Lok Sabha Question No. 346 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-24
Subject: Job Opportunities for Women
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Veena Devi

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 346

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24 TH  JUNE, 2019

## JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN

## 346.   SHRIMATI VEENA DEVI:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the  new  measures  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  increase job opportunities for women;
- (b) whether the Government has set any aim to increase job opportunities in the country; and
- (c)   if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a) to (c): Government has taken several initiatives for employment generation and to improve the employability of youth including women. A new Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has been established to coordinate the skill  development  schemes  across  various  sectors.  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.

A number of protective provisions have been incorporated in various labour laws for creating congenial work environment for women workers.

Further,  Government  has  taken  various  steps  to increase female  labour participation  rate  which  includes  the  enactment  of  the  Maternity  Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 which provides for enhancement in paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks and provisions for mandatory crèche facility in the establishments having 50 or more employees; issue of an advisory to the States under the Factories Act, 1948 for permitting women workers in the night shifts with adequate safety measures; issue of notification under the Mines Act, 1952 permitting deployment of women in above ground mines between 7 PM and 6 AM and during daytime in mines below ground.

The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 provides for payment of equal remuneration to men and women workers for same work or work of similar nature without any discrimination. Further, under the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the wages fixed by the appropriate Government are equally applicable to both male  and  female  workers  and  the  Act  does  not  discriminate  on  the  basis  of gender.

Employment generation coupled with improving employability is the priority of the Government. Government has taken various steps for generating employment  in  the  country  like  encouraging  private  sector  of  economy,  fasttracking various projects involving substantial investment and increasing public expenditure  on  schemes  such  as  Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation Programme  (PMEGP),  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee Scheme  (MGNREGS),  Pt.  Deen  Dayal  Upadhyaya  Grameen  Kaushalya  Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Deendyal Antodaya  Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM).

Pradhan  Mantri  Rojgar  Protsahan  Yojana  (PMRPY)  has  been  launched  by  the Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment  for  incentivising  employers  for  promoting employment  generation.  Under  this  scheme,  Government  is  paying  entire employer's  contribution  (12%  or  as  admissible)  towards  EPF  and  EPS  for  all eligible new employees for all sectors for 3 years.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) has been initiated by Government inter alia, for facilitating self-employment. Under PMMY collateral free loans uptoRs. 10 lakh, are extended to micro/small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to setup or expand their business activities.

Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas  Yojana  (PMKVY)  is  the  flagship  scheme  of  the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The objective of this Skill Certification Scheme is to enable a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing a better livelihood and to meet their employment requirement.

The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  runs  various  programmes  to promote economic empowerment of women including single earning mothers to sustain their family through policies and programmes cutting across sectors.

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