Taj Hotels, India’s largest hotel chain, has announced plans to help women employees across its portfolio.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, companies from around the world are working together to uplift women and create gender quality. And with this in mind, Taj Hotels has announced its plans for a new health and referral program for its female employees.

In a recent press statement, its parent company, Indian Hotels Company Ltd. (IHCL), mentioned that the company has decided to reimburse female employees’ “expenses for family expansion”. The new policy intends to retain and promote female staff in the company.

Taj Hotels plans on paying for expenses which include In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), freezing eggs, embryos and sperm, and artificial insemination. These medical procedures are not usually found in medical insurance packages.

In addition, Taj Hotels will also have an internal incentive program for referring women applicants. The hotel will offer a higher referral amount if the chosen reference happens to be a woman.

Dr PV Murthy, global head of human resources, IHCL said: “We have been consistent in championing the cause for women. The extension of medical benefits and the women referral programme is in line with our commitment to encourage women for diverse roles in the company.”

These plans are aimed to encourage women to find and retain work, despite the huge pressure from their families to leave their jobs to have children. It’s one of the country’s growing challenges and the program looks to help working women when it comes to family planning and finding long-term careers.

Happy women’s day!