The Prevailing Problem of Unpaid Women Labour In India

The Labour System Scenario

The labour system in India constitutes the organised and unorganised sector. The organised sector comprises of the licensed organisations but it is the unorganised sector which covers around 94% of employment in India. These unorganised sectors include artisans, masons, farmers, weavers, farm labours and many others. And in this unorganised sector includes the contribution of both men and women where women labourers cover around 27% till date.

The Gender Gap & Employment Issues

In this 21^st century, there is no question of men and women working in each and every sector with equal fervour. Women are treated as equals and are given prominent positions if they are capable enough.

But, this is not how it is fathomed in most regions of our nation. The problem of unpaid work among women has shown startling statistics even in this advancing world. It has been deducted that even after half of the work done by women population in India, they have fallen prey to an adverse fate of unpaid labour.

The domestic work done by women, particularly the household activities, dairy farming, agricultural tasks and likewise are undervalued and are not considered for any monetary evaluation.

The reasons for such behaviour and injustice against women could be blamed on the patriarchal system of the society. Their work is not acknowledged to be productive and hence they succumb to this societal norm of working unpaid even after carrying out equal hours of work as men. Such vulnerable work standards have resulted in the loss of decision making among women and there have been cases of emotional breakdown in their behaviour as well.

The problem is not restricted to India but other countries as well. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) mentioned its principle of advancing women’s rights and reclaimed the NGO slogan “Women’s Rights are Human Rights”. 

The result? This discrimination has resulted in a decrease in the number of women labour in India. The orthodox social norms, negligible protection and inability to access any digital means have resulted in the reduction of women workforce in the country, which eventually sets down the GDP to monumental level.

But, this societal evil has been recognised and brought up in consideration by many governmental and non-governmental agencies.

•  NGO in Delhi and several other cities have stepped forward in improving the working condition of women. Even a National Policy for Empowerment of Women has been launched previously with numerous objectives that regulate around the goodwill and development of women.

•  In order for women to realize their full potential, positive economic and social policies have been put forward to create a structure that favours the working condition of women in every situation.

•  The local decision-making bodies, unions or corporations gave way to health care, equal remuneration, occupational health and safety for women that were abstained from them. 

But as a human being, we do have our social responsibilities and concern in uplifting the standards of women and their motivation to work.

• Changing the mindset of people through different kinds of education could be the foremost effort from our society. People need to understand what a woman sacrifices for her family and her labour work could not to be discarded at any cost.

• Monetary evaluation has played the role of evil against the non-working class of women. It has resulted in their presumed inferior status and thus domestic violence at home. Awareness is required in this regard that not being a breadwinner does not make the woman any less important than her husband.

• Not only in the development of a country, but women’s contribution to family and society is pivotal.

• There is a need for gender balance as well as a complete eradication of female foeticide that are a hindrance to the development of this advancing age.

• Women should be duly given their Right of Choice in areas of education, work, marriage and any other domain that concerns them.

A renaissance of change needs to be introduced if you want to see this world free of any gender discrimination. Equal pay for equal work should be implemented, keeping the workplace dignity and motivation of women workforce intact.