Lok Sabha Question No. 2219 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Job Loss for Women
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Ritesh Pandey

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO.2219

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.09.2020

## JOB LOSS FOR WOMEN

## 2219.  SHRI RITESH PANDEY:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  take  any  steps  aimed  at  creating  gender parity in unpaid household work which falls disproportionately on women in both rural and urban households, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government is aware that the pandemic has led to a disproportionate number of job losses for women;
- (d) if so, the steps taken or planned to help women get back to work; and
- (e) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (e) : Government gives utmost priority to ensuring gender parity in all spheres of life and  has  taken  several  steps to  ensure  that  women  does  not  face  any  gender  based discrimination.  Some of the steps taken by the Government in this directions and also to facilitate  women  engaged  in  unpaid  care  work  to  engage  in  economic  activities  include providing free LPG Cylinders in the name of women for all BPL Households under Pradhan Mantri  Ujjwala  Yojana,  safe  piped  drinking  water  for  all  households  under  Jal  Jeevan Mission, ensuring electricity connections to all households under Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har  Ghar  Yojana  -  SAUBHAGYA,  construction  of  individual  household  toilets  under Swachh  Bharat  Mission  (SBM),  connecting  villages  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Gram  Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) etc.

Further,  schemes  such  as  Anganwadi  Services,  National  Creche  Scheme  and Working Women's Hostel etc. as well as enactment of 'The Sexual Harassment of Women at  Workplace  (Prevention,  Prohibition  and  Redressal)  Act,  2013',  'Code  on  Wages'  to provide equal remuneration and increasing maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks have also been  undertaken  to promote  women's  participation in  formal  employment.  Gender Budgeting has also been adopted as a tool for gender mainstreaming and putting a gender lens  on  various  stages  of  planning,  budgeting,  implementation,  impact  assessment  and revisiting of policy/programme objectives and allocations.

In the aftermath of COVID- 19 pandamic, Government has taken initiatives for creating jobs at local levels through Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY), Aatmanirbhar Bharat & Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan (PMGKRA). Aatmanirbhar Bharat is based  on  Economy,  Infrastructure,  System,  Vibrant  Demography  and  Demand  to  create jobs for the youth including women.

Under PMGKRA, Government  has taken various initiatives to boost rural infrastructure & rural economy to provide local employment opportunities particularly to the migrant workers including women who have returned to their native places with a resource envelope of Rs.50,000 crore implemented in a mission mode campaign. Government has also launched PM SVANidhi Scheme to facilitate collateral free working capital loan upto Rs.10,000/- of one-year tenure, to approximately, 50 lakh street vendors including women, to resume their businesses.

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