Working Women Labour Laws in India

Abstract

“In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.” said Margaret Thatcher. Women have been working at home, in the offices, in Parliaments, at saloons at shops. The biggest threat to them has always been their security. Skilled women workers also have been working in traditional village industries either as self employed or as paid workers. In hill areas, search for forest products including fuel wood engages a fairly large number of women. The majority of women work in the unorganized sector for low wages and at low levels of skills. The number of women workers during the last four decades has more than doubled from 40 million to 90 million. Women constitute a significant part of the workforce in India but they lag behind men in terms of work participation and quality of employment. According to Government sources, out of 407 million total workforce, 90 million are women workers, largely employed (about 87 percent) in the agricultural sector as laborers and cultivators.