Working Women
As per the results of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted during 2018-19 by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the estimated Female Women Worker Population Ratio (WPR) on usual status (ps+ss) for 15 years and above, State/UT-wise in the country is given at Annexure.
Government has taken several initiatives to improve women’s participation in the labour force. In order to encourage employment of women, a number of protective provisions have been incorporated in the labour laws for creating congenial work environment for women workers. These include 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. Government has taken a decision to allow the employment of women in the above ground mines including opencast workings 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 which 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.
Further, 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.
Worker Population Ratio (WPR) (in percent) according to usual status (ps+ss) for each State/UT age groups: 15 years and above
| Sl. No. | State/UTs | PLFS | |
| Rural (2018-19) | |||
| Male | Female | ||
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | 73.6 | 45.5 |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | 62.3 | 15.4 |
| 3 | Assam | 73.4 | 11.7 |
| 4 | Bihar | 66.0 | 4.0 |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | 74.5 | 52.6 |
| 6 | Delhi | 71.8 | 14.4 |
| 7 | Goa | 68.2 | 23.0 |
| 8 | Gujarat | 77.5 | 25.0 |
| 9 | Haryana | 67.2 | 12.8 |
| 10 | Himachal Pradesh | 72.1 | 59.4 |
| 11 | Jammu & Kashmir | 75.7 | 35.3 |
| 12 | Jharkhand | 74.5 | 23.3 |
| 13 | Karnataka | 74.2 | 27.2 |
| 14 | Kerala | 67.6 | 26.4 |
| 15 | Madhya Pradesh | 78.4 | 31.6 |
| 16 | Maharashtra | 71.2 | 37.3 |
| 17 | Manipur | 68.4 | 21.7 |
| 18 | Meghalaya | 76.6 | 55.0 |
| 19 | Mizoram | 70.3 | 26.5 |
| 20 | Nagaland | 59.9 | 19.3 |
| 21 | Orissa | 74.6 | 24.2 |
| 22 | Punjab | 66.6 | 17.3 |
| 23 | Rajasthan | 70.4 | 35.9 |
| 24 | Sikkim | 70.9 | 54.0 |
| 25 | Tamil Nadu | 71.6 | 41.5 |
| 26 | Telangana | 66.2 | 45.4 |
| 27 | Tripura | 72.5 | 11.3 |
| 28 | Uttarakhand | 67.6 | 18.1 |
| 29 | Uttar Pradesh | 70.4 | 14.6 |
| 30 | West Bengal | 79.9 | 20.6 |
| 31 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 74.1 | 20.6 |
| 32 | Chandigarh | 81.5 | 20.9 |
| 33 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 84.7 | 65.3 |
| 34 | Daman & Diu | 76.9 | 8.4 |
| 35 | Lakshadweep | 46.3 | 6.2 |
| 36 | Puducherry | 75.5 | 37.4 |
| All-India | 72.2 | 25.5 | |
Source: * Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), July 2017-June 2018, July 2018-June 2019, M/o
Statistics & Programme Implementation.
This information was given by Minister of State (I/C) for Labour & Employment Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
