India's growing economy hasn't turned into higher female workforce participation.
Cultural norms and family expectations often discourage women from working.
Safety concerns, lack of childcare, and long commutes make it hard for women to stay in the workforce.
Education levels among women are rising, but many still drop out of work after marriage or childbirth.
Economic policies haven't adequately supported women's employment.
Purpose: India’s Ministry of Labor and Employment issued an advisory to promote women's workforce participation and ensure a safe, inclusive environment.
Welfare and Safety: Employers encouraged to provide canteens, restrooms, first-aid kits, and night shift safety (including transportation and consent).
Equal Pay: Ensure equal pay for equal work and prevent wage discrimination.
Work Conditions: Follow work hour limits, provide parental leave, and support work-life balance with flexible policies.
Career Growth: Encourage women-run enterprises and gender-neutral recruitment practices.
Training and Support: Offer gender sensitivity training and create working women hubs.
Resource Groups: Establish groups for mentorship and career advancement.
Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
End all forms of discrimination against women and girls.
Eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, including workplace harassment.
Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantee equality, non-discrimination based on sex, and the right to personal freedom.
India ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) – Committed to achieving full gender equality.
Over 150 labor laws restrict women’s workforce participation in India.
24 states have laws limiting women’s participation in factory operations.
11 states prohibit women’s employment at night
Reason: Prevent sexual violence and safeguard women from long working hours.
Some states allow night work in commercial establishments (ex. offices, theaters, hospitals).
Laws prohibit women from working in certain industries, including:
Glass manufacturing
Oil and fat processing
Petroleum
Pesticide and rechargeable battery manufacturing
Reason: Industrial processes are considered dangerous for women.
In 2020, Indian artist Vinita Jha created a painting entitled "Unlimited Responsibilities of Women During COVID-19". The artwork along with a short story narrating it are now a part of Princeton University Graphic Arts Collection. Below is an excerpt from this narration, as well as sections of her painting.
"This corona epidemic changed our society and social life completely. Covid-19 on the one hand wrapped the whole world in its clutches, on the other hand it also provided employment opportunities to the skilled people. Through this real story, I have tried to tell that the participation of women in the Corona-period played an important role and how did they worked very hard from day-to-night-to bring their family’s happiness back. Whether it is from rural environment or urban environment, women of both classes try their best and they become successful, too. This is the story of a rural woman, whose name is Laliya. She is not educated but knows how to deal family, business and relationship well-being, She leaves no stone unturned to pursue higher education for her children, even though she belongs to a poor working class. Before the Corona epidemic and lock-down she would go home and clean the dishes and do the cleaning. But after the arrival of this epidemic, she lost that job/employment and became unemployed. They don’t have enough food to spend their life anymore, because they were daily wage worker in their earlier life. Laliya was in very deep sorrow. Now she started living day and night in deep concern about employment and income, and started thinking what to do now ?? Laliya also has two children Muniya (daughter) and Ugna (son). Due to government order in the pandemic, the school of their children has also started teaching online. Since Laliya has only one smartphone in her house and there are two children, both children have their own separate online classes. There is always an atmosphere of war between brother and sister about this smartphone. And sometimes it happens that if the class of both of the children were online together, then the class of both of them would miss or sometimes the class of one child would be missed. Both Laliya and her husband Bhola are extremely worried about these things and they decided to buy one more smartphone, so that the online class of both their children could be ensured and they could study well. But this dream of Laliya started to look incomplete as they were unable to buy it due to the smartphone being so very expensive. They cannot afford to buy it."
The full video of Vinita Jha, herself, explaining the painting.