Submitted by: Ananya Sharma
This article was selected for award under UNFPA, Haridev Joshi Journalism and Mass Communication University, Jaipur and Lok Samvad Sansthan media fellowship for capacity building on gender Sensitive Issues Reporting.
Women Hold Up Half the Sky, yet their contributions to the workforce often go unnoticed and undervalued. While women have made significant strides in recent decades, they continue to face discrimination and challenges in the workplace. In developed countries, women are still underrepresented in leadership positions and earn less than men for the same work. In developing countries, women are often relegated to low-paying, informal jobs and have limited access to education and healthcare.
Imagine a world where women’s talents and skills are fully recognized and utilized. A world where women have equal opportunities to thrive in all spheres of life, including the workplace. This is not just a dream but a reality we can achieve together.
Working women in Developed countries
When discussing women in developed countries like America and Canada, what is the first thing we imagine about working women?
Earning equal to men? Getting everyone’s support at work? Living their best life at work?
No! The reality is a lot different.
Let’s hear what the data says…
According to a report by McKinsey and Company of Women in the Workplace 2023, 78% of women who confront microaggressions (indirect, subtle or unintentional discrimination against marginalised group members) shield themselves at work or change their appearance or behaviour to protect themselves.
Many women, for example, code-switch – or tone down what they say or do – to fit in and prevent an adverse reaction at work.
Working women state in India
An average woman in small tribal states like Mizoram, Nagaland and Chhattisgarh is likelier to work than a woman living in urban areas like Delhi. According to the latest data released by the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, women of Mizoram constitute about 59% of the state’s workforce, while in Delhi, the figure is 11.7%.
As per Census 2011, the labour-force participation rate for women is 25.51%, up from 25.63% in 2001. Women in rural areas participate in the labour force at a rate of 30.02%, compared to 15.44% in metropolitan areas.
There are some benefits for women, like The Maternity Benefit Act of 1961, which regulates women's employment in certain establishments for specific periods before and after childbirth and provides maternity benefits. Also, many companies in India provide paid period leaves to women.
Case of Vasantha R v Union of India [(2001)]
According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the protection of women and the restriction of night work are also fundamental to Indian labour legislation. The Factories Act of 1948, the Beedi and Cigar Act of 1966, the Mines Act of 1952, the Shops and Establishment Act of 1953, the Plantation Labour Act of 1951 and the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act of 1979 all contain provisions prohibiting night work.
The problem was the exploitation of working women at night, and the solution was to stop the women from working at night. That’s the solution we got from the authorities. But then we have the country's judiciary, which didn’t disappoint us.
In the case of Vasantha R v Union of India [(2001) I ILLJ 843 Mad] (Vasantha), the High Court of Madras declared the provisions of Section 66(1)(b) of the Factories Act, 1948 (Factories Act) to be unconstitutional because they violated Articles 14,
15, and 16 of the Constitution of India (Constitution).
In light of Vasantha, the Government of Karnataka issued a regulation on November 20, 2019 (regulation) permitting women in industries to work during night shifts (i.e. between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.), notwithstanding the relaxing restriction given by the aforementioned provision.
The Madras High Court laid down certain conditions for the protection of women in case they are required to work beyond 10 PM, which include:
● Protection Against Sexual Harassment
● Separate Transportation Facility.
● Separate Canteen Facility/Restrooms
● Women To Work in Groups, Etc.
The challenges that women face in the workplace are varied and complex, but they often stem from deeply ingrained gender biases and stereotypes. In developed countries, women are still underrepresented in leadership positions and earn less than men for the same work. In developing countries, women are often relegated to low-paying, informal jobs and have limited access to education and healthcare.
As a result of these challenges, women often struggle to achieve financial independence and security. And when there is a talk about ever-evolving feminism from society's point of view.
There is only one thing which remains the same,
“Behind every working woman, there is an enormous pile of unwashed laundry and society wants women to do laundry first as if women are the only one who wears clothes.”