As Women’s History Month comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on the journey we’ve taken over the past five years. In 2020, we asked the big questions — what do women seek at work? Are they finding it? What policies truly make a difference in driving inclusion and equity? Today, in 2025, we return to these questions with renewed urgency, inspired by this year’s Women’s Day theme: #AccelerateAction.
what’s changed for women at work?
Five years ago, the Randstad India Diversity & Inclusion Report “where do lines meet” painted a multi-dimensional picture of workplace realities for women. It highlighted key areas where organizations were making strides—such as maternity benefits and return-to-work programs—but also exposed systemic gaps in leadership representation, career progression, and unconscious bias. To complement these findings and understand the current landscape, we conducted a quick dipstick on LinkedIn, gathering fresh perspectives from professionals across industries.
So, what’s changed now?
women at work: momentum builds, but gaps remain
One of the most significant indicators of progress is the rise in women’s labour force participation in India. According to data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (2023-24), the female labour force participation rate for women aged 15 years and above has climbed from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 41.7% in 2023-24. This steady increase is a powerful indicator of change—more women are entering and staying in the workforce than in recent history.
While this is a promising sign, it also demands that workplaces evolve to support this growth—ensuring policies, leadership development, and culture keep pace with women’s aspirations.
However, participation is just the first step.
The bigger question now is: where are women progressing within their organisations? As more women join the workforce, are they equally represented in decision-making roles? The path from entry-level to executive is where the real test of inclusion lies.
1. leadership: gains, but the glass ceiling holds
There is a growing perception that women’s representation in leadership roles has improved, although the pace is not yet level. While some organizations have successfully implemented structured mentorship and sponsorship programs, many others continue to struggle with closing the leadership gap. About 3 in 5 voices reflected that women are making strides in leadership - but there is still a distance to cover. The sentiment echoes what we saw in 2020: efforts are underway, but results are incremental.
2. flexibility as a career catalyst
The post-COVID era has brought one of the most transformative shifts in workplace dynamics: flexible work. For many women, especially caregivers, the shift to remote and hybrid models has been a game-changer. In fact, flexibility helped them stay in the workforce or rejoin after a break.
That said, flexible work must evolve beyond just remote access—it must include autonomy, trust, and inclusive leadership to ensure women are not left out of high-visibility, high-impact opportunities simply because they’re “out of sight.”
3. career breaks: the return-to-work landscape is changing
Today, there are more structured returnship programs and hybrid models in place. However, challenges persist—women still face the stigma of breaks, limited opportunities for leadership post-return, and inconsistent organisational support. In fact, close to half of respondents indicated that rehiring remains a challenge post-career break, highlighting that meaningful reintegration is still far from universal. A majority observed that conversations around career breaks are evolving - but meaningful support is still a hit or a miss.
4. women in STEM: progress with pockets of challenge
Another area where sentiment remains mixed is STEM representation. While there has been an increase in women taking up roles in technology, engineering, and data science—fueled in part by increased access and online upskilling—the perception remains that significant barriers exist. While entry-level hiring in STEM is improving, leadership roles and retention remain skewed. In our dipstick, only a third of respondents felt there were enough women role models in STEM leadership. Addressing biases in performance evaluation, visibility, and project allocation remains key.
5. diversity policies: from words to action?
Organizations today are more likely to have formal D&I policies in place compared to five years ago. But many employees question the effectiveness of these policies. The gap between intent and impact continues to surface. Around two-thirds said inclusion often looks good on paper but doesn’t always translate into lived experiences. True inclusion requires that these policies are not just well-documented but well-practised, measured, and championed by leadership.
6. AI in inclusion: potential or pitfall?
The increasing role of AI in hiring and promotions has drawn both optimism and caution. It is a growing sentiment that AI has helped reduce bias by offering more objective decision-making frameworks. Automated skill assessments and blind resume screening have become more common, especially in tech and BFSI sectors. In fact, close to half of respondents believe AI can play a key role in eliminating human bias in recruitment and promotion decisions.
However, there’s also a growing recognition that AI is only as unbiased as the data it is trained on. Unless consciously designed, algorithms can reinforce the very inequities they aim to eliminate. Transparency into the determination of AI choices, and human oversight of ultimate choices, are seen as being necessary steps toward fairness.
7. unconscious bias & workplace culture: awareness is growing, but so is fatigue
Since 2020, unconscious bias training has become more common, but its effectiveness is now under scrutiny. Many employees believe that training alone isn’t enough—it needs to be paired with clear metrics, feedback loops, and structural enablers. More than half said awareness about bias has grown - but without real accountability, awareness doesn’t always translate into action.
8. the role of men in inclusion: a work in progress
There’s growing recognition of the role men play in inclusion, but there’s still work to be done in mainstreaming this responsibility. The perception persists that inclusion is a “women’s issue,” whereas it must be a shared value across all teams and leaders. Normalizing male allyship, inclusive team practices, and equitable performance evaluations are areas to strengthen.
what’s next? how do we truly accelerate action?
One thing is clear: progress is happening, but not fast enough. To truly accelerate action, organizations must focus on:
- Reframing career breaks – Viewing them as natural career stages rather than setbacks.
- Moving beyond training – Implementing structured mentorship, sponsorship, and unbiased hiring processes.
- Flexible work as a norm – Ensuring hybrid and remote work options remain permanent enablers of inclusion.
- Using tech responsibly – Designing AI systems that are transparent, fair, and regularly audited for bias.
- Embedding accountability – Making D&I progress a core KPI for leadership, not just an HR function.
- Bridging the intent-action gap – Moving from surface-level initiatives to sustained cultural change.
final thoughts: the future of inclusion in workplaces
As we look ahead to the next five years, the real task is not only to commemorate advancement but to seek more rapid, more profound, and more enduring transformation. Women’s workforce participation is not just a moral imperative—it’s an economic necessity. Companies that take bold action today will be the ones that lead in innovation, retention, and business success tomorrow.
So, we ask once again: Have we accelerated action? And more importantly—what will we do next?
#AccelerateAction #WomensWorkplaceProgress #FlexibleWork #WomenInSTEM #AIForInclusion #DiversityAndInclusion