Top Tech Roles Will Be Filled By Women, Jobs in High Demand: AI Ethics Officer, Cybersecurity Analyst: Report

India’s progress in digitalization has been sustained by the increasing share of female employees in the technology sector. However, as of 2024, there are far fewer women (20.5 lakh) in the business than the projected proportion of men, which is 36.1 lakh, according to research. It also states that by 2027, women’s involvement in the IT workforce at all levels is expected to increase by 24.3%.

This is mostly because of the numerous obstacles women face, such as low educational enrolment among young women, a lack of high-quality opportunities, the gender pay gap, safety concerns, societal norms, discriminatory workplace practices, a lack of upskilling and reskilling, as well as returning to work policies, etc., according to TeamLease Digital’s “Women at the Heart of India’s Digital Evolution” report.

It is imperative that there be a consistent rise in the number of women entering or returning to the IT sector. Realizing more female engagement will require addressing the previously listed barriers.

The report delves deeply into a number of topics, including the total number of women working in tech in India, women’s employment in the GCC and in non-tech sectors, trends in the expansion of the female workforce by city, futuristic and in-demand tech roles for women, and obstacles faced by women in tech.

The article also addresses the prospects for women in the computer industry, highlighting a predicted rise in female involvement of 24.3% at all levels, including entry-level/freshmen, junior, mid-senior, leadership, and C-Suite. The report goes into great length on the following details:

The evolving nature of women’s involvement in the labor force:

As our nation works to make use of its greatest working-age population in the world—which is expected to grow to over 70% by 2030—we are also trying to capitalize on its demographic dividend. The low percentage of women in the workforce is something we can no longer tolerate.

According to trends, the next five years will be crucial for the nation to achieve an 8% GDP growth rate, and by 2030, women will need to make up more than half of the newly created workforce. The greatest persistent paradox of recent decades is the gender gap in India’s labor force, which is largely caused by conservative social standards and impacted by supply-side and demand-side factors.

Cracking tech jobs in non-tech industries: shattering obstacles

Regarding encouraging more women to work in technology, a number of changes are anticipated, such as initiatives to close the pay gap, put in place structured role models for STEM professionals, establish open pathways for equal opportunity, and encourage organizations to actively implement return-to-work programs. The research also provides an overview of the situation for tech women working in non-tech fields.

The report’s conclusions indicate that by FY 2025, on average, over 40% of women will be employed in non-tech and tech-related roles within the BFSI, manufacturing, consumer, and retail industries. It is anticipated that there will be 9% more women on average working in tech roles in non-tech organizations.

Based on city-specific data, there is a greater proportion of women (55%) entering the workforce from tier-1 cities than from tier-2 cities. In the next few months, it is anticipated that recruiting for women would mostly focus on Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat. Talent will also be sought in places like Chennai, Pune, Nasik, Coimbatore, Kochi, Aurangabad, and Vadodara. Currently, 43% of all hired female workers are in Tamil Nadu, particularly in the industrial sector.

An inequitable hierarchy:

The Women at the Heart of India’s Digital Evolution research also showed how men and women are represented differently at every level of hierarchy. It was discovered that, at 34%, the freshmen level had the largest number of female students.

With 26% of women in junior jobs (3-5 years of experience), 18% in mid-senior roles (5–15 years of experience), 11% in leadership roles (15–20 years of experience), and only 8% at the C-suite/boardroom level, this number steadily decreases as one moves up the hierarchy. Fewer mentors and role models, a lack of opportunity, and assistance for women who are responsible for providing care are the reasons given for the drop in the number of women in leadership roles.

Promoting variety within the GCCs:

The research by TeamLease Digital also explores women’s employment in Global Capability Centers (GCCs) and offers important insights into the situation. The GCC model is now progressively changing in India from being executive-driven to ownership-driven, with staff members of all ranks having full accountability for a number of corporate operations.

The research outlines an expected increase in the proportion of women in the workforce as the sector continues to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Women now make up 35 percent of the workforce in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with the majority working in IT at 81%, operations at 16%, marketing at 2%, and finance at around 1%. According to the research, there will be a significant increase in the proportion of women working in technology in the GCC, with estimates of 25% to 35% by 2027.

Examining the positions for which women are expected to be in great demand in the future, the research offers some fascinating conclusions. In the next few years, tech positions like Edge Computing Specialist, Blockchain Developer, AI Ethics Officer, AI Researcher, Cybersecurity Analyst, 5G Technology Specialist, Sustainability in Tech Expert, and Smart City Technology Planner will be in high demand.

The paper offers information on how to increase women’s engagement in the workforce and is also solution-focused.

Some of the suggestions made to increase the number of women in the workforce are to support STEM education for girls, adopt gender-sensitive hiring practices, foster inclusive workplace cultures, support networking and mentoring, address the wage gap, improve legal and policy frameworks, and set up accountability mechanisms.

“With only 0.5% of the total female workforce engaged in tech roles in non-tech sectors, there is a pressing need to amplify female participation in this domain,” said Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Digital. Nevertheless, the IT industry is placing a greater emphasis on hiring women, and India has the highest rate of female STEM involvement in the world, at 43%. This will continue to expand this year because of the government’s persistent efforts and women-focused initiatives that encourage more female involvement in technology and provide inclusive maternity and childcare assistance.

Munira Loliwala, AVP of strategy and growth at TeamLease Digital, continued, “While the overall annual growth of women employed in the tech sector is projected to be 5.5% over the next 5 years, more concerted efforts are required from companies, policymakers and governmental initiatives to pave the way for a more equitable and encouraging future for women in India’s digital journey.”