30% of salaried women in Bengaluru experienced gender bias at workplace: Survey

Survey reveals gender bias and pay gap disparities among salaried women in Bengaluru and across India.

According to a joint survey conducted by CRISIL and DBS Bank India, some 30% of salaried women in Bengaluru experienced gender bias at their workplace, higher than the national average of 16%. The survey, conducted among 800 salaried and self-employed women across ten cities in the country, reported that 14% of salaried women in Hyderabad reported a gender bias.

Also, the perception of the gender gap in pay varied by region. For instance, 43% of salaried women respondents from Delhi reported perceiving it, whereas only 4% did so in Kolkata.

When it comes to negotiating salaries, 77% of women in Chennai said they did not face challenges, compared with 41% in Hyderabad. Some 42% of women across the country faced difficulties while negotiating salaries. Meanwhile, 96% of women in Kolkata faced no obstacles when negotiating salaries, while only 33% in Ahmedabad felt so.

Kishore Poduri, Managing Director and Country Head, HR, DBS Bank India, said, “Encouraging women’s active participation in the workforce is crucial for fostering their economic independence and ensuring autonomy in financial decision-making. Insights gleaned from the study can empower organisations to understand better women’s aspirations and tailor strategies that align with their preferences.”

The survey titled ‘‘Women and Finance’‘ also tracked their leisure behaviour. After Kolkata (55%), women in Mumbai (50%) spend the most time on leisure travel. In the south, 47% of women in Bengaluru have taken more than three leisure trips in the past year, compared with 15% in Hyderabad. Some 38% of them in Delhi have taken more than three leisure trips compared with 30% of women in Ahmedabad.

The findings also corroborate industry views on persistent gender disparities in the workplace, revealing that the perceived gender pay gap at a pan-India level stood at 23% among salaried women, while perceived gender bias stood at 16%.

Semi-affluent women, earning between ₹10 to 25 lakhs annually, and affluent women, with salaries ranging from ₹41 to 55 lakhs per year, have varying perspectives on the gender pay gap. Affluent women reported a higher perception of the gender pay gap at 30%, while this stood at 18% among semi-affluent women.