Breaking Barriers: Women's Journey in Tech Contractual Jobs and the Fight for Equality

Growing Presence of Women in Tech

As of 2024, the entry of women in the tech contractual workforce has reached an impressive 27.98%, a significant leap from 9.51% in 2020. This progress is highlighted in the report titled 'Gender Parity: Shaping Workforce Equity' by TeamLease Digital.

This growth has been largely attributed to:

• Advancements in digital infrastructure
• Increased access to remote work opportunities
• The expansion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives

Challenges Ahead

Despite this positive trend, women continue to encounter significant challenges in terms of career advancement and pay parity. TeamLease Digital's CEO, Neeti Sharma, emphasizes that achieving true gender parity requires ongoing efforts beyond merely hiring more women.

Key Findings

• Leadership Representation: The lack of women in leadership roles and the ongoing gender pay gap highlight the necessity for long-term structural changes within organizations.
• Workforce Participation: In the IT services sector, women's participation has risen to 21.2% in 2024 from 7.8% in 2020, reflecting strides toward more inclusive hiring practices.
• Career Progression: The representation of women in mid-level roles has increased to 8.93% in 2024 from 4.13% in 2020, indicating that barriers to advancement still exist.
• Pay Disparities: The gender pay gap stands at 6% for entry-level positions, increasing to 19% for mid-level roles, and slightly declining to 13% at senior levels.

This report is based on a quantitative analysis of a proprietary dataset of 13,000 associates from TeamLease Digital's tech contractual workforce between 2020 and 2024.