Gender bias is here to stay, at least for quite a foreseeable future. LinkedIn’s Opportunity Index 2021 certifies the same. According to this report, nearly 85 percent of women in India have missed out on a raise or promotion because of their gender, while 89 percent (nine in 10) were impacted negatively due to the pandemic.

The report seeks to understand how people perceive opportunities and the barriers that stand in the way of achieving them. However, this year’s report dives deep to understand how women perceive opportunities and how the gender gap is further slowing down career progress for working women in India amid the pandemic.

The finding shows that India’s working women have to deal with the strongest gender bias across Asia Pacific countries. Sadly, nearly 85 percent of Indian women said they have missed out on a raise, promotion or work offer because of their gender. Surprisingly this is remarkably higher than the region’s average of 60 percent.

Thought not all is as dark as earlier, nearly two-third (66 percent) of the women surveyed said that they are better off than women were a generation ago. However, there is still a long way to go! Even when corporates scream for women empowerment and gender equality, nearly 22 percent of working women feel their companies exhibit a ‘favourable bias’ towards men, compared to the APAC average of 16 percent.

The LinkedIn Opportunity Index 2021 highlights the difference in perception of available opportunities in the market for men and women in India. While 37 percent of India’s working women say they get fewer opportunities than men, only 25 percent of men agree with this. This disparity persists when it comes to equal pay. More women (37 percent) say they get less pay than men, while only 21 percent men share this sentiment.

Lack of time and family care stop seven in 10 Indian women from progressing in their careers. Nearly 71 percent of working women and 77 percent of working mothers say that familial responsibilities often affect their career trajectory. In fact, 63 percent of working women, and 69 percent of working mothers said they have faced discrimination at work because of familial and household responsibilities. Surprisingly, 65 percent of the women surveyed said that lack of guidance through networks is yet another barrier in their career growth.

In India, the top three features when searching a job by both men and women are job security, a job that they love and good work-life balance. But despite having similar goals, more women (63 percent) think a person gender is important to get ahead in life, when compared to men (54 percent).

While job security is critical for working women across India, women lay more emphasis on the type of employer they choose to work with. They also look for the recognition they will receive for the work they do, and on the skills that will be utilized on the job. Nearly 50 percent of working women seek for employers who treat them as equal, while 56 percent are looking to get recognition at work for what they do.

Ruchee Anand, Director, Talent and Learning Solutions, India at LinkedIn, said, “Gender inequality at work and added domestic responsibilities amid the pandemic have collectively made women’s jobs more vulnerable at this time. As COVID-19 continues to widen these gaps, this year’s LinkedIn Opportunity Index report suggests that it is the need of the hour for organizations to reimagine their diversity practices and offer greater flexibility to caregivers, in order to increase female participation in the workforce. Reduced and flexible schedules, more sabbaticals, and new opportunities to upskill and learn are critical offerings that can help organizations attract, hire, and retain more female talent”.