From a global perspective, it will take around 108 years to close the overall gender gap, and 202 years to bridge the workplace gender divide, an eminent Indian social entrepreneur said.
Dr. Saundarya Rajesh, Social Entrepreneur, Founder and President of AVTAR Group, India presenting her views on the topic “Bridging the Gender Divide: Innovate to Include” at the 2nd International Conference on Future of Women 2019, held in Colombo recently said one of the biggest concerns in the female workforce in the south Asian region is the high dropout rate after maternity leave.
The event was organized by the International Institute of Knowledge Management (TIIKM). In such a context Dr. Rajesh commended Sri Lanka for maintaining a low dropout rate of 5%. She also suggested that Sri Lankan women should push for an increased maternity leave.
In order to bridge this gender divide, she proposed to sensitise the public, build and nurture intentionality, create a culture of allyship and bridge the breaks and so on. Meanwhile, Karthik Ekambaram, Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion Consulting at AVTAR Group, India addressing the gathering at the event under the title, “Invisible Role of Women in Economic Development”, shared his views on the downward glide of female participation in the workforce in both India and Sri Lanka, despite the promising economic growth. According to him, this trend was mainly attributed to cultural hindrances and surprisingly to the increased income levels.
“As a result of the growth in income level of the husbands, women do not feel the urge to take part in the workforce. Therefore, the possibility for the gender gap to increase in the workforce looms large.” he said.
It was also revealed that women work 3-4 times more than men when it comes to domestic functions. He also highlighted the need to provide career enablers for women in the corporate sector as the sector itself is designed to match the needs of men. At the same time he urged women to take part in the formal sector and leadership positions.
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