NEW DELHI, SEP 6 (PTI): Even as the political blame game continues over the delay in implementing one-third reservation for women in legislatures, experts and policymakers have flagged another glass ceiling– the low representation of women in government-run enterprises.
Latest government data shows women constitute just 9.8 per cent of the workforce in central public sector enterprises (CPSEs), with less than one in 10 women reaching supervisory positions. In comparison, nearly one-fourth of women in the private sector hold managerial positions and about one-third occupy entry-level roles, according to various surveys. The latest Public Enterprises Survey showed that women employees in CPSEs declined to 76,685 in FY 2024-25 from 77,625 in FY 2023-24. Their representation has remained below 10 per cent for several years.
According to the survey, 32.4 per cent of women employees in CPSEs were at the managerial/executive level, 8.7 per cent at the supervisory level and 58.9 per cent in worker categories. Women’s representation at the supervisory level fell to 9 per cent in 2023-24 from 10.08 per cent in 2022-23.
Overall, the female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) stands at little over 34 per cent, down from 40 per cent at the end of FY 2024-25, according to government data. YSR Congress Party MP Dr Gumma Thanuja Rani said the low representation of women in government-owned enterprises was a matter of concern, particularly amid the continuing debate over women’s representation in Parliament and state legislatures.
“Women in this country have waited far too long for a fair chance — for a seat in Parliament and a voice in the workplace,” she told PTI. The government and opposition have blamed each other for the delay in implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Women’s representation in the Lok Sabha has increased from 5 per cent in the first Lok Sabha to 15 per cent in the current Lok Sabha. No state assembly has 20 per cent women representation, with some, such as Himachal Pradesh, having only a single woman legislator. “The real shock is in our own public sector where women are less than 10 per cent, and the number hasn’t moved in over 10 years. And in supervisory roles, it’s even worse,” Rani said.
She said many public enterprises operate in male-dominated sectors such as mining and manufacturing, where rigid shifts, lack of flexible workplace policies and mandatory remote postings without safe housing or schools force women out mid-career. Rani suggested time-bound targets for women’s hiring in every PSU, along with creches, hostels, safe transport and flexible postings, particularly in mining and industrial PSUs. She also called for gender-balanced and transparent selection and promotion boards, paid career re-entry programmes and tax incentives for employers providing flexible hours and childcare support.
Sector-wise data showed uneven representation, with coal, telecommunications and information technology, and defence production among groups employing the highest proportion of women.
Activist Ranjana Kumari said CPSEs had traditionally been male-dominated, with women concentrated at basic entry levels and facing limited opportunities for promotion. She flagged recruitment bias, transfer and posting policies, inadequate childcare and workplace conditions that were not sufficiently gender-sensitive.
Kumari called for industry-based training and identified four key areas for improving women’s participation and retention in formal employment– “formal childcare, safe transport, skill training and social protection”.
Poonam Muttreja, executive director of the Population Foundation of India, said barriers to women’s workforce participation were structural. These included disproportionate caregiving responsibilities, limited male participation in household work, restricted mobility, inadequate access to skills, limited job opportunities close to where women live, safety concerns and poor connectivity.
She said women remained disproportionately concentrated in informal and insecure work, while formal and traditionally male-dominated sectors remained difficult to enter. She called for market-linked skilling, affordable childcare, paid maternity and paternity leave, safe and flexible workplaces, safe transport and fair recruitment and promotion systems.
Dr Seema Bhaskaran, gender expert at Transform Rural India, said patriarchal structures created barriers including limited access to quality and technical education, restricted occupational mobility, financial and emotional dependence on family members and social pressure.
She said lower participation in PSUs partly reflected the sectors in which many CPSEs operate, including mining, coal, petroleum, steel, heavy engineering, power, transport and construction. Gender biases, limited technical education and restricted occupational mobility further constrained women’s entry.
Bhaskaran said male-dominated workplace cultures and recruitment processes could affect women from entry to career progression, making it harder to reach supervisory and leadership positions.
She called for fair promotion opportunities, on-the-job skill development, career enhancement and facilities such as creches, saying meaningful gender equality required equity in recruitment, promotion, skill development and career progression, along with safe workplaces free from sexist remarks, stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination.
Tuesday, September 15, 2026