A survey conducted by ed-tech company Great Learning revealed that 54 per cent of women believe they have greater opportunities in AI and analytics now versus five years ago.

Great Learning conducted the survey with 2,000 women on their participation and involvement in the data science domain, specifically AI and analytics.

The survey highlights the opportunities that exist for women in these sectors, factors that impact these opportunities and areas to focus on to increase participation of women in the data science sector.

The top five factors cited for this increase in opportunity include positive workplace policies, greater participation of women in the hiring process, favourable recruitment policies, lesser bias and presence of more role-models for women than before.

As per the survey, 27 per cent of respondents believe that equal growth and pay for the same level of experience and education will encourage more women. The lack of these aspects continues to be a roadblock discouraging many qualified and experienced women from entering this domain.

Twenty-four per cent of participants believe that women will be encouraged to enter this domain if they have greater awareness of the roles and the support that organisations now provide in terms of work-life policies, training, and support.

While 17 per cent think that having a mentoring and support ecosystem from school to universities to firms will encourage more women to enter AI and analytics roles. 16 per cent believe that greater access to analytics education and seeing more women in leadership roles willencourage more women to join the industry.

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Cities that offer the most opportunities

Bengaluru tops the chart by providing women immense opportunities in the data science space with 31 per cent respondents selecting it as the city with most opportunities. This is followed by Delhi (NCR) and Mumbai, which are favoured by 10 per cent of the respondents.

As per the survey, the most women in the data science space comes belong to the broad IT/ITES sector, represented by 36 per cent of the participants. This is followed by the technology sector at 16 per cent. Pharma and healthcare, an emerging industry in the data science domain, is represented by 12 per cent of the participants.

The automobile/industrial/infrastructure sector is represented by 9 per cent of the participants.

The respondents were also asked about how they started their career in the AI and analytics domain. Thirty-one per cent of them revealed that they been have cross-trained from a non-technology function or domain while 26 per cent have been upskilled from a related function within IT or technology.

Twenty-three per cent of the respondents were hired or interned in a data science role after their graduation or post-graduation while 11 per cent were mentored by leaders in analytics.

Commenting on the survey results, Hari Krishnan Nair, Co-founder, Great Learning said in an official statement: “Increased participation of women is imperative if India has to become the hub of data science in the world...What is heartening to see is the improved workplace and recruitment policies by corporates that are paving the way for the entry of more women in the sector.”

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