Beyond Representation: Enabling Women’s Workforce Participation Through Policy & Infrastructure
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, India Employer Forum hosted a powerful Manthan on “Beyond Representation,” a conversation that shifted the focus from intent and hiring numbers to what actually enables women to stay, return, and grow at work.
Moderator: Shylaja P
Speakers:
• Sakshi Bajaj
• Sheena Rajan
• Radhika Subramanian
What followed was an honest, experience-led discussion on why women continue to exit the workforce at predictable life stages—and what organizations must change to reverse this trend.
“Representation is not the problem. Retention is.”
Sakshi opened the conversation by calling out the leaky pipeline reality.
“Many organizations are still ticking the box on representation. But careers drop off at marriage, maternity, caregiving and mid-career transitions because flexibility is not normalized and leadership opportunities don’t follow women back.”
She highlighted how unpaid care work, lack of structured return pathways, pay inequity, and hiring bias against career gaps continue to stall women’s progression.
“The leave is protected. The career often isn’t.”
Sheena shared a sharp perspective on how policies are designed for compliance, not lived reality.
“Most workplaces are built on a linear male career model. Women’s careers are cyclical and layered, but organizations still reward constant availability.”
She underlined that attrition often spikes 16–18 months after maternity return, when roles are diluted, expectations remain unchanged, and confidence erodes.
“Cost is not the real barrier. Clarity and accountability are.”
Her key recommendation: make managers accountable for women’s retention, progression, and return-to-work success—not just hiring.
“Managers shape careers more than policies do.”
Radhika emphasized the pivotal role of managers across different career stages—early career, mid-career, and leadership.
“A woman’s career path is not one-size-fits-all. At different stages, she needs reassurance, recalibration, and confidence—not perfection.”
She reframed success as progress over perfection and stressed the importance of psychological safety.
“Women don’t need to be superwomen. They need managers and organizations that act as allies.”
Redefining Careers, Not Fixing Women
A strong collective message emerged: non-linear careers are not a lack of commitment.
“Caretaking, career breaks, and life transitions build leadership maturity. Organizations must shift from time-based evaluation to value-based evaluation.”
The speakers agreed that returnship programs, role recalibration, transparent promotion criteria, and outcome-based flexibility are critical to sustaining women’s careers.
The One Commitment That Matters
When asked what organizations should commit to over the next two years, the consensus was clear:
“Inclusion cannot remain optional. What gets measured gets managed.”
From removing bias in hiring and promotions to embedding retention and progression into managerial KPIs, the panel urged organizations to move from celebrating women to structurally keeping them.
Closing Thought
Women’s participation is not a policy challenge alone—it is a leadership responsibility.
Because inclusion is not an event.
It is a system.
And it must be built to last.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article, including any accompanying data, are the sole responsibility of the author and should not be construed as reflecting the official policy or position of India Employer Forum.
