Women are central to all of the SDGs, with many targets specifically recognizing women’s equality and empowerment as both the objective, and as part of the solution. SDG-5 specifically aims to “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”.
Despite several global initiatives, gender inclusivity at the workplace in India is skewed against women. The number of working women in India rose to 20 percent in 2019 but fell to 18 percent in 2020, widening the prevailing gender gap in the Indian workforce, estimated to take 132 years to close fully.
This is due to multiple factors:

• Social beliefs and attitude: The They act as invisible barriers to gender inclusivity in the workplace. For instance, women may not be promoted or lose job opportunities because of preconceived notions about their commitment. They also face sexual harassment and unequal pay.
• Social conditioning: It can cause ‘imposter syndrome’, leading women to self-doubt and accept ‘easier’ roles while moving away from senior leadership positions. Working women often face backlash for being ‘ambitious’, ‘bossy’ or ‘dominating’.
• Notions of honour: The mobility of women is often linked to honour, rather than their earning power or their ability to hold a position in a competitive work arena. Also, the family feels that if women gain financial autonomy, they might lose control over her.
• Patriarchy: In a patriarchal setup, roles are clearly demarcated. A study conducted by the Evidence for Policy Design Initiative at Harvard even found that almost 80% of women in India are unable to leave their homes without the consent of their husbands or elders.
• Double burden: Working women often face the dual burden of carrying out household as well as professional duties. In case of pregnancy and later stage of child rearing, it is more likely that the woman will have to give up her job.

Though laws and judicial pronouncements have been made to address the challenges pertaining to gender inclusivity at work, there is need for socio-legal measures as follows:

• Systems approach: It can help to look at these issues with a multi-stakeholder and institutional framework. A socio-legal lens provides policymakers and administrators insights into the nuances of society and allows more ideas to flow from citizens to policymakers and administrators.
• Considerate work environment and norms: It is vital for workplaces to understand the various facets of women’s lives and treat them with consideration. Promotion of women to senior leadership positions should be encouraged, and criteria for promotion should be made more gender-neutral.
• Strict enforcement of laws: There is a need to enforce existing gender discrimination laws. Governments and legal institutions should ensure that those who violate these laws are held accountable and that victims have access to justice.
• Redressal mechanism: Employers should establish clear policies for reporting and addressing the complaints of gender discrimination. This includes providing safe and confidential avenues for employees to report incidents, etc. to prevent future incidents.
• Inclusive workplace: Employers can promote diversity and inclusion by actively recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce, creating a culture of respect and inclusivity, and providing equal opportunities for career advancement.

While laws provide a foundation for combating gender discrimination, companies and organizations must take proactive steps to create an inclusive workplace that values diversity and promotes gender equality.