Page 2 - Women

Women just 9% of FMCD workforce despite 30% hiring surge in two years

Even as India's fast-moving consumer durables (FMCD) sector has posted a 30 per cent hiring growth over the past two years, women remain starkly underrepresented, making up just 9 per cent of the workforce, said a report. India's FMCD sector has demonstrated consistent hiring momentum, with a cumulative 30 per cent increase from May 2023 to May 2025, according to a report by CIEL HR titled 'FMCD Sector: Talent Trends and Insights'. The report is based on quantitative analysis, drawing on data from 1,00,000 executives working in India's FMCD sector and 1,005 job postings. It also includes insights from the career sections of FMCD companies operating in India. Despite the sector's strong growth trajectory, the report revealed a huge gender gap, with women making up only 9 per cent of the FMCD workforce, one of the lowest among major sectors. Their representation remains especially low in manufacturing, sales, and technical roles due to long-standing structural barriers, it added. "T

Sebi to offer extra incentives for first-time women investors in MFs

To encourage greater participation of women in mutual funds, markets regulator Sebi is planning to introduce additional incentives for investments by first-time female investors, its chief Tuhin Kanta Pandey said on Friday. "Financial inclusion will remain incomplete unless women are equally represented," Pandey said at an event organised by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi). "...We are thus also envisaging to introduce an additional distribution incentive for investments from first-time women investors," he added. He said that Sebi is taking a series of measures to facilitate and encourage the industry, and one such recent proposal is to incentivise distributors for investments from first-time individual investors in B30 cities (tier 2 and tier 3 cities). The move will not only bring new participants into the fold but also extend the reach of mutual funds into underrepresented regions, contributing to deeper financial inclusion. Also, to provide greater flexibility

Andhra govt to launch free bus travel for women from Aug 15: Minister

Andhra Pradesh Minister K Parthasarathy on Wednesday announced that the state government's flagship free bus travel scheme for women, a key poll promise, will be launched across the state on August 15. The scheme, titled 'Stree Shakti' (Women's Power), is expected to cost Rs 1,942 crore annuallyapproximately Rs 162 crore per monthand aims to empower women by improving access to education, employment, and mobility. "I'm happy to share that free bus travel for women will commence on August 15," said the State Information and Public Relations Minister, adding that the initiative is aimed at empowering women and enhancing their access to opportunities in education, employment, and other sectors. Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Parthasarathy dismissed reports suggesting the scheme would be limited to select districts. "There were reports that the scheme would be restricted to certain areas, but it ha

If AIADMK wins, women house heads will get ₹1,500 monthly aid: Palaniswami

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday announced that he would ensure a monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 to women heads of households, if his party was elected to power in 2026 Assembly poll. Asserting that there was no change in his stance of providing the monthly aid to the women in the state, he said along with this assurance, the AIADMK would fulfill all the requirements of the people. You desired for Rs 1,000 promised by the DMK and made it win the 2021 election and in the process lost a monthly grant of Rs 1,500 promised by the AIADMK then. You will surely get this sum if the AIADMK is voted to power this time, the former Chief Minister said addressing a massive gathering here during his roadshow. The sum would definitely be satisfactory to the underprivileged women and women heads of households, he added. When he urged the people, especially the poor and all those reeling under the series of taxes imposed by the DMK regime, to unite and dislodge the family r

Ladli Behna Yojana monthly aid to be ₹1500 after Diwali: MP CM Yadav

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also said 51 lakh girls have benefited from the Ladli Laxmi Yojana, receiving ₹672 crore in total assistance

Uttar Pradesh woman poisons son, daughter to be on 'honeymoon' with lover

A 24-year-old woman in Rodkali village here allegedly, with the help of her lover, killed two of her children because she considered them to be an obstacle in her love affair, police said on Friday. Muskan, the woman, has been arrested, while the purported lover, Junaid, is on the run, they said. Muskan's two children, son Arhan and daughter Enaya, aged five and one, were found dead Thursday in their home in suspicious circumstances, Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kumar told reporters. "Investigation revealed the mother's involvement in the deaths, and she was taken into custody. During interrogation, she confessed to the crime," said the Officer. Muskan said she found her children to be an obstruction in her starting a new life with her lover, Junaid, so she decided to kill them, Kumar said. "She gave them poison, which caused their death," the officer added. Muskan had been in an illicit relationship with Junaid for a long time. Her husband, Waseem, is currently working

CAIT, Meta initiative to train 25,000 women traders with digital skills

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and Meta have launched an initiative to equip 25,000 women traders across India with digital skills using the WhatsApp Business App. The first phase of 'Vyaapar Sakhi' will run from June to November 2025, offering in-person training sessions in multiple Indian languages. The initiative aims to help women entrepreneurs build a credible online presence, showcase products, set up automated messages, and run ads on WhatsApp. The women's wing of CAIT will lead the training, according to a release. "India is home to millions of women-led businesses, and empowering them is not just the right thing to do; it is critical to unleashing our country's vast entrepreneurial potential. "We believe that giving women across India, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 towns, the right digital skills and knowledge to fully unlock the potential of WhatsApp will not only help them grow their businesses but it will also enable them to better support and benefit

Robotic-assisted surgery steadily transforming gynaecological care: study

A study released to coincide with Women's Health Month, is shedding light on how robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) is steadily transforming gynaecological care across the country. May month is observed as Women's Health Month worldwide, to focus on raising awareness about women's health issues and encouraging women to prioritise their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. "Women's Health Month is a time to reflect on how surgical technology innovations like the da Vinci robotic technology are enhancing healthcare outcomes for women," said Dr Rooma Sinha, Honorary Professor and Chief Gynaecologist at Apollo Health City, Hyderabad, one of the surgeons who oversaw the study. The multi-institutional study, 'Trends in Gynaecological Robotic Surgery in India: A Real-World Scenario', was conducted across five tertiary care hospitals -- Apollo Health City (Hyderabad), PGIMER (Chandigarh), Manipal Hospital (Bengaluru), Narayana Health (Bengaluru), and Tata Memorial Hospital (Mumbai). It

Happy Mother's Day 2025: 100+ wishes, messages and quotes to share

Mother's Day is celebrated every year on May 11, 2025. It is an occasion to express love and gratitude to the special women in our lives, i.e., our mother

Women placement increased 6% point to 32% in last six years: Report

One in three candidates placed by Careernet is a woman, marking the highest representation in six years and a consistent trend over the last two years

Women constitute 64.4% of India's agricultural workforce: Report

Women constitute 64.4 per cent of India's agricultural workforce but only 6-10 per cent are employed in top agri and agri-related companies, according to a new report released on Friday. The report "Women in Agribusiness Opportunities and Challenges" was launched by Godrej Agrovet Ltd in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) and Godrej DEI Lab at its second Women in Agriculture Summit. "At Godrej Agrovet, we believe the future of agribusiness lies in empowering women through education, workplace inclusivity, and leadership development," Godrej Agrovet Managing Director Balram Singh Yadav said in a statement. "Last year, we pledged to support 100,000 women across the agri value chain, and I'm proud to share that we've positively impacted 20,000 women in just one year," he added. The report highlights that women account for 30-40 per cent of the total enrolment in agricultural studies but very few enter formal employment. Vidya Vemireddy, Faculty ..

Mahila Samriddhi Yojana to be implemented after Budget: Delhi BJP chief

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Thursday said the financial aid under the Mahila Samriddhi Yojna will be provided to women in the national capital after the budget is passed in the assembly. Sachdeva, who was responding to AAP's criticism over alleged delay in the scheme's implementation, said it was the Aam Aadmi Party that "misled" women in Delhi and Punjab by failing to deliver on the monthly allowance. "(Arvind) Kejriwal is well aware that the BJP government will ensure proper provisions in the 2025-26 budget to implement the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana. Once this happens, it will become impossible for him to mislead the women of Punjab any further," he said. The Aam Aadmi Party has been targeting the new BJP government over the implementation of the scheme since the latter formed the government in Delhi last month. The Delhi government will table its maiden budget on March 25 during the assembly's five-day budget session. Addressing a press conference earlier in the day,

Financial services adoption increases with more women participation

The survey was conducted across 10,000 agents in the country, recording financial transactions of women consumers

Amazon partners with Youth4Jobs to empower women sellers with disabilities

E-commerce major Amazon India has partnered with Youth4Jobs Foundation to support women sellers with disabilities by providing essential resources, tools, and training to succeed in the digital e-commerce ecosystem. Under the partnership, Amazon Saheli programme will conduct workshops and provide onboarding and account management support for these women sellers, according to a company statement. The alliance aims to bridge the gap between talented women with disabilities and wider market opportunities, and help them leverage the Amazon platform to grow their business online, it said. The women sellers will get hands-on training in digital marketing, performance marketing, product listing optimisation, and advertising solutions to help them establish a robust online business. They will also get access to data-driven insights and metrics to attain a greater understanding of customer behaviour, expectations, and key market trends. "Our collaboration with Youth4Jobs aims to support wo

Women's access to finance: An incomplete story of gender gap in labour mkt

If India wants to be recognised as a developed country by 2047, narrowing gender gap in the labour market is as important as women's access to finance

Italian govt okays draft law to tackle homicides, violence against women

The Italian government approved a draft law that for the first time introduces the legal definition of femicide in the country's criminal law and punishes it with life imprisonment. The move, announced on the eve of Women's International Day on Saturday, aims at tackling a shocking string of homicides and violence targeting women in Italy through strengthening measures against gender-based crimes like stalking and revenge porn. The proposal, agreed on late Friday, still needs to go through parliament and be approved by both chambers to become law. This is an extremely significant bill, which introduces the crime of femicide in our legal system as an autonomous crime, punishing it with life imprisonment, said conservative Premier Giorgia Meloni, who strongly backed the initiative. It introduces aggravating circumstances and increases sentences for crimes including personal mistreatment, stalking, sexual violence and revenge porn, she said in a statement. While the centre-left ...

International Women's Day 2025: 50+ quotes, messages to share on this day

International Women's Day is celebrated every year on March 8 to recognise the achievements and struggles of women across the world

International Women's Day 2025: 100, 200 and 300-word speeches for students

International Women's Day is celebrated every year on March 8. Check out the inspiring speeches and quotes that students can share on this day

Women-led tech startups' funding drops 25% in 2024, says Tracxn report

India ranks third globally after US and UK in funding raised by women-led tech startups

Johansson's 'Narratives' draws attention to the myths around women at work

The introduction gives the impression that this is a West-focused book, but that impre­ssion is quickly dispe­lled as you turn to chapter one, which begins with Indian woman narrating her experience