Indian design firm Morphogenesis has now become one of the world's first architecture practices to report a gender pay gap in favor of its female employees. Recruitment and promotion policies were created to make a level playing field for all candidates, irrespective of gender, with merit being the sole review criterion. The report reflects the firm's efforts to support long-term career progression for women in a country where they earn just 62 percent of what men earn.
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The company’s gender balance is calculated by identifying the middle earner within the workforce. In a country where women earn just 62 percent of what men earn, the analysis for the current fiscal year revealed a median hourly wage of INR 248 for women against INR 243 for men. “Since inception, we’ve worked hard to put a range of policies and processes in place to enable our women workforce to continue their professional careers. Through our work, we challenge every day, the traditional stereotypes of what women can do," explains Sonali Rastogi, Founding Partner.
With offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, Morphogenesis created FLEX, a company initiative for women empowerment, ensures safety for women working long hours, flexibility in working arrangements for new mothers, extended maternity leaves, and financial assistance. Grocery deliveries, facilitating day-care services, and bringing pets to work are just some of the measures taken to help individuals in their careers while upholding community obligations. As a result, figures of gender diversity are exemplary across all levels of Morphogenesis’ 190-people strong organisational hierarchy – from support services to leadership roles. In turn, women currently head four of the firm's five internal departments.
Sonali Rastogi and Manit Rastogi founded Morphogenesis in 1996, and have completed a range of acclaimed projects. The team most recently won the "National Best Employer Award" from the World HRD Congress, and one of their recently completed projects, YWCA, New Delhi, was made to create residential and academic facilities for underprivileged women. Morphogenesis remains committed to working proactively to break existing barriers and ensure an inclusive and equitable working environment for all employees.
