Here’s something not many of us know about women in India: their participation in the workforce is low, with merely 15.9% women in formal wage employment.
There are only 21 countries in the world with a worse female labour force participation than India: Afghanistan, sub-Saharan countries, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Samoa, Sao Tome & Principe, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Palestine, & Yemen.
Even some of our neighbouring countries have better female labour participation in their economy!
This is even though more women go to college than men!
Why is that?
Domestic jobs are mostly concentrated in big cities, don’t pay well enough to meet the rising cost of living, growth is slow, barely beating inflation, unless, of course, you are from a top college like an IIM and working with a very big company, Big Four, management consulting, a law firm, etc.
Almost all working women face one of these challenges:
- Long, exhausting commutes that eat up hours of your day.
- Career setbacks after marriage or relocation.
- Constant job changes because of your spouse’s transferable job.
- Discrimination during hiring because you’re married or “might have kids soon”.
- The impossible choice between career growth and maternity.
- Leaving your career to take care of your family.
- Living in a Tier-2/3 city with limited job opportunities.
- Struggling to restart your career after a break.
- Feeling like you have to choose between your family and your ambitions.
- Stuck in low-paying jobs despite having a great education and potential.
It is not possible to fulfil both career and domestic obligations in traditional workspace settings – regardless of whether you have some free time every day and you’re willing to work, because there is an absolute lack of flexible & remote work options.
Most women succumb and make career sacrifices, and are then unable to rejoin work later on for various reasons:
- You are out of touch with current job requirements.
- Your past experience is not taken into account by recruiters.
- Employers are reluctant to onboard you because of your age.
- Well-paying local jobs are unavailable in many locations, or you don’t have time to commute to the office.
Some workplaces are even worse:
Many women prefer to continue working remotely, but are forced back to the office because their bosses are afraid of losing control.
Why should you pay the price for toxic bosses’ lack of confidence in remote work?
What if you could have both: fulfil family commitments & also build a professional career by working remotely?
Fortunately, it does not have to be that way anymore.
What if you can work flexibly as per your convenience, maybe for 3-4 hrs per day, or even for 6-8 hours, as per your own schedule, so that you can take care of personal responsibilities as well as have a flourishing career?
If you’re wondering how to rebuild credibility after a career gap or when starting from scratch, read our guide on how to build trust as a beginner
The New Normal
COVID-19 forced millions of companies worldwide to try remote work overnight. What they discovered changed everything. Employees were more productive, companies saved money, and work got done just as well, sometimes better.
Five years later, the world hasn’t gone back. In fact, 74% of companies plan to permanently shift to more remote work. What was once an emergency solution has become the new normal.
For small businesses, especially, remote hiring isn’t just an option anymore; it’s how they compete. They can’t afford $5,000/month for local talent, but they can hire skilled professionals from India at $1,000-2,000/month and still get excellent work done.
Companies have realized they can access global talent, save costs, and grow faster. This is why WFH is the future of work.
And right now, you’re early enough to take advantage of it.
You can still learn how to escape office cubicles, embrace remote work, work with international employers and clients on your own terms, while your earnings grow faster than ever.
One of the fastest-growing and accessible remote roles for women today is the virtual assistant role. Read more about the top remote role for women working from home.
All you need is some work experience, confidence, and a leap of faith on your part.
We have enabled thousands of people to work remotely already!
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