Empowering Women in FMCG: Breaking Barriers, Shaping Futures

The FMCG generally allows innovation flow through it and knows consumers well enough to know their needs—the consumers who make most household purchasing decisions. A great many of whom are women. However, despite their power, women are broadly underrepresented in the leadership of FMCG companies, especially in India. This post celebrates the successes of women in the industry, reflects on the problems, and examines how organizations are attempting to influence positive change.

Women Powering the FMCG Landscape

According to McKinsey & Company research, companies with a more diverse leadership team outperformed companies with a more homogeneous one. Specifically, a report published in 2020 found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to experience above-average levels of profitability [1]. 

In India, many women are front-runners in FMCG. For example, Namita Desai, CavinKare chairperson, led the company to become a dominant player in the arena of hair care and personal care goods. Another example is Thermax’s former chairperson, Anu Aga, who has transformed the firm into a global leader in power and environmental solutions. These are just a couple of instances; many women are contributing significantly to the expansion of FMCG in various ways.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Challenges Faced by Women

But despite these successes, there are still significant challenges. A study by Grant Thornton from 2022 shows that women hold only 17% of senior leadership positions in Indian FMCG companies [2]. Among the most common issues are:

Unconscious bias: organizational units are convinced that women’s leadership is weaker.

Work-life balance: FMCG roles are high-demanding, making work-life balance hard to obtain.

Lack of mentorship: The number of inspirations for working women in top positions is scarce.

 

Championing Change: Initiatives for Empowering Women

More so, most of these companies realize the benefits of gender diversity. Therefore, they have some solutions to the above-outlined challenges that include the following: 

Mentorship programs: pairing women professionals with more experienced ones could offer the guidance and support needed to develop managerial careers. 

Flexible working arrangements: giving women the opportunity to choose more flexible working hours can help them maintain a work-life equilibrium. 

Unconscious bias training: this type of training can aid employees in recognizing and relating to unconscious bias aspects.

Shaping the Future: Investing in Women's Potential

Therefore, empowering women in FMCG to lead is not a matter of social responsibility. Instead, it is a beneficial business decision. An inclusive culture in which all talents are valued and promoted will allow companies in FMCG to achieve a higher level of innovation and success than ever before. 

Conclusion

Women are the FMCG’s powerhouse. The successes, issues and programs developed to encourage and support women in FMCG can only lead to innovative growth. So let’s celebrate women; let’s clearly define their challenges and support them through the programs.

Data Sources:

[1] McKinsey & Company: Delivering through Diversity (2020) (https://www.mckinsey.com/about-us/diversity/overview)
[2] Grant Thornton Bharat: Women in Business Report India (2022) (https://www.grantthornton.in/press-room/women-in-business-2023/)