LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, has launched the Opportunity Index 2021 report which has found that around 85% of women in India have missed out on raises and promotions because of their gender.

This year’s report dives deep to understand how women perceive opportunities, and how the gender gap is further slowing down career progress for working women in India amid the pandemic. LinkedIn’s findings show that 9 in 10 (89%) women state they were negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fight for equal pay and opportunity continues

The report shows that even though 66% of people in India feel that gender equality has improved compared to their parents’ age, India’s working women still contend the strongest gender bias across Asia Pacific countries.

When asked about their reasons for being unhappy with opportunities to advance in their careers, 1 in 5 (22%) working women in India said their companies exhibit a ‘favourable bias’ towards men at work, when compared to the regional average of 16%.

The LinkedIn Opportunity Index 2021 highlights the difference in perception of available opportunities in the market for men and women in India.

While 37% of India’s working women say they get fewer opportunities than men, only 25% of men agree with this. This disparity in perception is also seen in conversations about equal pay, as more women (37%) say they get less pay than men, while only 21% men share this sentiment.

A deeper analysis shows that more women in India have experienced the impact of gender on career development when compared to the APAC region.

In India, more than 4 in 5 working women (85%) claim to have missed out on a raise, promotion, or work offer because of their gender, compared to the regional average of 60%.

Lack of time and family care stop 7 in 10 Indian women from career progression

In India, the top three job opportunities sought by both men and women are job security, a job that they love, and good work-life balance. But despite having similar goals, more women (63%) think a person’s gender is important to get ahead in life, when compared to men (54%).

Consumer sentiment from the report shows that more than 7 in 10 working women (71%) and working mothers (77%) feel that managing familial responsibilities often comes in their way of career development.

In fact, about two-thirds of working women (63%) and working mothers (69%) said they have faced discrimination at work because of familial and household responsibilities.

While job security is critical for working women across India, women are laying more emphasis on the type of employer they choose to work with, the recognition they will receive for the work they do, and on the skills that will be utilised on the job.

As per LinkedIn’s findings, they are actively seeking employers who treat them as equal (50%), while 56% are looking to get recognition at work for what they do.

Lack of required professional skills, and a lack of guidance through networks and connections are also some of the other barriers that get in the way of career development for working women in India.