Labour Ministry Report Reveals Women Make Up Majority of Agri Sector Workforce

The agriculture sector employs the highest estimated percentage distribution of female workers followed by manufacturing.

At the pan-India level, nearly 63% of workers are females in the agriculture sector, while the estimated percentage distribution of female workers in the manufacturing sector is 11.2%, according to the annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Report of 2021-22.

To boost women’s participation in the labour force and the quality of their employment, the government has assimilated various protective provisions in the labour laws for equal opportunity and a friendly work environment for women workers.

These include enhancement in paid maternity leaves to 26 weeks from 12 weeks, provision for mandatory crèche facility in establishments having 50 or more employees, permitting women workers in the night shifts with sufficient safety measures, etc.

On Monday, the Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Rameswar Teli said in a written reply at the Lok Sabha that the employment of women in the above-ground mines, including opencast workings, has been allowed between 7 pm and 6 am, and in below-ground working between 6 am and 7 pm in technical, supervisory and managerial work where constant presence may not be mandatory.

Highlighting wage equality, the minister said that there shall be no gender discrimination in an establishment or any unit among employees in terms of paying wages by the same employer, in respect of the same work or work of similar nature done by any employee as per the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, which is now incorporated in the Code on Wages, 2019.

Further, the minister Rameswar said that no employer shall make any discrimination on the grounds of sex while recruiting any employee for the same work or work of similar nature in the conditions of employment, except where the employment of women in such work is prohibited or restricted under any law for the time being in force.

To improve the employability of female workers, the government is providing training to them through a network of women’s industrial training institutes, national vocational training institutes and regional vocational training institutes.

The PLFS report 2021-22 displayed that the estimated female labour force participation rate (LFPR) in Haryana on the usual status for ages 15 years and above is 19.1%. District-wise estimates are not captured in PLFS reports.