Lok Sabha Question No. 1873 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-14
Subject: Women Participation in Workforce
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam, Sunita Duggal, Janardan Singh Sigriwal

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1873 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14 TH  MARCH, 2022

## WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN WORKFORCE

1873.   SHRIMATI POONAMBEN MAADAM: SHRIMATI SUNITA DUGGAL: SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  analysed  data  on  participation  of  women  in workforce in the Country in during the last year and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is taking steps to increase women's participation in workforce and if so, the details of action taken;
- (c) the number of women employee in the country against the male employees and the participation of women employee in the Country's GDP;
- (d) the details of the percentage of working women across the country, State/UTwise; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  that  percentage  of  women  on  top posts is very less and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefore and the further steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a) to (e): The data on Employment and Unemployment is collected through Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MOSPI). As per the latest PLFS report available for year 2019-20, the estimated Worker Population Ratio (WPR) on usual status basis for aged 15 years and above both for male and female was 73.0% and

28.7% respectively. Further, the State/UT-wise estimated female Worker Population Ratio (WPR) on usual status basis for aged 15 years and above is at Annexure.

Government has taken various steps to improve women's participation in the labour force and quality of their employment. A number of protective provisions have been incorporated in the labour laws for equal opportunity and congenial work environment  for  women  workers.  These  includes  enhancement  in  paid  maternity leave  from  12  weeks  to  26  weeks,  provision  for  mandatory  crèche  facility  in  the establishments  having  50  or  more  employees,  permitting  women  workers  in  the night shifts with adequate safety measures, etc.

Employment of women in the aboveground mines including opencast workings has been allowed between 7 pm and 6 am, and in below ground working between 6 am and 7 pm in technical, supervisory and managerial work where continuous presence may not be required.

The  Equal  Remuneration  Act,  1976  now  subsumed  in  the  Code  on  Wages,  2019 provides  that  there  shall  be  no  discrimination  in  an  establishment  or  any  unit thereof among employees on the ground of gender in matters relating to 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 any 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 by or under any law for the time being in force.

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.

*****

Annexure

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (e) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1873 due for reply on 14.03.2022

State/UT wise estimated female Worker Population Ratio (WPR) (in per cent) according to usual status for age group 15 years and above for year 2019-20

| Sl. No.   | State/UT          |   Female WPR |
|-----------|-------------------|--------------|
| 1         | AndhraPradesh     |         37.6 |
| 2         | ArunachalPradesh  |         20.8 |
| 3         | Assam             |         14.2 |
| 4         | Bihar             |          9.4 |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh      |         52.1 |
| 6         | Delhi             |         14.5 |
| 7         | Goa               |         24.9 |
| 8         | Gujarat           |         30.7 |
| 9         | Haryana           |         14.7 |
| 10        | HimachalPradesh   |         63.1 |
| 11        | Jharkhand         |         35.2 |
| 12        | Karnataka         |         31.7 |
| 13        | Kerala            |         27.1 |
| 14        | MadhyaPradesh     |         37.2 |
| 15        | Maharashtra       |         37.7 |
| 16        | Manipur           |         26.8 |
| 17        | Meghalaya         |         44.1 |
| 18        | Mizoram           |         34.9 |
| 19        | Nagaland          |         31.1 |
| 20        | Odisha            |         31.8 |
| 21        | Punjab            |         21.8 |
| 22        | Rajasthan         |         37.6 |
| 23        | Sikkim            |         58.5 |
| 24        | TamilNadu         |         38.3 |
| 25        | Telangana         |         41.8 |
| 26        | Tripura           |         23.5 |
| 27        | Uttarakhand       |         30.1 |
| 28        | UttarPradesh      |         17.2 |
| 29        | WestBengal        |         23.1 |
| 30        | Andaman&N.Island  |         25.9 |
| 31        | Chandigarh        |         18.8 |
| 32        | Dadra&NagarHaveli |         52.3 |
| 33        | Daman&Diu         |         34.8 |
| 34        | Jammu &Kashmir    |         33.1 |
| 35        | Ladakh            |         51.1 |
| 36        | Lakshadweep       |         23.1 |
| 37        | Puducherry        |         28.4 |
|           | AlI India         |         28.7 |

Source: Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), July 2019- June 2020, M/o Statistics & Programme Implementation.