STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRIAL SET-UP

The founding fathers of India whole-heartedly believed in maintaining gender equality in India. For this purpose, the underlying principle of Constitution of India is to support equality and eliminate any sort of discrimination including on the basis of gender. The legislature has always made an effort to empower the women in India by formulating women-favored policies, creating awareness regarding their rights and showing general concern towards their socio-economic development.

But what led to the increased gender gap in the country and the need to enact women empowerment laws? The answer lies in the history of India where women were suppressed and not given the importance to voice out their rights and grievances. Women were relegated to a subordinate position to men in terms of education, employment and social status. Discriminatory customs and traditions were largely prevalent against women in India which gave men right to be in a dominant position socially, economically and politically.

For this purpose, the need for women empowerment has been evolving since many years. They are not only given welfare advantages but also considered to be at par with men and be included as a part of development of the country. However, it has been observed that the subject of gender equality and protection of right of women is effective on paper than in reality. There still exists certain hindrance to attain gender equality and overall empowerment of women in India.

1. Discrimination against women in business

Though India’s economic growth has been significantly increasing from 1990 to 2015, the progress has not driven women’s equal participation rate. The country’s female labor force participation rate (FLFPR) stands at just 27 percent, compared to 96 percent for men. The patriarchal society has obstructed women’s agency, mobility and freedom to work. Research has established an inverse relationship between the amount of time spent by women and girls on unpaid work, and their economic autonomy.

For instance, findings from a 2018 survey reveal that girls’ housework and domestic responsibilities contribute to a gender gap in secondary education. At the same time, over 40 percent of surveyed men report feeling that married women whose husbands earn a decent living should not work outside the home. The perception that women should not leave the private sphere in the absence of monetary need reinforces the burden of unpaid work.

It has also been observed that significantly higher number of women in India work in the informal economy compared to the formal sector. For example, in the largely unregulated domestic work sector, there are 2.3 million women domestic workers out of the 3.9 million domestic workers in India.

Furthermore, it is evident that female labour force participation in India is concentrated in a small number of industries including education, textiles, health and social work, the industries which provide low average wages. On the other hand, women’s participation in the industries with the highest average wages such as information and communications and financial services stands at a low 15 percent. More men (eight times more) tend to work in high-skilled jobs than women whereas more women (three times more than men) are likely to been seen as family workers.

The ORF-WEF 2018 research reveals that 36 percent of surveyed companies are not willing to hire female employes and rather prefer male workers. Even in education and skills, boys and girls are differentially encouraged to take up certain subjects. As the digital economy grows, and new jobs requiring new skills emerge, women and girls will be left behind without concentrated investments in increasing their education in future-proof industries and occupations.

The reasons behind skills gap between men and women are:-

sociocultural aspirations that enforce certain norms and perception about what women are supposed to do and not do, lack of information and opportunities in fields of education to acquire relevant skills and apply for secured long term jobs and institutional problems involving time constraints, safety and transportation considerations that make entry of women difficult training programs and jobs are not adequately addressed.

2. Advantages of presence of women in Business

A workforce inclusive of both men and women is proven to be more innovative and productive than workforce consisting only men. The difference in approach, ideologies, thinking process and experience of men and women would bring out the best outcomes in a business and make it more successful. This difference could be perceived as challenging competitive environment that will facilitate innovation and prove breeding ground for creativity too.

For a business to run smoothly, technical skills and knowledge are of utmost importance. But along with this, soft skills play a vital role in furthering the business. Skills such as effective communication, empathy, and self-awareness are difficult to measure, they are highly valued and can make a real difference to the bottom line and thus are highly expected out of top level managers.  Research shows that women excel in soft skills and prove to be a good leader for acquiring these necessary skills.

Therefore, soft skills and emotional intelligence may prove a key competitive advantage for women in business. A 2016 study published by the global consulting firm Hay Group found that women outperform men in 11 of 12 key emotional intelligence competencies. These competencies included emotional self-awareness, empathy, conflict management, adaptability, and teamwork—all essential skills for effective leadership in the workplace.

Moreover, women represent huge economic power and provide important consumer insight. It’s been estimated that women contribute in excess of $20 trillion in consumer spending every year, representing a bigger growth market than China and India combined. Women also account for 85% of consumer purchases.

Henceforth, research from McKinsey shows that gender-diverse businesses are 15% more likely to outperform financially above the industry median. 

 Conclusion

Although there are several factors that cause difficulties for the upliftment of women in the industrial area and to be at par with the men in terms of economic status, the most convincing and clear reason are the entrenched social norms that restrict their agency and, consequently, their full participation in the economy. The combined challenges of occupational segregation, a skewed distribution of high-skilled male workers, and a lack of will among Indian firms to hire more women workers concurrently define the challenge ahead.

For this purpose, it is suggested that policies and incentives must catalyze women’s equal participation across all jobs and sectors traditionally seen as male bastions. Also, the government, private sector, communities, and families must rethink the design and delivery of skills and education programmes that will allow women’s participation and rise across existing and emerging industries and occupations.