Shocking gap! Only 7 million women in Indian real estate, as compared with 50 million men

Only 7 million women in India are employed in the real estate sector as compared with 50 million women, a report released by Primus Partners in collaboration with the World Trade Center Association showed. The report shows women’s participation in various sectors and shows, occupations such as nursing, elementary and middle school teaching, social work, counseling, and HR comprised 19 per cent of India’s female workforce in 2021 as compared with the global average of 46 per cent.

Suggestions for change “In real estate specifically, India comprises of 50 million male workers against 7 million female workers. To combat that and offer meaningful solutions, the report highlights the best global practices adopted for enhancing participation in Real Estate and Construction from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, China, and Peru,” the report stated. Some suggestions made by the report include policy changes in the area of improving workplace safety, providing gender sensitivity training, introducing skilling initiatives for women at all levels, and provision of specialised innovation and investment funds to improve the integration of women. It also suggests that women's gender inclusion in government contracts, setting up investment funds for women-led companies in real estate, enabling skilling across all levels, and building an equality policy that mandates female representation intending to disrupt gender stereotypes.

Narrowing gender pay gap The report suggests that women in real estate also face a strong pay gap in labour workforce as well as in technical and leadership roles. “Women in technical roles earn 30-40 per cent lower than men and women in leadership roles in real estate earn 15 per cent lower than men in real estate,” the report states.Lighthouse projects The report says that the Indian government should undertake five Lighthouse Housing Projects developed by an all-women crew that enables women to challenge gender bias and stamp their authority in the industry.  

Following RERA guidelines In the form of a gender quality monitor, the report notes RERA’s proposed measures such as mandating developers:1. To include information on the percentage of women workers working on construction sites2. The presence of required facilities such as proper toilets 3.  Availability of working crèches for all real estate projects in India 

Aarti Harbhajanka, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Primus Partners said, “Women’s contributions to the sector’s growth are invaluable because they are the backbone of the construction workforce and play an integral role. Owing to pre-existing notions, gender-based differential growth trajectories, bias, and exclusivity, the real estate sector remains a deterrent rather than a preferred sector for Indian women.” She added, “Future prospects for the industry will see more women taking on highly demanding roles in sales and marketing, finance, administration, and human resource management. This can be seen in the fundamental changes made to the RERA-established regulatory mechanisms, which have resulted in greater transparency in the real estate and construction sector. As we look to the future, women are increasingly disproving these stereotypes and shattering the glass ceiling.”

Bridging the skill gap  The report states, “The real estate sector has the potential to employ more than 70 million people, however, the current estimate of 83.3 per cent of the more than 50 million total construction workforce remains unskilled. While the industry is on the road to a K-shaped recovery and the country witnessing a development renaissance, the demand for skilled labour is predicted to increase.”

Khair Ull Nissa Sheikh, Board Member, WTCA said, “Real Estate & Construction is India's second largest industry after agriculture, and it contributes significantly to the country's overall GDP. Yet, it remains the least skilled industry for workers, especially women. This disparity is due to the gender bias that exists in Indian society regarding women working on-site. Prominent women's participation in the construction industry is critical not only for achieving higher growth but also for the country's overall social development.” The report adds, “It would be important to enable various programs of the workforce such as carpentry, plumbing, and other more specialized fields, specifically for women, to upskill themselves, and move up the value chain from daily wage labourers to transition into more technically advanced roles.”