New Delhi, Dec 13 – The Udaiti Foundation (TUF), a women’s economic empowerment organization, marked a significant milestone with the unveiling of its “Close the Gender Gap” (CGG) data hub at the “Women in India Inc” Summit on Tuesday. The initiative aims to drive transformative changes in gender representation and policies within the formal sector.
The CGG platform compiles longitudinal company-wise data from 2,000 companies based on market capitalization, providing an unparalleled perspective on gender dynamics within private sector organizations. It sheds light on crucial aspects such as women’s representation, leadership roles, and policies.
The data reveals interesting trends, highlighting that larger organizations tend to have more women, but they often face the glass ceiling. On the other hand, smaller firms show higher women representation in leadership. However, concerning women’s leadership on boards, there is still progress to be made. Only 43 percent of organizations report having one mandatory female board member, dropping to a mere 11 percent with more than two female board members.
The unveiling event saw the presence of high-level stakeholders from the corporate sector, including leaders and experts like Naina Lal Kidwai, Jasjit Kang, Manjaree Chowdhary, Pankaj Rai, Sabeena Shaji, Shailja Mehta, and Shalini Puchalapalli.
Notable speaker Padma Shri Naina Lal Kidwai emphasized the need for data-backed evidence and top leadership accountability to drive meaningful outcomes and lasting change in achieving gender equality in corporate India.
Pooja Goyal, CEO of The Udaiti Foundation, highlighted the transformative nature of CGG, stating, “More than a platform, CGG is an invitation to companies, boards, experts, policymakers, and employees to join hands, leveraging our data hub to catalyze commitments and drive meaningful action for gender parity at work. It’s not just a tool; it’s a movement to accelerate progress, foster inclusion, and build a workplace where every individual thrives.”
Accessible through a user-friendly web interface, CGG aspires to provide data-driven insights and practical resources to cultivate a more inclusive workplace environment. It empowers users to seamlessly explore and interact with the data, enabling the generation of sector-wise, year-wise, and comparative reports.
In his summit opening address, Ashish Dhawan, Advisor, The Udaiti Foundation, emphasized the critical role of women’s economic empowerment in national economic growth. He stressed the need to build data-backed evidence to improve the share of quality jobs, advance women’s enterprise, and build gender infrastructure as India stands on the precipice of significant growth.
