From being typecast as just homemakers to holding top managerial positions, women in Gujarat have come of age. The Union Government has released a progress report on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) stating that Gujarat has the highest proportion of women working in managerial positions for every 1,000 people.
According to a news report, there has been an eight-point jump in women working in managerial positions in 2021-22 compared to the figures in 2019-20 when 15.5 women were in managerial positions for every 1,000 people.
The number rose by eight points to 23.5 in 2021-22, the report claimed, adding that smaller states such as Himachal, and Sikkim have a higher proportion of women in managerial positions.
“The hallmark of the service sector is creativity and domain knowledge, and women are increasingly taking up these tasks efficiently,” Chintan Thaker, chairman of Assocham Gujarat State Council, told the media outlet. He felt women’s increase in managerial positions could be attributed to the growth of the IT sector, textiles industries and service sector, which created more opportunities in the higher echelons.
Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) president Pathik Patwari was quoted as saying, “Gujarat offers safety to women, and this is also a core reason for more women entering services and manufacturing at managerial positions. Companies also prefer women employees because they bring greater stability with lower attrition rates compared to men. Women employees have better job commitment levels as well.”
Complimenting the government and private sectors for this trend, social entrepreneur Ruzan Khambatta said that women also deserved equal remuneration as their male counterparts.
