Direct selling, an industry largely known for offering part-time work opportunities for women, has seen an increase in the number of men in its workforce. In India, men account for around 42.4% of personnel in this business.
“Globally, men account for 20% of the workforce in direct selling. In India, this has risen from 37.5% in 2011-12 to 42.4% in 2014-15. Moreover, we are seeing direct selling growing into the interiors with small companies being state or region-specific, which may explain greater numbers of men joining up as direct sellers,” said Rajat Banerji, national head of corporate affairs at Amway, who is also the chairman of the Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA).
The development comes at a time when the number of direct sellers has actually come down. From 43,83,287 in 2013-14, the number of direct sellers has actually come down to to 39,29,105 in 2014-15.
In contrast, share of women in the total number of people employed in direct selling has been shrinking. According to data from the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the share of women in total base of direct sellers stands at 57.6% in 2014-15 as compared to 62.5% in 2011-12, while share of men stands at 42.4% in 2014-15 as against 37.5% in 2011-12
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