Womennovator and YFLO host roundtable on enhancing female labour force participation ratio

Womennovator, a global incubator for women, in collaboration with Young FICCI Ladies Organisation (YFLO) and supported by UN Women and Startup India organised by GVRIKSH convened a pivotal roundtable on the Female Labor Force Participation Ratio Campaign (FLFPR).

The event, held at Indian National Science Academy (INSA) in New Delhi, saw wide participation from diverse stakeholders, including educators, policymakers, industry leaders, and NGO representatives. Participants engaged in open dialogue, sharing valuable insights, identifying challenges, and proposing actionable strategies to enhance female workforce participation.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of a comprehensive white paper to the Ministry of Education (MoE).

The white paper proposes colleges that actively track and improve the conversion rate of female students from academic achievements to professional careers should receive additional points in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).

Currently, the NIRF parameters include the total number of women in colleges. Our proposal advocates for the MoE to not only track this conversion rate but also to reward colleges for their efforts in enhancing this metric.

Through this campaign, Womennovator has taken the lead in ensuring that colleges start tracking and improving the FLFPR. The initiative focuses on providing mentorship and counselling at the college level to individual women and their families. This support aims to address and overcome social challenges such as marriage and parenthood that often-hinder women's continued participation in the workforce.

The policy recommendations included in the white paper are informed by the collective wisdom of the roundtable participants. These recommendations aim to create an enabling environment that supports women's seamless transition from academic achievements to professional careers.

Tripti Shinghal Somani, Founder of Womennovator, underlined the urgency of addressing the conversion rate of female graduates into the workforce.

She said, “It is time that all colleges and universities start tracking the conversion ratio of women students into the workforce and with the help of Womennovator they can enhance or improve this by providing mentorship and coaching to every woman and their family members.”

“Womennovator's mentor and mentee program plays a crucial role in this mission. The program features more than 1,000 mentors from across states, matching them to mentees, and has already benefited over 300 women. This initiative is driven by the imperative to bridge the gap between women's educational achievements and their workforce participation,” she added.

Dr Payal Kanodia, Chairperson of YFLO Delhi and Trustee of M3M Foundation said, “Enhancing women's workforce participation is not just a matter of social justice, but a strategic imperative for sustainable economic growth. By creating an enabling environment through policy reforms and support systems, we can unlock the full potential of women in India's economy." She highlighted that Womennovator's initiative to encourage colleges to pledge and track the Female Labor Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) is crucial and timely.

This campaign was supported by India National Science Academy (INSA) Community partners included M3M Foundation, Udyam Bharat Manch, Sportzon, and Daily Hunt.