunities available to them.
Talking about the report, AIMA President, Mr Nikhil Sawhney, said, “We at AIMA believe that the findings of this study will serve as a valuable resource for organizations, policymakers, and aspiring women leaders alike. It provides a roadmap for fostering a more inclusive environment where women can thrive and contribute their leadership abilities to the betterment of Indian businesses and society.”
Mr Yezdi Nagporewalla, CEO, KPMG in India, remarked that by implementing tailored leadership development programs, fostering mentorship and sponsorship relationships, providing platforms for networking and visibility, and promoting a culture of continuous learning, organizations can empower women leaders to reach their full potential.
The report is an initiative of AIMA's Women Council, which is chaired by Ms Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. She believes that the study will charts a course for achieving gender parity in leadership by outlining effective strategies for empowering women, dismantling barriers, and nurturing an environment where female talent can flourish.
The key findings of the AIMA-KPMG Women Leadership Report are:
• 56% of the surveyed organizations have just 10%-30% women in leadership roles, while,
• 9% organizations no woman in leadership roles
• In 23% organizations, the proportion of women in leadership position is 30%-50%
• 12% organizations have more than 50% women in leadership roles
• 51% organization have women at CXO positions
• 83% organizations have seen an increase in women leaders in the past five years
• 77% organizations see less than 30% of all the women hires at the entry level position attain the leadership position in the organization
• 49% organizations have experienced a decrease in the dropout rate of women during the past five years
The report also takes stock of the barriers on women’s way to the top. It finds that family and caregiving responsibility is the biggest reason for women failing to fulfil their aspiration of getting a leadership role. Bias and stereotyping come next followed by lack of network and mentorship.
The report measures the satisfaction of women leaders with the gender inclusion intervention and leadership development programmes run by Indian organizations. It finds that while 63% of the respondents are satisfied by their organization’s interventions for women’s representation in leadership roles, 58% feel that the leadership development programmes do not address the challenges faced by women.
Mr TV Narendran, Vice President, AIMA & CEO & Managing Director, Tata Steel Ltd underscored the role of mentorship and role models for greater participation of women in leadership roles. “Mentorship provides invaluable guidance and support, offering career advice, insights into navigating corporate politics, and a vital sounding board for women leaders. Role models serve as powerful inspiration, demonstrating that success is achievable for women in leadership,”
Commenting on the importance of increasing women's participation in top management, Ms Rekha Sethi, Director General, AIMA said, “By creating opportunities for women to lead and succeed, companies nurture a culture of equality and excellence that benefits everyone.”
The report makes several recommendations to improve women’s participation in leadership in Indian organizations. These include:
• Design leadership development programs that address specific needs of women, such as work-life balance, confidence building, and overcoming gender-related stereotypes.
• Conduct regular reviews and audits of the leadership evaluation mechanism to ensure transparency and fairness of the process and address any discrepancies and biases.
• Senior leaders should actively promote women representation in leadership positions
The respondents included 24% CEOs, 42% senior executives, 23% middle managers, 5% junior managers and 7% respondents came from outside hierarchical systems. Men were included in the survey and they were 32% of the respondents.
The respondents for the survey were taken from organizations of different ownership types, revenue and headcount size, and business areas. The majority were from large organizations - 46% from organizations with headcount of more than 1,000 and 38% from organizations with revenue of more than Rs 600 crore. Forty-two per cent of the respondents were from manufacturing, technology, finance and professional services.
AIMA intends to make the women’s leadership report a regular exercise so that it provides markers of progress in women’s status and role in corporate India.
Quick 
Submit Enquiry