New Delhi: Most women work and contribute to the economy in one form or another, much of their work is not documented or accounted for in official statistics and tends to be under-reported but they account for more than half of the unorganized workers registered on the government’s e-shram portal, the government said on Thursday.
Citing the data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, the government said the participation of women in the workforce at the all-India level was below thirty percent. As per the results of the annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted during FY 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20, the estimated Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for women of age 15 years and above on usual status was 22 to 23.3 percent, and 28.7 percent respectively. In response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the government acknowledged the reality that the contribution of women to the economy was under-reported.
Challenge of increasing women participation
In his reply, Labour and Employment minister Bhupender Yadav listed several measures taken by the government to improve women’s participation in the labor force and the quality of their employment. Yadav said several protective provisions have been incorporated into the labor laws for equal opportunity and a congenial work environment for women workers.
For instance, the Code on Social Security, 2020 has the provisions for enhancement in paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, provision for mandatory crèche facility in establishments having 50 or more employees, permitting women workers in the night shifts with adequate safety measures, among other things. Moreover, the Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions (OSH), 2020 has provisions for the employment of women in the aboveground mines including opencast workings that have been allowed between 7 pm and 6 am.
In the case of the below-ground places, working between 6 am and 7 pm in technical, supervisory, and managerial work where continuous presence may not be required has been allowed by the government.
No discrimination
The Code on Wages 2019 bars any discrimination in an establishment among employees on the ground of gender in the payment of wages by the same employer, in respect of the same work or work of similar nature done by any employee. Further, no employer shall make discrimination on the ground of sex while recruiting any employee for the same work or work of similar nature in the conditions of employment, except where the employment of women in such work is prohibited or restricted under any law.
Yadav said in order to enhance the employability of female workers, the Government is providing training to them through a network of Women Industrial Training institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes, and Regional Vocational Training Institutes.
