Naukri announces the second edition of its annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day 2026 report, ‘What Women Professionals Want’, with insights from over 50,000 women across more than 50 industries. The survey highlights shifting priorities, from demands for equal pay audits to biases hindering progress.
Key callouts include a rise in calls for equal pay audits, jumping from 19% to 27% year-over-year and tying with menstrual leave as the top policy ask; leadership encouragement leaping to 83% from 66%, especially in southern metros; and eroding trust in pay parity, with 34% disagreeing—up from 25%—as gaps widen with career advancement.
Key Insights
- Surging Demand for Equal Pay Audits: Equal pay audits tie with menstrual leave at 27%, with demand reaching 48% among those making 50L-1Cr.
- Rising Leadership Ambition Amid Encouragement: 83% feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, up from 66%, with cities like Hyderabad (86%) and industries such as education (87%) showing high levels of encouragement.
- Hiring Bias and Hidden Personal Plans: One in two women hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews due to fear of bias (34%), intensifying with experience from 29% among freshers to 40% for those with 10-15 years.
- Persistent Bias as Top Challenge: 42% cite bias in hiring and promotions as the biggest hurdle for diverse women, up 7 basis points year-over-year, consistent across metros like Chennai (44%) and Delhi NCR (43%).
Sumeet Singh, Group CMO, Info Edge said, “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83% feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report.”
