In most of the BPOs in rural India, nearly 60% of the employees are women with some having an entirely female staff, reports the Times of India.

While men and women may be equal in terms of skills, there are various reasons for the higher number of women in rural BPOs. It is possible that in rural areas men have more opportunities to move to cities in search of better job opportunities.

In some villages there is a high rate of female literacy, which may also be a cause. Some employers also believe that women are more likely to remain with a company longer than men.

But there is yet another possible reason. Some villages can be rather conservative when it comes to their women mingling with the opposite sex. In such cases, it is often easier for an employer to create an all female office to attract women here.

For women who have few other opportunities in their villages, the self esteem and social status offered by the BPO industry is encouraging. A conscious effort by NGOs and other organizations to empower rural women also may play a role in increasing the number of women in this sector. Some of these BPOs provide flexible working hours for the women so that they have enough time for domestic chores. X