Lok Sabha Question No. 4078 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-28
Subject: Female Labour Force Participation
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Mohammad Jawed, Locket Chatterjee

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4078 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 TH  MARCH, 2022

## FEMALE LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION

4078.   DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED: MS. LOCKET CHATTERJEE:

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

- (a) the annual female Labour Force Participation rates (LFPR), from 2014 till date;
- (b) whether the existing labour and employment policies will be revised to provide an impetus to inclusive development as prioritised by the Finance Minister  during  the  Union  Budget  2022-23  speech,  if  so,  the  details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government intends to frame a policy to boost demand for female labour force, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government is on track to meet the objective of 30% female LFPR by 2022, as per NITI Aayog's Strategy for New India @ 75 Report 2019, and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the efforts being made by the Government to increase women participation in the employment sector and help them become financially stable, which would help India in becoming a $5Tn economy?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (e): As per the results of Annual Employment-Unemployment Surveys conducted  by  Labour  Bureau,  Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment  during 2011-12 to 2016-17 and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by Ministry  of  Statistics  and  Programme  Implementation  since  2017-18,  the estimated annual female Labour Force Participation rate (LFPR), for age 15 years and above on usual status to the extent available is given below:

| Female Labour Force Participation Rate (in %)   | Female Labour Force Participation Rate (in %)   |
|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| Survey Period                                   | All-India                                       |
| Labour Bureau Survey                            | Labour Bureau Survey                            |
| 2013-14                                         | 31.1                                            |
| 2015-16                                         | 27.4                                            |
| 2016-17                                         | 26.9                                            |
| PLFS                                            | PLFS                                            |
| 2017-18                                         | 23.3                                            |
| 2018-19                                         | 24.5                                            |
| 2019-20                                         | 30.0                                            |

Results  from  both  surveys  viz  PLFS  and  Labour  Bureau  are  not comparable  due  to  different  sampling  methodology  and  coverage.  PLFS covers seasonality of labour force as it is conducted during the period July to June (i.e. full year) whereas field work in Labour Bureau survey varied from 7 to 9 months and therefore, complete seasonality was not covered.

The Government has notified four Labour Codes namely, the Code on Wages,  2019,  the  Industrial  Relations  Code,  2020,  the  Code  on  Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code,  2020  by  simplifying,  amalgamating  and  rationalizing  the  relevant provisions  of  29  Central  Labour  Laws.  Codification  of  the  Labour  Laws provides  a  policy  framework  for  harmonizing  the  needs  of  job  seekers, workers and employers. The Labour Codes will, inter-alia, reduce multiplicity of definitions & authorities, facilitate implementation & use of technology in enforcement  of  labour  laws  and  bring  transparency  &  accountability  in enforcement, promote setting up of more enterprises, catalyzing the creation of employment opportunities in the country. It would promote setting up of industries  by  reducing  rigidity  of  labour  market  and  facilitate  hassle  free compliance, paving the way for realizing the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The 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.

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