Inclusive excellence: Women forge new pathways in the workplace for a brighter future

Amitabh Sagar, the Director of HR, South Asia at Avery Dennison (India) Private Limited, shares insights in conversation with ET Edge on how to support women in the workplace.

We believe that supporting women in the workplace is crucial to promoting gender equality and creating a diverse and inclusive environment. It also helps to break down the gender stereotypes that have historically limited women’s career opportunities and advancement. By creating an environment that values and supports women, we ensure that the best talent is attracted and retained, that diverse perspectives add to business growth, and that a culture of equality and respect is fostered.

Here are some ways to support women in the workplace:

Provide equal opportunities: We ensure that women have access to the same opportunities for career advancement, training, and development as others. We promote gender diversity in leadership positions and ensure that women are included in decision-making processes.

Create a safe and respectful workplace: Implement gender-neutral policies and practices that prohibit harassment, discrimination, and bias. Encourage employees to report incidents and ensure all complaints are taken seriously and investigated.

Address unconscious bias: Provide training to raise awareness of unconscious bias and its impact on women in the workplace. Addressing and correcting these biases can help create a more inclusive workplace.

Provide mentorship and sponsorship: Encourage women’s career growth by providing a platform for them to engage with a larger team at the regional level that can provide guidance, advocacy, and support. 

Pay equity: We ensure that women are paid fairly and equitably for their work. Conduct regular pay audits to identify and address any pay gaps.

Provide mentorship and sponsorship: Encourage women’s career development by offering mentorship and sponsorship programs. Women networking groups for female employees with a larger team at the regional level who can provide guidance, advocacy, and support.

Create employee resource groups: Establish employee resource groups for women that provide support, networking opportunities, and career development resources.

Representation of women in the workplace has brought positive outcomes across the organization and we have experienced that innovation & excellence does not discriminate between genders. Thus, Diversity is not a choice but is actually a business enabler for us. That is deeply ingrained in the way we operate. We thrive on our value of diversity and attain strength from diverse ideas and inclusive teams.

Gender Diversity has enabled the creation of a more welcoming and supportive workplace for women, and as a result, we have been named both the Economic Times’ Best Workplace for Women, as well as a Great Place to Work accredited organization, for the third year in a row.