A survey by Naukri.com finds most women professionals believe pay parity exists in their organisations, though many still report hiring bias and reluctance to disclose marriage or maternity plans
A majority of women professionals in India believe that workplaces provide equal pay to men and women, though a significant share still perceives disparities in compensation, according to a report by Naukri.com released on Saturday.
The report, titled “What Women Professionals Want,” is based on a survey of nearly 50,000 women professionals spanning more than 50 industries across the country.
According to the findings, 67 per cent of respondents said pay parity exists in their organisations, while 33 per cent believe that men and women are not compensated equally. The perception of pay disparity was most pronounced in the real estate sector, where 42 per cent of respondents said unequal pay exists. This was followed by FMCG at 38 per cent, pharmaceutical and life sciences at 38 per cent, and the automobile sector at 37 per cent.
Other sectors also reported concerns regarding pay gaps. Around 35 per cent of respondents in retail and hospitality—including hotels and restaurants—said pay parity does not exist. Similarly, 34 per cent of women in IT services and consulting as well as telecom and internet service providers reported the presence of salary disparities. In medical services and hospitals, and the oil and gas sector, 33 per cent of respondents said they believe pay gaps persist.
The report, released ahead of International Women’s Day, also pointed to increasing calls for workplace measures such as equal pay audits and menstrual leave policies. The share of respondents supporting these initiatives rose to 27 per cent from 19 per cent in the previous year.
Support for such measures was strongest among higher-income professionals, with 48 per cent of respondents in the top pay brackets backing these initiatives. The report noted that greater visibility of pay structures at senior levels may contribute to increased awareness of pay disparities.
The survey also highlighted concerns related to bias in the workplace. Nearly half of the respondents said they conceal personal plans, including marriage or maternity, due to concerns about potential discrimination. According to the report, one in two women hesitate to disclose such plans during job interviews, with 34 per cent citing fear of bias as the primary reason.
The hesitation to share personal plans appears to increase with professional experience. While 29 per cent of freshers reported such concerns, the proportion rises to 40 per cent among women with 10–15 years of work experience.
Further, 42 per cent of respondents identified bias in hiring and promotions as the most significant challenge faced by women from diverse backgrounds at the workplace. The figure represents an increase of 7 basis points compared to the previous year. Similar trends were observed across major metropolitan regions, including Chennai (44 per cent) and Delhi-NCR (43 per cent), the report noted.
Despite these challenges, the report indicated growing encouragement for women to take up leadership positions. Around 83 per cent of respondents said they feel motivated to pursue leadership roles, compared with 66 per cent earlier, with professionals in southern cities reporting stronger encouragement.
“Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done,” said Sumeet Singh, Group CMO at Info Edge India.
