“IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION ON WOMEN’S WORKFORCE IN INDIA” by - Chandrika Joshi
“IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION ON WOMEN’S
WORKFORCE IN INDIA”
Authored by - Chandrika Joshi
ABSTRACT
The
essential areas of how globalization affects women's labour, employment, or
jobs in India are examined in this study article. A foundation for improved
commerce and business activities, as well as support for the expansion of a
nation's cultural activities, social standing, or general growth, is provided
by globalization. For all the residents, the introduction of globalization in
India was a transformative time. Many of them were impacted, either positively
or negatively, which also has an impact on the nation's general economy.
However, the focus of this essay is on how globalization affects women.
Most
leaders in every sector of the nation are women, but men and society have a low
opinion of them. Without women, it is impossible to even begin to comprehend
how any society might evolve and grow in the future. India has taken steps to
educate the public and promote women's empowerment. This study aims to discuss
the legislation or actions India took to promote women's employment after
globalization.
KEYWORDS:
- Women workforce, Globalization, Indian Labour laws.
KEY
RESEARCH QUESTIONS: -
- How
globalization helps women's employment in India?
- What
is the negative impact of globalization on women’s work?
- How
did the changes in labour laws affect women’s rights?
I.
INTRODUCTION
A
very broad concept known as "globalization" links two or more nations
worldwide. It is crucial to the nation's ability to develop its economy or
expand its networks with other nations. The market, culture, business
operations, various industries, factories, and even household activities will
all be impacted as we begin to network with other countries. India has a lot of
human resources.
In
the pre-globalization stage, “the Indian middle
class was prosperous enough to want consumer goods of better quality and range”[1].
Many Indian firms lacked the motivation to develop novel products or enhance
existing ones. We needed more funding, marketing, a big platform, and
networking at the time for every new start-up, but all these things were
absent. All those workers, who depended on their employment in various
factories or sectors, had a limited understanding of their legal and human
rights. Very few women were permitted to work in markets or industry at the
time.
“Over
the ages, women faced many problems like caste discrimination, patriarchy
problem, social restriction, poverty, insufficient facilities, less education,
powerlessness, unequal treatment at the workplace, etc.”
After
globalization, India took steps to interrelate with
other nations by exporting or importing goods or services. “They started
focusing on increasing capitalization, commercialization, foreign trade,
financialization, and international capital.”[2]
Women began working independently, obtaining employment, and becoming aware of
the rights and other amenities that were made available because of
globalisation.
II.
HOW GLOBALIZATION AFFECTS WOMEN’S WORK: -
(a)
WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT IN INDIA: -
The
creation of new jobs is crucial to the expansion of the economy. Regardless of
whether it is about men's or women's jobs, both contribute equally to India's
economic situation. “Women’s contributions are more valuable than men's
contributions. The study found that household income and women’s educational
status have a substantial impact on women’s employment in the agricultural
sector.”[3]
Women's
employment is a contentious issue, particularly for disadvantaged women. Women
wish to work in a variety of fields, including farming, manufacturing,
industrial jobs, and other construction sites, among others. One of the
research works, “the state of Female labor and workforce participation states
that only 17.5% of women are part of the labor force, compared to 55.5% of men”[4] So, there are still many areas where women need to
participate, and explore it. Some data were collected which are showing the
present condition of women’s workforce participation in India.
|
“ANNUAL LABOR FORCE
PARTICIPATION RATE IN INDIA (IN PERCENT)”
|
||||||||||||||||
|
“Source:
- PLFS Survey”[5]
From
the above table, it is observed that still, women’s participation in the labour
workforce is less as compared to women.
The
point is whether globalization is affecting rural women’s work or how many
rural females are presently working after globalization. “To answer these
questions there are some data collected in 2015 below: -”[6]
From
the above data, we can see that still rural women’s workforce is very less
compared to men. Globalization helps in growing the economy overall, but it is
difficult to reach in every area of the country.
“Globalization
is a gendered phenomenon”[7] which means it will affect both men and women differently
we see in the above information that globalization does not have much effect on
women's employment.
(b)
GLOBALIZATION HELPS IN WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT: -
- It
will provide many facilities to the women and encourage them for engaging
more in employment. “A large section of women approximately 50
percent were engaged in the agricultural sector. They were laborers on the
farms of others and received payment in grains instead of cash. The grains
they received helped them with food security for their family.
Globalization increases the commercialization among women.”[8]
2.
“The export of different crops or
other agricultural products helps those who were engaged in the agricultural
sector”[9].
Globalization opens the door to employment for women and makes them independent
and helps in earning income. India is rich in agricultural products so; it will
be useful for exporting more crops and grains instead of importing. Try to
increase production in India.
3.
Globalization gives the chance to women
for proving their capacity and capability of earning income. For e.g. “In a group
of tea plantations in South India, the maximum number of workers were women.
One survey found, 3700 female workers were employed in the largest tea
manufacturing company in the world, which operates 23 estates in high range.”[10]
4.
In the corporate world, women set their
stand and make a different place over it. For this globalization plays a very
important role because through which women engaged with many MNCs and this
would contribute to the growth of India. “Smita V Krishna has been named the
richest woman in India with a net worth of 434 billion INR and Kiran Mazumdar
Shaw was named India’s richest self-made woman and was ranked third in the
overall ranking in 2019”[11].
5. Encouraging
women in more fields in India, the government initiates different policies,
laws, and schemes. There are a few schemes like “set course-wise gender-based
targets for skill training under Skill India Mission, women’s participation to
meet industry requirements, focusing on increasing the number of women in all
jobs across, small and medium enterprises to finance women’s maternity leave,
Improving learning outcomes for girls at a primary, secondary and tertiary
level under the new National Education Policy.”[12]
6.
India initiates many steps for “women’s
employment to encourage women to join schools, organize different vocational
training programs, highlight female role models in mainstream media, and many
more schemes.”[13]
7.
“According to Periodic Labour Force
Survey (PLFS) 2019-20 data, in the terms of literacy and professions involving
technical roles, and in holding managerial positions Northeast females show the
highest percentages across India.”[14]
(c) CHALLENGES AND ISSUES FACED BY WOMEN:
-
1.
The biggest challenge for women was
started by their families. “Discrimination on the basis of gender or caste at
workplaces”[15].
Differences in the treatment between women and men. The family did not allow
them to work and earn money or if they started earning more than men they would
be considered as the second person who earned and treated as an extra.
2.
They face the issue of the gender pay
gap. In India, there is a partiality of paying more to men over women in the
workplace. “India has a 25.4% pay difference between men and women which means
women’s median hourly wage is 25.4% less than men’s median hourly wage.”[16]
3.
“At the workplace, women faced many
problems like sexual harassment or mental harassment”[17]
by peers or seniors. This is a global problem faced by all women in every
country also. If the woman feels insecure and unsafe at the workplace, then how
will she perform, and will adversely affect the economy of the country?
4.
Married women have a big issue in that
their families are not supportive, and they don’t allow them to do jobs because
of societal restrictions and customs or rituals followed in their
surroundings.
5.
At the time of giving birth to a child,
she will not be allowed to take more leaves except the specified number of
leaves, if, she takes excessive leaves then liable for an unemployment penalty
and it would be harder for women to hold a senior position and considered as
gender pay.
There
are many challenges and hindrances which were faced by women while working. On
one side globalization help increase opportunity for women but on another side,
it creates more problems for women to work or be employed.
4.
ROLE OF LABOR
LAW IN WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT
A.
PRE-GLOBALIZATION
LABOUR LAW: -
·
Background:
-
“In India, most laws are regulated by the
Constitution of India. Part III of the Constitution of India provides the
platform wherein the laborers can be heard and not exploited”[18]
Different laws on labour rights are derived from the constitution’s articles.
Like “Article 14 ‘Equality before law’ and this in Labour law is equal pay for
equal work” or the fundamental rights are the main base of labour rights.
“Women form an integral part of the Indian
workforce. There are different protective measures for women’s rights taken by
India.”[19]
·
Before
globalization: -
In comparison to
other developing countries, India's economy is contracting. Workers at the time
were not aware of their fundamental rights or labour rights because they
believed they could only follow instructions that were given to them at the
time. “When there is no connection with the global market workers or employers
have a limited boundary for work. They must accept whatever they have been
given, no matter how unfair or unjust it was.”[20]
The position of Labours in India before
globalization was disappointing in comparison to other nations' situations. “In
the early phase of Industrialization, the colonial government did not attempt
to focus on or improve the wages or workers’ conditions in the factories.”[21]
“After certain international events, there were
drastic changes happened in India’s labour laws. The First World War (1914
-1918) brought new forms of laws and policies and started rapid growth in
Industries or increases the number of working classes.”[22]
There were no specific labour laws were enacted
for women at that time.
B.
POST-GLOBALIZATION
LABOUR LAWS: -
1. Globalization has an impact on the general
economic health of employees, employers, markets, industries, and labour regulations.
Workers learned about the legal privileges and accommodations that should be
provided to them when working in any plant or industry. India started enforcing
labour rights protections, especially for female workers. For women, specific
laws and regulations have been enacted.
2. “Section 22 of the Factories act, 1948, Safety
and health measures for women at the time of working in factories”[23].
Women were not allowed to clean, adjust, or lubricate any part of the machinery
at the time of its motion and were not allowed for using hazardous substances
without any supervisor. Provide full protection and security while
working.
3. “Section 66 (1) (b) of the Factories act, 1948,
Prohibition of Night Work says women are not allowed to work in any factory
except between the hours of 6:00 am to 7:00 pm.”[24]
4. “Section 46 (1)(a) and (b) of The Mines Act, of
1952, Prohibition of Sub-terrain work prohibits women to work in any part of a
mine below the ground. If employed in any mine and working above ground except
between the hours of 6:00 AM and 7:00 PM.”[25]
5. “Maternity Benefits act, 1961, section 4(1)
specifies that no employer shall force women to work during the period of 6
weeks immediately following the day of her delivery or after her miscarriage
and other maternity benefits”[26]
6. “Vocational training for women under the
Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGE&T) is dedicated to
planning and implementing long terms policies for women’s employment.”[27]
There are so many other labour laws and rights
that are provided and facilitated for women in India.
IV.
CONCLUSION:
-
We can
conclude from the aforementioned details and points that globalization has
improved India's situation. India launched numerous programs, put forward
directives, and amended labour laws, particularly those pertaining to the
rights of women.
To promote
employment for women, many institutes and training facilities are established.
People, particularly women, now have the opportunity to interact with people
from different countries and have simple access to information abroad thanks to
globalization. It enables greater employment prospects for women in the
corporate world, MNCs, factories, tech industries, manufacturing, and the
agricultural sector, where most women are employed. Although globalization
benefits women, there are several situations when it can also be detrimental.
The
concerns and difficulties that women experience while working are discussed in
the paragraphs, and they were made worse by globalisation or rising competition
in India. One of the reasons why globalization continues to have a negative
impact on some regions of India is because the network with other countries,
exporting or importing of products raises the money flow in the market or
prices, and for which middle class and rural families required income. However,
in some areas, women were not permitted the job.
Overall,
we may conclude that globalization raises living standards and encourages
India's economy to thrive.
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