HerKey, India's leading career engagement platform for women, today shared insights into how job portals for women in India are helping accelerate progress toward gender equality in employment.

India's Employment Gender Gap: Progress With Persistent Challenges
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24 reports that the female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) has risen to 31.7 percent, up from 27.8 percent in the previous year. Women's employment rate has also nearly doubled over the past seven years, reaching 40.3 percent in 2023-24 compared to 22 percent in 2017-18.

These trends point to important progress but reveal that a significant gap remains. Male participation is close to 77 percent, which highlights the depth of inequality. Only 15.9 percent of employed women hold salaried or contracted positions, while the majority remain in informal or self-employed work. Economists estimate that at the current pace, it could take two to three decades for India to close this gap.

"The numbers reflect encouraging growth, but they also make clear how much work lies ahead," said Neha Bagaria, Founder and CEO of HerKey. "Access to opportunities that address women's specific needs can speed up this journey. Digital platforms designed to create women's jobs are a critical part of that solution."

Why Women-Focused Job Portals Matter
Traditional job boards rarely account for the unique challenges faced by women, including caregiving responsibilities, workplace bias, safety concerns, and the demand for flexible work arrangements. Specialized job portals for women in India address these issues directly by:
Providing curated opportunities for different life stages, such as first-time entrants, career returnees, and leadership seekers.

Highlighting flexible and remote roles that help women balance professional and personal responsibilities.
Working with inclusive employers who commit to fair hiring and retention practices.
Offering skill development and mentorship that bridge capability gaps and improve career readiness.
Building supportive communities that enhance confidence and help women stay engaged in their careers.

Bagaria explained, "Platforms like HerKey are designed to be more than listing services. They bring together opportunities, learning, and support to help women participate meaningfully in the workforce."

Sector-Wise Growth and Opportunity
Evidence suggests that sector-specific interventions are creating momentum.
Information Technology and Services: The IT sector has embraced hybrid work models, making it one of the fastest-growing employers of women through portals like HerKey. Flexible arrangements allow more women to enter coding, testing, and data analysis roles.

Healthcare: Women make up a majority of the workforce in nursing and allied healthcare. However, digital health startups are now hiring more women in telemedicine and remote healthcare delivery, creating thousands of new roles accessible through online platforms.

Education and EdTech: Teaching and training remain strong career paths for women. With the expansion of online education, demand for content creators, digital tutors, and instructional designers has grown, and job portals play a key role in connecting women to these opportunities.

Banking and Financial Services: Returnship programs introduced by several banks, in collaboration with women-focused job portals, are helping mid-career women professionals re-enter the workforce after breaks.

These examples demonstrate that when platforms and industries work together, the impact on female employment can be both measurable and sustainable.

HerKey's Role in Shaping the Future of Work
HerKey, formerly JobsForHer, has grown from a recruitment platform into a comprehensive career engagement ecosystem. With more than 5 million registered women, partnerships with over 20,000 companies, and access to 200,000 mentors and experts, HerKey provides women with resources tailored to their career journeys.

The platform serves three broad categories of professionals:
Starters: Women entering the workforce for the first time.
Restarters: Women returning after career breaks.
Risers: Women aiming to move into leadership roles.

HerKey's AI-enabled matching system improves job relevance, while its partnerships encourage companies to design flexible roles, returnship programs, and policies that support long-term inclusion. Beyond job listings, the platform offers training, assessments, events, and mentorship that prepare women for career advancement.

One of the standout features is HerKey's focus on employer engagement. The company actively works with corporates to improve gender representation in hiring pipelines, offer leadership pathways, and invest in diversity programs. This dual focus on candidates and employers ensures that opportunities are not just available but also sustainable.

The Economic Imperative
Improving women's participation in India's workforce has measurable economic benefits. A study by Goldman Sachs estimates that expanding women's access to formal employment could add 1 percentage point to annual GDP growth. The Council on Foreign Relations projects that achieving gender parity in employment could increase India's GDP by $2.9 trillion by 2025.

"When women earn sustainable incomes, the benefits multiply across families and communities," said Bagaria. "The economic data is clear, and platforms like HerKey make it easier for women to connect with opportunities that match their potential."

Looking Ahead
HerKey believes that the next phase of growth requires cooperation between employers, policymakers, and platforms. The company is focusing on several areas:

Partnering with government skilling and employment programs to extend reach.
Introducing employer accreditation models that highlight inclusive organizations.
Expanding access in semi-urban and rural areas with hybrid online-offline models.
Investing in AI-driven job matching and analytics to improve outcomes.
Promoting stories of success to encourage more women to pursue formal careers.

"India's progress depends on women being part of the workforce across industries and levels," Bagaria said. "HerKey is committed to working with all stakeholders to scale opportunities and close the gender gap in employment."

About HerKey
HerKey (formerly JobsForHer) is India's leading career engagement platform for women. Founded by Neha Bagaria, HerKey supports women at every stage of their career journeys through job opportunities, upskilling, mentorship, and community networks. With more than 5 million women, 20,000 corporate partners, and 200,000 mentors and experts, HerKey is building a more inclusive and resilient workforce.
Media Contact

HerKey
Address: Jasma Bhavan Rd, Govinda Chetty Colony, Swamy Shivanandapuram, Vasanth Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560052
Phone: 097410 65202
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.herkey.com