43% ad and media industry professionals say India's gender pay gap exceeds 20%: Nauki

Nearly half of professionals in the advertising and media industry acknowledge that the gender pay gap exceeds 20%, according to a survey conducted by job platform Naukri.

The survey revealed that 43% of respondents believe the pay gap between men and women is more than 20%, while another 20% pegged it between 11–20%. Just one in five professionals felt the gap was as low as 0–5%, underscoring the persistence of wage inequality.

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Performance-led promotions emerged as the most popular solution, with 41% of respondents identifying them as critical to narrowing the divide. Another 27% highlighted the importance of bias-free and transparent hiring processes, 17% pointed to transparent pay structures, and 14% suggested return-to-work programs as key interventions.

Career breaks after childbirth and childcare responsibilities were identified as the biggest contributor to the gender pay gap, with 44% of professionals citing them as the primary driver. Workplace bias against women was flagged by 32% of respondents, while 16% said women’s reluctance to negotiate for raises contributed to the disparity.

According to the job platform, the findings point to an urgent need for systemic reforms in hiring and promotion practices, along with stronger support for women returning to the workforce, to tackle long-standing pay inequities in the sector.

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