Lok Sabha Question No. 94 (STARRED), answered on 2025-02-10
Subject: Programmes for Women Working on Daily Wages
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Mani A

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 94 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2025

PROGRAMMES FOR WOMEN WORKING ON DAILY WAGES

*94.  SHRI MANI A:

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

(a)whether there is any targeted programmes for women working as daily wage earners and if so, the details thereof; and (b)the details of steps being taken by the Government to address the issues such as wage disparity and workplace safety for them?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

(a) & (b): A statement is laid on the Table of the House. *                                                  *****

STATEMENT REFFERED TO IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  &  (b)  OF  LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 94 FOR 10.02.2025 RAISED BY SHRI MANI A REGARDING PROGRAMMES FOR WOMEN WORKING ON DAILY WAGES. (a) & (b): Government has taken legislative and other measures to address the issues such as wage disparity and workplace safety for women. To reduce gender wage gap, Government has enacted the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, which provides for payment of equal remuneration to men and women workers for the same work or work of  similar  nature  without  any  discrimination  and  also  prevent discrimination against women while making recruitment for the same work  or  work  of  similar  nature,  or  in  any  condition  of  service subsequent to recruitment such as promotion, training or transfer. The Act is implemented by the Central and State Government in their respective spheres. The Code on Wages, 2019, serves as a comprehensive and streamlined  framework  for  labour  laws  about  wages.  This  code underscores the principles of gender equality and nondiscrimination by explicitly prohibiting wage disparity based on gender. It establishes the principle of equal remuneration for both women and men engaged in the same work or work of a similar nature, thereby promoting fairness and equity in the realm of remuneration. The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 has been subsumed in the Code on Wages, 2019. The  Factories  Act,  1948  specifies  safety  measures  for women workers, encompassing restrictions on working near cotton openers, prohibition from cleaning, lubricating, or adjusting any part of  a  machine  while  it  is  in  motion,  and  not  allowing  them  to  lift excessive weights. In addition to these specific provisions, the Act also mandates generic safety measures applicable to both women and men workers, including the fencing of machinery near which they work,  regulations  for  work  on  or  near  machinery  in  motion,  and precautions against hazardous processes.

Government  has  enacted  'the  Sexual  Harassment  of Women  at  Workplace  (Prevention,  Prohibition  and  Redressal)  Act, 2013'  (SH  Act)  to  provide  protection  to  women  against  sexual harassment  at  workplace  and  for  the  prevention  and  redressal  of complaints related to it.

The Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions Code  (OSH&WC),  2020,  incorporates  provisions  to  address  the occupational safety, health, and welfare of workers including women workers.  It  emphasizes  creating  a  secure  and  healthy  working environment, considering the unique health considerations of women. This code grants women the right to work at night, subject to  their  consent,  and  mandates  that  employers  must  establish sufficient  measures  to  ensure  the  safety  and  well-being  of  female workers  during  at  night.  Also,  the  code  extends  its  provisions  to transportation, mandating employers to provide a pickup and drop-off service  for  female  employees.  The  Factories  Act,  1948  has  been subsumed in the OSH&WC Code, 2020. Government is also implementing women centric schemes such as Mission Shakti, Namo Drone Didi, Lakhpati Didi, Women in Science and EngineeringKIRAN (WISE-KIRAN), SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women  in  Exploratory  Research), Women Industrial  Training  Institutes,  National  Vocational  Training Institutes and  Regional  Vocational  Training Institutes etc. for improving the employability of women. The Ministry of Labour and Employment in January, 2024 also issued an 'Advisory for Employers to Promote Women Workforce Participation'.  This  advisory  inter -alia  mentions  the  employers  to ensure all precautionary safety measures for women workers; ensure creation of Internal Complaints Committees  (ICCs) for sexual harassment within organizations; ensure timely redressal of safety concerns of women workers; ensure creation of awareness within the enterprise/unit about what constitutes sexual harassment, violence against women, etc.

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