In India working women lead a life of dual responsibilities, if they a (2024)

FAQs

In India working women lead a life of dual responsibilities, if they a? ›

i) In India working women lead a life of dual responsibilities if they are married and have a family.

Working women in the Indian context face the double burden of unpaid care work responsibilities and poorly paid, precarious employment, which has negative consequences for their mental and physical well-being as well as that of their children.

There are four categories of working woman in India. Some work while they are waiting for matrimony. A majority work because they are qualified, want a second income and a different kind of life for the part of the day. A small section consists of career woman.

Women take on the double burden of care work. Many women are forced to take on part-time jobs or lower-skilled jobs in order to balance their „homely duties” with their paid jobs. As such, even though they have a full-time paid job, many are expected to fulfil their „domestic role“ at home after work.

The term “double burden” (or “second shift” as coined by Arlie Hochchild) refers to the workload of persons (typically women) who work at paid jobs while also having responsibility for a significant portion of unpaid care work.

Female participation in the labour force and access to decent work is very much essential for an inclusive and sustainable development of the country. At the macro level, greater participation of female in the workforce is good for the overall economy.

Women must get wages because every person who works must be paid for his or her work. A person must be paid at least a minimum wages which is fixed by the government under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. Every woman must be paid the same wage as a man for the same kind of work i.e., equal to the man and not less.

Provisions Related Working Hours:

This act prohibits any form of discrimination in wages based on gender and emphasizes the principle of equal pay for equal work and ensures women receive the same remuneration for identical or similar work.

The 'dual burden'

Feminists argue that women entering paid work have led to them carrying a 'dual burden', that is, having to carry out both paid work and unpaid domestic labour.

Women in India have been stereotyped and discriminated since ancient times due to the patriarchal mindset. Social evils such as sati, purdah system, female foeticide, female infanticide, dowry, domestic violence have been faced by women.

What is the gender inequality in the workplace in India? ›

It is mandatory for employers to ensure equal salaries are paid to men and women doing the same work or work of a similar nature. The ER Act prohibits discrimination against women in matters of recruitment, training, transfers and promotions.

This variation is driven by a wide variety of economic and social factors including economic growth, increasing educational attainment, falling fertility rates and social norms. Besides labour market gender gaps are more pronounced in developing countries, and disparity is highest in South Asian countries.