Mumbai, Apr 30 (PTI) Women account for 7 per cent of the total workforce in the NSE-listed logistics firms despite contributing to cost savings of up to 12 per cent due to higher efficiency, better attendance, and improved order processing quality, according to a report.

The report by the CII Centre for Women Leadership and NGO The Udaiti Foundation also indicates that safety remains a salient issue for women in the logistics sector, which may affect their participation.

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The Udaiti Foundation aims for increasing India's female labour force participation rate to 50 per cent and doubling the number of women owned enterprises in the country.

According to 'SheMoves Logistics - Driving Diversity & Inclusion in Logistics Report,' leadership diversity drives financial performance, but representational gaps persist even as 44 per cent of companies have at least one woman in key management positions (KMPs), and most firms having one woman on their Board of Directors (BoDs).

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The quantitative insights are based on data from 18 NSE-listed logistics companies and Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reports (BRSR) while qualitative insights are drawn from in-depth interviews with other logistics companies besides the NSE listed companies, as per the report.

"Women constitute 7 per cent of the workforce in the NSE listed firms in the sector, showing a 1 percentage point increase over the last four years. Top performers include AllCargo Logistics (19 per cent), TCI Express and All Cargo Gati (13 per cent each), Container Corporation of India (12 per cent), and Mahindra Logistics (11 per cent )," it said.

Noting that deep-seated structural and cultural factors continue to influence women's participation in logistics, the report said this manifests in challenges such as entrenched gender biases affecting hiring and promotion practices, the exclusion of women from informal networks, and infrastructural gaps like the lack of safe and gender-responsive workplace facilities, including basic amenities such as separate washrooms.

Indicating that safety concerns remain a salient issue for women in the logistics sector, which may affect their participation, the report observed that POSH-related complaints in the sector increased by 37 per cent between 22-23 and 23-24.

Data show that 22 per cent of companies provide daycare benefits to their employees - which could be an important factor in ensuring women, have a higher return-to-work rate, as per the report.

"The logistics sector, valued at USD 215 billion and contributing 13-14 per cent to India's GDP, is set for rapid annual growth of around 10.5 per cent, and major transformations driven by greater investments and policy shifts," said Seema Arora, Deputy Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry.

At this juncture, it holds a unique opportunity to drive inclusive growth at scale, and serve as a replicable model for other sectors, she added.

The report observed that female employees contributed to cost savings of up to 12 per cent due to higher efficiency, better attendance, and improved order processing quality.

It also said that increasing women's representation in the warehouse workforce to 30 per cent could reduce the average cost per worker by 3.6 per cent, driven by their strong work ethic, quality of output, and higher retention rates.

Addressing these challenges, the report recommends implementing robust safety protocols, leveraging digitization and automation, and creating pathways for the recruitment, retention, and leadership development of women.

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