Best practices for process-based manufacturing companies to improve gender equity

Process-based manufacturing companies can roll out 17 interventions to hire and retain more women

Hiring more women in entry-level roles in process-based manufacturing companies can:

Improve work quality (e.g., fewer errors in products assembled by women, lower rejection rate of products inspected by women)
Improve productivity (e.g., more products packed per hour by women)
Improve work culture (e.g., lower attrition amongst women)

Process-based manufacturing companies have low gender equity in entry-levels today because of company and ecosystem-level challenges:

Mangers perceive it as inappropriate for women to work in male-dominated plants
Managers are reluctant to hire women for roles involving heavy lifting/ working at height (e.g., machine operators)
Managers do not hire women in night shifts because of safety concerns
Leadership places limited priority on gender diversity

Plants, in remote areas or during late hours, lack affordable and safe transport facilities
Some laws make women uncompetitive in labour market (e.g., mandatory pick-up and drop for night shifts, maternity benefits act)
Some state laws restrict women’s participation in hazardous processes such as chemicals and metals
Societal expectations limit women’s enrolment in non- traditional ITI courses required for certain roles (e.g., machine operator, welder)

As of 2025, the gender diversity in process-based manufacturing industry is 18%. Companies can prioritise employing more women in entry-level roles in these areas:

In sectors with >10% gender diversity (e.g., food and beverage, non-metallic minerals):

Perceived easy roles (e.g., packaging, quality) in general shift in North India
Perceived difficult roles (e.g., machine operator) in general shift across locations
All roles in night shift in South and West India

Process-based companies can follow a 3-phased approach to make their operations more gender equitable:

Build the organisation’s capability (1-6 months): Lay the foundation by building basic infrastructure (e.g., washrooms), implementing inclusive hiring practices, establishing dedicated support for women (e.g., woman POC), and sensitising managers on gender biases
Prioritise and implement (6-18 months): Ensure sustained focus by investing in transport support, strengthening hiring, training (e.g., upskilling women workers) and retention practices, and building buy-in via business benefits dissemination
Embed and scale (18-36 months): Institutionalise gender diversity by investing in accommodation and automation, diversifying hiring channels, and embedding accountability via internal diversity KPIs and guidelines for contract manufacturers

Context