When the industrial inclusion score (IIS) is higher than the social inclusion score (SIS) of a city, it is time for the policymakers to step in with measures to improve the social environment.
Avtar’s Viewport 2022: Top Cities for Women in India studies the city inclusion scores for 111 cities—tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3—in India. A composite of the social inclusion score and industrial inclusion score, the city inclusion score covers different parameters in the two pillars.
The industrial inclusion score covers career enablers, inclusive industries, and inclusive organizations. In a dipstick survey of 783 women from across India, the study applied weightage to the SIS and the IIS, with women weighing social inclusion aspects including ease of living, safety, and city amenities at 80% and availability of job opportunities at 20% (transcending this weightage to the Industrial Inclusion Score).
When IIS is higher
The report noted that there were a few cities in the index that had a high ranking based on the Industrial Inclusion Score and a low ranking for the Social Inclusion Score.
This indicates that although there are inclusive industries, organizations, and career enablers operating in the city, social factors like quality of life, women’s safety, women’s representation in the workforce, and women’s empowerment initiatives are curbing the city’s growth.
Time for the administration to take action
Hence, the administrations and authorities in these cities have a pivotal role to play in improving the city’s current state of inclusion for women. Some cities have a vast difference between SIS and IIS that the report noted was worrying. The report also said that the cities with a delta of 10 or more must take stringent measures to ensure the social environment is more women-friendly.
