International Women's Day 2024: Infosys targets 45% women in workforce by 2030 to bolster women's representation in tech

International Women’s Day 2024: Infosys currently has a 39.3 per cent representation of women in its workforce as of Q3 FY24. However, the company has set an ambitious target of increasing this to 45 per cent by 2030, Aruna C Newton, Vice President and Head of Diversity and Inclusion, ESG Governance & Reporting at Infosys said in an interview to Mint.

It's not just Infosys that has been aiming for better gender diversity among workforce. 

“Corporate India is witnessing a steady increase of women in its workforce. Reports from Great Place to Work show Indian organisations have witnessed a remarkable 26% representation of women within the workforce in 2023, a significant increase from 21% in 2021. A lot of this progress can be attributed to the persistent efforts by India’s workplaces in the last five years – charting roadmaps to improve diversity, flexible workplaces, benefits and a systemic rethinking of the benefits that diverse workplaces bring. A huge testament of this increase can be seen today through the rise of women in the IT sector since the last decade - at 36% today as per Nasscom, said Reena Sofiya, Vice President – Merchandising, Lowe’s India.

Meanwhile, Infosys' Newton also highlighted company’s multi-pronged approach to attracting and retaining female talent in the traditionally male-dominated tech industry and elaborated on several initiatives implemented by the firm.

Edited Excerpts: 

Can you share some specific initiatives or programmes Infosys has implemented to attract and retain female talent?

Addressing the needs of our women workforce across their personal and professional journeys includes interventions to strengthen career intentionality in female students through our engagements on campus, maternity supports and a strong return to work programme – including ‘Mom’s Net’ – exclusive infrastructure for returning moms which have spaces like workstations, lactation rooms and interaction spaces, and ‘iMother App’ that enables women to stay connected, stay relevant and stay inspired during this important stage in their journey.

We have also built several developmental interventions specific to advancing careers and enabling opportunities. Some examples include ‘#IamTheFuture’,  a leadership coaching programme, the Infosys’Orbit Next’ programme for managers, ‘TechCohere’, a programme that focuses on nurturing and building a vibrant and collaborative tech community of engineers, architects, and technologists to refine architecture design and software engineering practices and mentorship interventions. Additionally, we offer flexible work and part-time work options, as well as employee resource groups to build networks of support and inspiration.

What are the biggest challenges Infosys faces in bridging the gender gap in the IT workforce? How is Infosys addressing these challenges?

We take a very thoughtful approach to understanding the headwinds that they come up against, along with the validation and support we can offer to help counter them. For example, we’ve launched the #SpotItToStopIt campaign to create awareness around microaggressions that are the result of unconscious gender bias. These can happen without ill intent, although that doesn’t offset their negative repercussions.

We are dedicated to strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion in the company and committed to achieving our goal of 45 per cent representation of women in our workforce by 2030.

In your opinion, how can a more diverse and inclusive IT workforce benefit the Indian IT industry as a whole?

The talent pool available to the Indian IT industry from campuses is very unique when compared with any other country. It boasts upwards of 40% women, pointing to the huge STEM talent pool available. Tapping into this qualified talent pool and leveraging them effectively will inform business success while boosting national goals.

What impact do you see women in leadership roles having on the innovation and growth of the IT sector?

Technology shifts, Responsible AI, and more call for a deeper understanding of technology and its impacts and opportunities for diverse communities and populations. It stands to reason, then, that these technologies, innovations, and solutions must be created to inculcate diverse perspectives. How can we achieve this if we do not consider a diverse leadership?

Could you share the current percentage of women employees at Infosys?

The percentage of women in the workforce as of Q3 FY24 stood at 39.3%.