A Stalemate: The Road towards Gender Equality in the Indian Software Industry

Abstract

Gender inequality manifests in the form of women getting concentrated in low-paying or low-status jobs. Such inequalities are stark in male-dominated and masculinized professions. Indian software industry constitutes 35% women employees in the industry; however, they are concentrated in entry level jobs. The study explores how the hiring process is creating or reproducing gender (in)equality in the industry. 49 semi-structured interviews were conducted with recruiters, hiring managers and candidates. Content analysis of the interviews indicated that employers are focusing only on recruitment activities to source more female candidates. Although supply of entry-level female successful applicants is high, availability of experienced female candidates is less. Despite such challenges, employers continue with unstructured interviewing, mostly single panel members who ask personal family related questions that may not be job relevant. The study also provides evidence that there is segregation in quality assurance and techno-functional roles that are not equally valued as other profiles.