Women Surge Forward in IT Flexible Roles: A 40% Placement Boost by FY26

Women in the IT and IT-enabled services sector now fill 40% of contractual roles, up by 10 percentage points from FY22 to FY26. The Careernet report highlights predominant roles in finance, accounting, and data science. However, participation at senior levels remains low, indicating retention challenges.

In a significant development, women now account for 40% of placements in contractual roles within the IT and IT-enabled services sector by FY26, according to a report by talent solutions provider Careernet. This marks a 10% increase since FY22, as the workforce model gains traction.

Certain roles are more preferred, with finance and accounting positions leading at 43%, followed by data science and analytics at 34%, and UX/design at 31%. Despite these gains, the consulting sphere lags behind, with only 20% representation, reflecting potential areas for improvement in inclusion.

The geographic distribution of talent shows a concentration in major metro hubs, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune. The report also notes that women's participation is most robust in early to mid-career stages, particularly in those with 5 to 8 years of experience, though declines are seen at senior levels.

(With inputs from agencies.)