Women's Participation In The Workforce

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During the 31st Foundation Day celebration of the National Commission for Women (NCW), the President of India highlighted that the low participation of women in the workforce has been a major hindrance to the overall development of the country.
The President stated that ‘India is the 5th largest economy in the world and now moving towards the goal of becoming a five trillion dollar economy. A more active role of women would help achieve this goal”.
The President mentioned that women’s empowerment is not just about ensuring social justice but is also important for economic development.
While expressing concern over the uneven gender ratio in many parts of the country, the President said that it is the responsibility of both government and society to change this situation.

Women in Workforce in India:

The participation of women in the workforce in India has remained low.
- In 2019, 21% of women were either working or looking for work, compared to 32% in 2005.
India’s female labour force participation (FLFP) rate is the lowest among the BRICS countries and is also lower than some of its neighbours in South Asia such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
- Increasing FLFP in India is crucial not just to achieve economic growth but also to promote inclusive growth and achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
India's population is among the youngest in the world. In 2020, the median age in India was about 29. Women and girls form a significant part of India’s demographic dividend.
- However, their inability to stay employed or, at times, takes up employment due to economic and social factors at both the household and macro level has been a challenge for the labour market and economy.
More women in rural areas in the labour force Compared to Urban areas.
Gender wage gaps remain in every employment.
The migration of women for employment has increased in recent years.
According to United Nations Women estimates, women make up a significant proportion of all healthcare workers and more than 80% of nurses and midwives.
- Women also form a significant proportion of the workforce in the education sector in India, especially in primary education and early childhood care.
The care service sector, which includes health, education, and other personal care services, is more labour-intensive than sectors such as manufacturing, construction or other service sectors where the employment potential gets affected due to factors such as the introduction of tools, technology and increased mechanization.

Challenges faced by Women Workforce in India:

More women in the rural area in the labour force Compared to Urban areas.
Gender wage gaps remain in every employment.
The double burden on women: Balancing employment and domestic responsibilities (including household chores and caregiving).
Safety concerns, Sexual harassment at workplace.
Migration, Unfair Sex ratio, and Environmental degradation have added to women’s vulnerability.
India is a male-dominated Society in which the Economic, Political, Religious, Social and Cultural institutions are largely controlled by men.
- Control over women’s livelihood Choices and Sexuality has existed and evolved over Centuries through various discriminatory Social Practices and Institutions.
Despite laws, gender-based discrimination against women Continues in Indian Society. Clearly shows the laws and gaps in their implementation.
The structure of judicial remedies is still insufficient to serve the needs of women, Particularly Poor and marginalized women, in accessing justice.
Development Programmes introduced to bring gender equality have produced mixed results.
Legislative Changes have faced resistance in their implementation due to Social, Cultural and religious customs.
There is no comprehensive policy support and there is a lack of effective implementation.
There is a lack of match between the aspirations of more educated women and the quality and availability of jobs. Further, there is a lack of salaried opportunities available for women with moderate levels of education.
Insufficient formal wages and poor job opportunities are other reasons for the decline.
While social norms and family commitments are important issues, factors such as terms of employment, working conditions, mobility limitations, and hiring practices also make things difficult.
Women’s workforce participation is declining in rural India and is low and stagnant in urban India, primarily due to the shrinking of the agriculture sector.
A large proportion of the women who left the labour market are married.
Many women who join the workforce are unable to re-join after having a child.
If women's perceived productivity at home is greater than their returns in the labour market, women are likely to withdraw from the labour force.
Barriers to migration for women, Discrimination, and Sexual Harassment in the Workplace are other factors.
Women’s education has increased significantly over the last two decades, and fertility rates have fallen — both conditions that have historically and elsewhere in the world, contributed to increasing participation of women in the paid labour force, but not so in India.
The Covid-19-induced economic slowdown has exacerbated the gender gap in paid work, while it has intensified the already high burden of domestic labour on women.

Steps taken by Government:

To promote women's empowerment and safety to increase their participation in the workforce, the Government has approved a new and comprehensive Umbrella Scheme for the safety, security and empowerment of women under the name 'Mission Shakti'.
The Mission Shakti includes the components such as;
- National, State and District level Hubs for Empowerment of Women.
- Women Hiplines, One Stop Centres.
- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Sakhi Niwas (Working Women’s Hostels).
- Palna (crèches for children of working women) etc.
The schemes of One Stop Centres and Universalization of Women Helpline are implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to support women facing violence or distress of any kind which may adversely affect their participation in the workforce.
Working Women Hostels for ensuring safe accommodation for women working away from their place of residence.
National Crèche Scheme to provide daycares facilities to children of the age group of 6 months to 6 years of working women who are employed.
The Government, with the aim to provide a safe and secure work environment to women at their workplace and to increase their participation in the workforce, has also enacted ‘the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013’ (SH Act).
- The Act covers all women, irrespective of their age or employment status and protects them from sexual harassment at all workplaces whether public or private, organized or unorganized.
- The Act casts an obligation upon employers to provide a safe and secure working environment free from sexual harassment by constituting Internal Committees (ICs) for workplaces with ten or more workers and by displaying at conspicuous places the penal consequences of sexual harassment and the orders constituting ICs.
- Local Committees (LCs) are to be constituted under the Act in districts to receive complaints in organisations having less than 10 workers or if complaints are against employers themselves.
- Employers are also required to organise workshops and awareness programmes at regular intervals to sensitise the employees about the provisions of this legislation.
To enhance the employability of female workers and ensure economic independence of women through skill development and vocational training, the Government has also introduced the Skill India Mission under which training is provided through a network of women's Industrial Training institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes and Regional Vocational Training Institutes.
The National Skill Development Policy focuses on inclusive skill development, intending to increase women's participation for better economic productivity.
There are schemes like Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana and Stand-up India, for helping women to set up their enterprises.
The Labour Codes, viz. The Code on Wages 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 and the Code on Social Security, 2020, collectively include provisions to promote the participation of women in the workforce in a dignified manner and with adequate safety measures adopted by the employers.

Steps need to be taken:

Need to Integrate Policy of Work, Livelihoods, Earnings and Poverty, Re‐think and Integrate Macroeconomic Policy with Social Policy.
Improve women’s access to Credit, skills, and marketing.
Pay regular wages to Asha workers, Anganwadi teachers and helpers and cooks for mid‐day meals and regularise their employment.
Improve working conditions for women, Investments in childcare facilities and toilets for women at all workplaces.
Sensitisation on issues such as sexual division of labour within the home through large-scale media advertisement.
Implementation of minimum wage laws, Creation of employment opportunities.
Enable universal access to high-quality public health care facilities and support for women's care.
All women workers should have identity cards and be covered under the Unorganised Sector Social Security Act, of 2008.
Secure and uphold women’s ownership rights over basic productive resources like land, and Create equal rights to property.
Universal healthcare with health insurance, Focus on primary health so that private expenses and indebtedness on account of health and hospitalisation can be eliminated.
Better childcare facilities, more maternity leave, Remote working facilities, and Better public transport.
A minimum social security package is available to all citizens that include life insurance, disability insurance, health insurance, and pensions offered through multiple distribution channels.

Suggestions to increase women's workforce

Need to Integrate Policy of Work, Livelihoods, Earnings and Poverty, Re‐think and Integrate Macroeconomic Policy with Social Policy.
Convergence with programs for adult education, literacy, advanced skill training and higher education.
Using tax policies to incentivize women into the labour market on both the demand and supply side.
Communication and Behavioural Change.
Support Services for Entry and Continuation: eg- child care facilities, migration facilities, forums for informal and formal mentorship and connections.
Infrastructure and norms play a crucial role in impeding women's sentry and sustenance in the workforce. The gender-sensitive infrastructure included full-time creches for children, affordable and safe working women's hostels, and basic public provisions such as piped water, hygienic washrooms at public places and safe public transport for enabling women to access decent and dignified livelihood opportunities.
Improve women’s access to Credit, skills, and marketing.
Pay regular wages to Asha workers, Anganwadi teachers and helpers and cooks for mid‐day meals and regularize their employment.
Improve working conditions for women.
Investments in childcare facilities and toilets for women at all workplaces.
Sensitization on issues such as sexual division of labour within the home through large-scale media advertisement.
Implementation of minimum wage laws.
Enable universal access to high-quality public health care facilities and support for women's care.
All women workers should have identity cards and be covered under the Unorganized Sector Social Security Act, of 2008.
Secure and uphold women’s ownership rights over basic productive resources like land - Create equal rights to property.
Focus on primary health so that private expenses and indebtedness on account of health and hospitalization can be eliminated.
A minimum social security package is available to all citizens that include life insurance, disability insurance, health insurance, and pensions offered through multiple distribution channels.
Safer transport and cities, Change at home with an equitable distribution of work traditionally done by women.
Change in Social norms and mindsets towards girls and women can be brought about through institutional initiatives. This involves the family, Community, religious and educational institutions.
Strengthen and ensure implementation of economic and Social Policies for gender equality.