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Indian women’s participation in the labour force fell by 10 percent in the past 15 years

<ul><li>From boardroom participation to inclusive policies, India Inc is stepping up its efforts to recognise women at the workplace. </li><li>The Indian law mandates maternity benefits to <keyword id="6482204" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="FEMALE-EMPLOYEES">female employees</keyword> at the time of childbirth, under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. </li><li>However, there are a few companies, including tech giants like <keyword id="6370971" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="accenture">Accenture</keyword>, Tata Consultancy Services (<keyword id="6357150" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tcs">TCS</keyword>) and <keyword id="6358384" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="SAP">SAP</keyword> — that have gone beyond the basics. </li><li>Here are the five companies that extend adoption and paternity leave.</li></ul>From boardroom participation to inclusive policies, India Inc is stepping up its efforts to recognise women at the workplace. The Indian law mandates maternity benefits to women employees at the time of childbirth, under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. The maternity act is applicable to all companies employing over 10 people. Yet too many women continue to drop out of the workforce mid-career due to childcare and family responsibilities. “Organizations across sectors have taken conscious steps to create an enabling environment for women as well creating the right infrastructure at the workplace to support the growth of women. The gender parity has improved significantly, with 28% organizations not differentiating between male and female apprentices. There is still a long path to walk, but the ecosystem is definitely getting more conducive and encouraging,” told Sumit Kumar, Vice President at <keyword id="8169255" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="NETAP">NETAP</keyword>, TeamLease. However, there are a few companies, including tech giants like Accenture, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and SAP — that have gone beyond the basics.

Accenture, TCS and other top tech giants that extend adoption leaves to its female employees

<ul><li>IT giants — Tech Mahindra and Wipro — are the only Indian companies after Dr. Reddy Laboratories to make it to in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index (GEI). </li><li>The GEI index is based on five parameters — female leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, sexual harassment policies, and a pro-women brand. </li><li>This includes parental leaves, lactation rooms at the workplace and education programmes dedicated to women. </li><li>According to the <keyword id="69007" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Economic-Forum">World Economic Forum</keyword> Gender Gap Report, it will take 257 years to eliminate the prevailing gap on women participation in the workforce, globally.</li></ul>Homegrown IT giants — Tech Mahindra and Wipro — are the only Indian companies after Dr. Reddy Laboratories to make to the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index (GEI). The pharma multinational retained its spot for three consecutive years. The GEI index is based on five parameters — female leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, sexual harassment policies, and creating a pro-women brand. The report tracked companies based on their market cap and efforts to support and implement gender equality via policy development, representation, and transparency. Tech Mahindra and Wipro made their debut for the first time this year. “At Tech Mahindra, we value individual differences and focus on providing equal opportunities to all our associates. For us, diversity of every kind is a priority, whether it is diversity of nationality, age, gender, thoughts, or abilities, and our constant endeavour is to build a workplace that is ‘intentionally’ diverse,” said Harshvendra Soin, chief people officer at Tech Mahindra. The companies are also ranked based on parental leaves, lactation rooms at the workplace and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education programmes which are dedicated to women. “We celebrate and learn from diverse ideas, backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. The essence of co-creating and being guided by our values, defines inclusion and diversity at Wipro,” said Abidali Z. Neemuchwala, CEO and MD of Wipro. The report also highlights that the companies that have women in the boardroom and as CEOs also have more women at the senior management level. “Female-led organizations also had more women in the top 10% of compensation than male-led firms, and more women in revenue-producing roles,” the report said. India has a long way to go before they attain gender parity. According to the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/reports/gender-gap-2020-report-100-years-pay-equality">World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report</a>, it will take 257 years to eliminate the prevailing gender gap in the workforce, globally. India ranks 112th in the Global Gender Gap Index in 2020. In fact, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) says that women around the globe work for a combined 12.5 billion hours for free. The Bloomberg report includes over 6,000 companies across 84 countries. Of this, the 325 companies featured in the index have a market capitalization of $12 trillion. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/iits-and-nits-will-now-be-ranked-on-how-many-women-they-educate-and-employ/articleshow/73296855.cms">IITs and NITs will now be ranked on how many women they educate and employ</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/foreign-policy/news/uns-list-of-top-10-countries-with-gender-equality-is-empty/articleshow/72123061.cms">Which country can achieve gender equality by 2030 ? The answer is none, UN laments</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/top-jobs-for-women-in-india-as-employability-rises-9-in-2-years/articleshow/72487187.cms">The number of employable Indian women has sharply risen in the last two years⁠— and it is nearly at par with men</a>

Tech Mahindra, Wipro and Dr Reddy’s Labs — only 3 Indian companies made it to Bloomberg Gender Equality Index

<ul><li>As education level rises, the rate of unemployment also increases, shows data by Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). </li><li>Unemployment rate among the highly educated stood at 13.2% during September-December 2018. </li><li>People with bachelor’s degrees and above account for only 10% of India’s total working age population.</li><li>Rate of unemployment among women — with bachelor’s and master’s degrees — has been higher than men, at 35%. </li></ul>Unemployment has emerged as a key challenge for the Indian government as it heads into the general elections. A recent <a href="https://www.cmie.com/kommon/bin/sr.php?kall=warticle&amp;dt=2019-03-19%2009:46:12&amp;msec=486">analysis </a>by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) has shown that the rate of unemployment among qualified youth — those with bachelor degrees and higher — has seen a sharp increase from mid 2017. The report has highlighted that the unemployment rate for the given group was projected at 13.2% during September - December period in 2018. While in 2017, the number stood at 12.1% for the qualified Indians. The highly educated set of individuals — those with bachelor’s degrees and above — faced the <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/unemployment-rate-among-graduates-touched-13pct-during-sep-dec-2018-cmie/story/329572.html">maximum unemployment </a>while the students who passed high school stood at 10.6%, in terms of unemployment numbers. The CMIE’s Consumer Pyramids Household Survey bifurcated the unemployment numbers according to the levels of education. People who have completed a bachelor’s degree or any other higher level of education account for only 10% of the working age population of India. While over 100 million had a bachelor’s degree or higher as of 2018. Out of these, nearly 53 million of those were employed. While eight million were looking for jobs. Post graduates (master’s or higher) in India have been facing the biggest challenge to fetch jobs. The unemployment rate among those with a master’s degree is twice the unemployment among the entire labour force, according to the report. India has a labour participation rate of 61% — for the graduation and above group, which was below 60% mark, a year ago. Labour participation rate is the number of employed people or the ones seeking employment. Unemployment among women While the overall labour participation rate — employed and seeking jobs — in the country has improved from the past few years, the female participation was still significantly low at 11.1% during September-December 2018. However, for the females with higher educational qualifications, the numbers hit 22.6%, which is more than twice compared to the average female participation. Unemployment rate among women in this segment stood at 35% during the same period. In contrast, the rate of unemployment for men stood at 10%. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indians-will-prefer-to-learn-a-new-skill-if-they-have-a-four-days-work-week-survey/articleshow/68516702.cms">Indians were asked what they would do in their free time if they could work for four days a week — and their answers are unexpected</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/male-workforce-is-reportedly-shrinking-in-india-reveals-job-survey-by-nsso/articleshow/68498030.cms">Male workforce is reportedly shrinking in India, reveals job survey by NSSO</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-unemployment-crisis-is-hurting-women-more-than-the-men/articleshow/68403129.cms">India’s unemployment crisis is hurting women more than the men</a>

Fewer jobs for better educated: India’s unemployment rate stands at 13.2% among the highly educated segment

Gender discrimination is the reason for 98 per cent of employment gap between males and females in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, according to a new report of <keyword id="69945" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="oxfam-india" source="Orion">Oxfam India</keyword>. The report highlighted that woman in India despite their same educational qualification and work experience as men will be discriminated in the labour market due to societal and employers' prejudices. The Oxfam India's 'India Discrimination Report 2022' shows that discrimination causes 100 per cent of employment inequality faced by women in rural areas in labour market and 98 per cent in urban areas. The report said self-employed males earn 2.5 times more than females, 83 per cent of which is attributed to gender-based discrimination and 95 per cent of the gap between the earnings of male and female casual wage workers is due to discrimination. According to the report, gender discrimination is the reason for 98 per cent of the employment gap between males and females. Woman in India despite their same educational qualification and work experience as men will be discriminated in the labour market due to societal and employers' prejudices, it said. The report further said that 93 per cent of the gap in earnings of males and females is due to discrimination. Rural self-employed males earn twice of what females earn in rural areas. Male casual workers earn Rs 3,000 per month more than females, 96 per cent of which is attributed to discrimination, it said. As high as 91.1 per cent of the gap in earnings between males and females is explained by discrimination. The academically recognised statistical model applied in the report is now able to quantify the discrimination women face in the labour market. The lower wages for salaried women are due to 67 per cent of discrimination and 33 per cent due to lack of education and work experience, the report said. Oxfam India called on the government to actively enforce effective measures for the protection and right to equal wages and work for all women. The Government of India should also incentivise the participation of women in workforce, including enhancement in pay, upskilling, job reservations and easy return-to-work options after maternity, the report said. What the report finds is if a man and woman starts on an equal footing, the woman will be discriminated in the economic sphere where she will lag behind in regular/salaried, casual and self-employment, said <keyword id="1594237" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="amitabh-behar" source="Orion">Amitabh Behar</keyword>, CEO of Oxfam India. "The inequality in the labour market for gender and other social categories, the report finds, is not just due to poor access to education or work experience but because of discrimination," he said. These findings are based on the government data on employment and labour from 2004-05 to 2019-20. The Oxfam India report refers to unit level data from 61st round <keyword id="179132" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="national-sample-survey" source="Orion">National Sample Survey</keyword> (NSS) data on employment-unemployment (2004-05), the <keyword id="3429286" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="periodic-labour-force-survey" source="Orion">Periodic Labour Force Survey</keyword> in 2018-19 and 2019-20 and All India Debt and Investment Survey by the government. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/online-education-platform-upgrad-acquires-centum-learning-to-upskill-enterprise-workforce/articleshow/94216993.cms">Online education platform upGrad acquires Centum Learning to upskill enterprise workforce</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/fitch-slashes-indias-fy23-gdp-growth-forecast-to-7-from-7-8-earlier/articleshow/94213633.cms?utm_source=google_newsstand&amp;utm_medium=google_rssfeed&amp;utm_campaign=news_referral">Fitch slashes India's FY23 GDP growth forecast to 7% from 7.8% earlier</a>

Self-employed males earn 2.5 times more than females: Oxfam

Indias urban unemployment rate improved remarkably in the April-June quarter, revealed the <keyword id="7734679" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="national-statistical-office" source="Orion">National Statistical Office</keyword>. It dipped to 7.6 per cent during the April-June quarter from 12.6 per cent during the corresponding quarter a year ago. It is a clear indication that the country's economy is coming out the grip of Covid-induced slowdown. India's urban unemployment rate improved across genders and age groups to its best-ever level in the quarter ending June 2022.India's headline urban unemployment rate was 7.6 per cent in the quarter ending June, compared to 8.2 per cent in the quarter ending March, 12.7 per cent in the June quarter of 2021-22, and 8.9 per cent in the June quarter of 2019-20. Joblessness was high in April-June 2021 mainly due to the staggering impact of Covid-related restrictions in the country. The 15th <keyword id="3429286" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="periodic-labour-force-survey" source="Orion">Periodic Labour Force Survey</keyword> (<keyword id="1697741" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="plfs" source="Orion">PLFS</keyword>) showed that the unemployment rate among females (aged 15 years and above) in urban areas declined to 9.5 per cent in April-June, 2022 from 14.3 per cent a year ago. It was 10.1 per cent in January-March, 2022.Among males, the unemployment rate in urban areas dipped to 7.1 per cent in April-June 2022 compared to 12.2 per cent a year ago. It was 7.7 per cent in January-March 2022. Since some kinds of jobs, like those in agriculture, are seasonal in nature, unemployment rate comparisons are best made for the same quarter across years. However, the remarkable improvement in this rate can be seen from the fact that it is the lowest rate since the quarter ending June 2018, the first quarter for which the quarterly bulletins have data, revealed media reports. That the improvement in unemployment rate was not lopsided can be seen from the fact that it improved across groups. The quarterly bulletin gives a breakup of unemployment rate by gender and by three age groups: all ages, 15-29 years, and 15 years and above. Unemployment rates for all these groups was the best in the quarter ending June, media reports said. Similarly, at 37.2 per cent, the labour force participation rate (<keyword id="4279410" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="lfpr" source="Orion">LFPR</keyword>) - or the share of population working or seeking work - in the first quarter of the current financial year was the highest for this quarter for any year since 2018-19 and 10 basis points (100th of a percentage point) higher than in the first quarter of last year. While LFPR was not at its best level in the quarterly bulletin's history like the unemployment rate, it is enough for it to be best for the June quarter because of the seasonality factor. The broad industry-wise breakup of workers further showed that employment prospects also improved. The share of workers in agriculture, secondary sector (which includes sectors like manufacturing and mining), and tertiary sector (comprises services) was 5.7 per cent, 34 per cent and 60.3 per cent, respectively. The share in agriculture is an improvement over the June quarters of FY 2021-22 and FY 2020-21, both affected by lockdowns, but not over FY 2019-20, when only 4.9 per cent were in agriculture. The share in tertiary sector was similarly a higher 62 per cent in FY 2019-20, a clear sign that though people are seeking and finding jobs with the pandemic under control, they may not be earning as much as they did before the pandemic. These signs will be confirmed or rejected when the unit-level data becomes available, the report stated. Labour force refers to the part of the population which supplies or offers to supply labour for pursuing economic activities for the production of goods and services and, therefore, includes both employed and unemployed persons. The NSO launched PLFS in April 2017. On the basis of PLFS, a quarterly bulletin is brought out giving estimates of labour force indicators namely unemployment rate, worker population ratio (<keyword id="1966243" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="wpr" source="Orion">WPR</keyword>), labour force participation rate (LFPR), distribution of workers by broad status in employment and industry of work in Current Weekly Status. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/gromo-raises-11-million-plans-to-double-headcount-in-6-12-months/articleshow/94031705.cms">GroMo raises $11 million, plans to double headcount in 6-12 months</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/dreamfolks-services-beats-grey-market-expectations-lists-at-a-55-premium/articleshow/94017839.cms">DreamFolks Services stock slips 8% from its listing price</a>

India's urban unemployment rate dips to 7.6% in the April-June quarter

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Durham Police has cleared Labour leader <keyword id="12143328" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="keir-starmer" source="Orion">Keir Starmer</keyword> and deputy <keyword id="13702115" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="angela-rayner" source="Orion">Angela Rayner</keyword> of "beergate" allegations.</li><li>The duo promised to resign if they were fined for joining an indoor gathering during one of England's lockdowns.</li></ul>Labour leader Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner will not be fined for attending an indoor gathering dubbed "beergate", meaning the pair do not have to fall on their sword.In a statement Friday, Durham Constabulary said the event did not contravene coronavirus lockdown regulations as it was judged "reasonably necessary for work"."Accordingly, Durham Constabulary will not be issuing any fixed penalty notices in respect of the gathering and no further action will be taken," the force added.An investigation into the event was opened May 6, nearly a year after footage first emerged of Starmer drinking beer with other party members in a break from campaigning for the May 2021 Hartlepool by-election on April 30 2021.It later emerged that Rayner had also been at the event. Durham Constabulary's statement reveals there were 17 participants in total at the gathering.On May 9, the pair pledged to resign from their leadership roles in the event they were fined by the constabulary, while also saying throughout the process that no rules had been broken. A spokesperson for the Labour Party welcomed the news, saying: "Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner have always been clear that no rules were broken in Durham. The police have completed their investigation and have agreed saying that there is no case to answer."Starmer tweeted: "For me, this was always a matter of principle. Honesty and integrity matter. You will always get that from me."Tories such as Richard Holden, the MP for North West Durham, had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beergate-how-labour-keir-starmer-mired-partygate-row-boris-johnson-2022-5?r=US&amp;IR=T">campaigned hard for the police to probe the matter</a>.The decision strengthens Labour's position ahead of another torrid week in <keyword id="11921088" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="uk-politics" source="Orion">UK politics</keyword>, with the opposition party vowing to call a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson's government next week as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/conservative-mps-look-to-speed-up-boris-johnsons-departure-2022-7?r=US&amp;IR=T">the prime minster seeks to hold onto power</a> while the Conservative Party choose his successor.

Labour's Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner cleared by Durham Police of 'beergate' lockdown-breaching allegations

I take the Delhi Metro to work every morning. The subway system allocates one out of six or eight carriages exclusively for the use of <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Women">women</keyword>, in the interest of safety. The remaining carriages are mostly occupied by men - I would venture to say anywhere between 80% and 90%, based on rudimentary calculations. This is usually the case all the time. It’s a stark and daily reminder of just how far India has to go in terms of solving its gender inequality problem. A recent<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Global%20Themes/Gender%20Equality/The%20power%20of%20parity%20Advancing%20womens%20equality%20in%20Asia%20Pacific/MGI_Power-of-Parity-Asia-Pacific_Report_April-2018.ashx"> report on gender equality </a>by the Mckinsey Global Institute (MGI), the consultancy’s research division, shows that India is one of the lowest-ranked countries in the Asia-Pacific in terms of labour force participation by females and the contribution of women to GDP, based on figures from 2016. Around 18% of India’s GDP is accounted for by women, while the share of females in the country’s labour force is 25%. Only Pakistan ranks lower than India on both counts- with women contributing a mere 11% to GDP and comprising 22% of its labour force. It has a lot to gain by unleashing the productive potential of its women- who have, up until this point, been a underused resource. MGI estimates that India’s GDP, if everything were to carry on as usual, could increase by $770 billion, or 18%, by 2025 by giving women access to equal work opportunities as men. Around $550bn, or 70% of this increase, would come by just increasing the share of females in the workforce by 10%. The remaining portion of the increase in GDP would be achieved by improving the quality of work given to women and the hours worked. Too often, the report notes, women are engaged in unpaid care work or low-quality, low-paying work like cleaning. A staggering 97% of all female workers are engaged in informal sector work that isn’t regulated and doesn’t offer adequate remuneration based on hours put in. Additionally, the amount of time spent doing unpaid, household chores is lengthened by a lack of easy access to amenities such as cooking fuel and clean water. A lot of women find themselves unable to enter the formal sector due to a low level of <keyword id="6355445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="education">education</keyword>. A <a href="https://thewire.in/economy/ten-charts-gender-inequality">report last year in the Wire</a> showed that despite achieving strong enrolment rates for females in primary schools, as a result of the Right to Education Act, the government was not able to translate this into improved rates for secondary and tertiary enrolment. A girl’s higher education is looked at as an opportunity cost. Why send her to school when she can start helping her mother take care of the house or drawing an income from manual work? Inequality in formal sector The lack of female representation in the formal sector also has a lot to do with how upper classes in Indian society function. The MGI report explained that women’s workforce participation follows a “U-shaped curve”. While women from low-income families are forced to work out of necessity, the level of female employment gets progressively lower the wealthier a family gets, owing to the fact that there is a lower need for a woman to work for pay. MGI says that this effect can be reversed if companies step up their hiring of women and give women more leadership opportunities. In most cases, the hiring practices of Indian companies reinforce the <keyword id="6484133" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="labour-participation">labour participation</keyword> gap. According to <a href="http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/548581522089881652/pdf/WPS8379.pdf">a working paper by the World Bank, </a>an analysis of over 800,000 Indian job postings showed that there was an explicit bias towards men, especially in blue-collar sectors. Further still, professions that have greater representation by women - such as teaching, health and business process outsourcing - actually paid men significantly more. A lack of legal protection and political representation India does not have any laws in place to ensure equal pay for men and women. While the government passed a law mandating 26 months paid maternity leave in April last year, it made no provision for financial support to small-and-medium sized businesses. At the time, experts felt that the law would only serve to exacerbate <a href="https://qz.com/943639/proof-that-indias-new-maternity-leave-law-could-make-it-even-harder-for-women-to-get-a-job/">discriminatory hiring practices against women.</a> The government also excluded the unorganised sector from the purview of the law, thereby offering no protection to women in temporary, self-employed or contractual roles. Worse still, the law did not make any mention of paternity leave, deciding once and for all that child-rearing was the sole responsibility of the mother. The percentage of women in India’s lower house of Parliament is tragically low, at 11%. The Women’s Reservation Bill, which reserves 33% of the seats in both houses of Parliament and state legislatures for women, has been languishing for 22 years, despite being passed in the upper house in 2010. No surprise there. Why would the leaders of a male-dominated legislature be okay with ceding their seat to a woman? The Northern states fare a lot worse There seems to be a regional aspect to India’s <keyword id="6372584" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="gender-equality">gender equality</keyword> problem. While states in the northeast and south of India, like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Sikkim, report strong female workforce participation rates, Northern states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu &amp; Kashmir, fall significantly behind. Unsurprisingly, the level of female workforce participation was lowest in states with lower levels of adult literacy. This highlights the problem as primarily one of access to good education. In mapping out a strategy to improve gender equality in India, the government would do well to focus on states in the North first. Some progress has been made, however This is not to say that India hasn’t made any progress in curbing gender inequality. Over the past decade, it has reduced maternal mortality rates from 280 for every 100,000 births to 174. The female-to-male adult literacy ratio has also increased by 0.10 points to 0.87 while the prevalence of child marriage has declined. Financial inclusion is also being achieved, gradually, through the Jan Dhan Yojana Scheme, which has given around 300 million women access to bank accounts and savings schemes, and the Mudra Yojana microcredit programme, under which more than 6 million female entrepreneurs have received loans. But a lot more needs to be done So what does that India needs to do to unlock the potential of its women and achieve the aforementioned increase in GDP? Firstly, according to the MGI, the government needs to leverage the digital inclusion and internet penetration wave. Greater access to computer skilling and by extension, to the internet means greater access to information - educational courses, learning resources, job postings and networking opportunities. It also means access to online banking, which in turn, means access to credit and savings instruments. Secondly, there need to be skilling and vocational training programmes tailored to industries where women have the highest potential for greater participation- healthcare, hospitality, textiles and electronics assembly. Thirdly, the government needs to encourage gender diversity-focused hiring policies in the companies. Fourth, given that women do ten times more unpaid work than men, the government can help reduce the time spent on unpaid work by providing households in rural area with electricity, closer access to clean water and subsidised childcare services. Fifth, increasing the level of women in legislative bodies in India will set a good example for other industries and could kickstart a shift in societal norms. Women are an <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/PyQ7hlxIkiyXlsUqq7JbOL/The-growing-importance-of-women-as-an-electoral-constituency.html">increasingly influential electoral group</a> and deserve adequate representation. Last, but most important, it needs to stimulate private investment and create enough jobs in the economy to accommodate the increase in female workers - an issue that merits its own feature story. The increase in the female labour participation rate is not low-hanging fruit that the government can pluck and qualify as a win. It transcends election cycles and requires long-term, structural reform and a broad shift in societal attitudes. It’s a massive undertaking, but with a worthy payoff. Wouldn’t it be great if there were two compartments for women in the Delhi subway? Or better yet, each compartment was equally comprised of men and women?

India would be US$550 billion richer if it just increased its share of women in the labor force by 10%

<keyword id="163437" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-employers">US employers</keyword> added 379,000 <keyword id="11018" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jobs">jobs</keyword> in February, with the <keyword id="6358907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="unemployment">unemployment</keyword> rate little changed at 6.2 per cent, the <keyword id="57432" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Labour-department">Labour Department</keyword> reported. In February, most of the job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, with smaller gains in temporary help services, health care and social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing, according to the monthly report released on Friday by the Department's Bureau of Labour Statistics. Employment fell in state and local government education, construction and mining, Xinhua news agency reported citing the report as saying. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, edged down by 0.1 <keyword id="1624988" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Percentage-Point">percentage point</keyword> to 6.2 per cent in February, but still well above the pre-pandemic level of 3.5 per cent in February 2020. Despite the improvement in the pandemic-ravaged labour market, some 10 million people remained unemployed in February, well above the pre-pandemic level of 5.7 million, the report showed. The number of permanent job losers, at 3.5 million, was essentially unchanged in February, but is 2.2 million higher than a year earlier, according to the report. The labour force participation rate remained at 61.4 per cent in February, according to the report, and this measure is 1.9 percentage points lower than a year earlier. Amid widespread Covid-19 shutdowns in March and April last year, 22 million Americans lost their jobs. Despite improvement in the pandemic-ravaged labour market, the recovery has been stalled in recent months amid surging Covid-19 cases. The weekly jobless claims report released on Thursday showed that the total number of people claiming benefits in all programs, state and federal combined, for the week ending February 13 decreased by 1 million, but remained elevated at 18 million. Lawmakers are debating a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package in the Senate, as Democrats highlighted the urgency to rein in the surging pandemic, and to bolster the ravaged economy. Republicans have however, called it a Democratic wish list, arguing that the plan includes provisions unrelated to the crisis, and the high price tag could result in unsustainable debt for future generations. Democrats hope to send the bill to President Joe Biden's desk before unemployment benefits expire in mid-March. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-find-my-stalking-airtags-item-safety-alerts/articleshow/81342449.cms">Apple’s new Find My feature updated to prevent stalking as launch of the rumoured AirTags nears</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/regulating-digital-news-is-important-but-freedom-of-press-is-precious/articleshow/81341289.cms">OPINION: Regulating digital news is important but freedom of press is precious</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/heranba-industries-ipo-makes-a-bumper-debut-on-stock-exchanges/articleshow/81342578.cms?upcaceh=2">Heranba Industries makes a bumper debut on stock exchanges — shares soar 44% over the issue price band</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/ignore-low-cibil-score-for-street-vendor-loans-work-on-holidays-and-other-diktats-from-indian-government-to-banks-rushing-to-meet-march-target/articleshow/81223572.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Bankers may be working all 31 days of March with the government looking to double the loans doled out under the PM SVANidhi scheme</a>

US adds 379,000 jobs in February, say Labour Department report

<ul><li>Indian states including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have suspended several <keyword id="176311" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="labour-laws">labour laws</keyword> including <keyword id="85252" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Minimum-wages">minimum wages</keyword>. </li><li>However, the idea does not resonate well with the experts. </li><li>It will only exacerbate the conditions of low wage workers and the way we do business and industry,” said <keyword id="6419840" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Azim-Premji">Azim Premji</keyword>, the founder of Wipro. </li><li>In fact, this might push more women out of the workforce — which will further drop the Female Labour Force Participation in the country. </li></ul>Indian states including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have suspended several labour laws including minimum wages. Of these, at least 10 states introduced amendments to the Factories Act — increasing the daily working hours from 8 to 12 hours. The <keyword id="176732" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="State-governments">state governments</keyword> said that diluting these laws will attract more foreign direct investments as well as local investments post COVID crisis. However, the idea does not resonate well with the experts. “It was shocking to hear that various state governments, encouraged by businesses, are considering suspending — or have already suspended — many of the labour laws that protect workers. It will only exacerbate the conditions of low wage workers and the way we do business and industry,” <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-16/billionaire-defends-workers-rights-as-indian-states-dilute-laws?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter">said</a> Azim Premji, business tycoon and the founder of Wipro. “The migrant workers we find fending for themselves and their families have almost no social security and too little — not too much — <keyword id="9244630" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="worker-protection">worker protection</keyword>,” he added. After a notice from the Allahabad High Court on hearing a plea from the UP Workers Front, the UP government also pulled back the order to increase the daily working hours. However, this makes no change to the key labour laws that have been suspended for three years. <div type="image" title="workers" msid="75818115" hostid="261"></div> According to <keyword id="118657" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gurcharan-Das">Gurcharan Das</keyword>, a renowned author and the former CEO of Procter and Gamble India, and <keyword id="55796" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kiran-Mazumdar-Shaw">Kiran Mazumdar Shaw</keyword>, Executive Chairperson of Biocon, the country needs a model that protects workers — that can help the workers with some protection when they lose their job — before doing away with the labour laws. There is a need for creating an unemployment Welfare Fund for labour that is funded by the employers and government,” Shaw said in a tweet. <div type="twitter" handle="kiranshaw" handlename="Kiran Mazumdar Shaw" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/815537398444654592/o67mUQoz_normal.jpg" favoritecount="2987" retweetcount="758" status="Has the stimulus package missed an opportunity to provide a minimum basic income for the vulnerable informal labour… https://t.co/S2DgSCX9C5" createdat="1589684640000" id="1261854957050814465"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="kiranshaw" handlename="Kiran Mazumdar Shaw" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/815537398444654592/o67mUQoz_normal.jpg" favoritecount="177" retweetcount="40" status="India’s ‘labour reforms’ need these three safety nets⁠— or else the people will be exposed to exploitation | Busine… https://t.co/wB95q7UVhA" createdat="1589685220000" id="1261857390946734080"></div> Impact on female workforce In fact, on the gender employability front, this might push more women out of the workforce — which will further drop the Female Labour Force Participation in the country — which has already been falling for two decades. “Be it agriculture or manufacturing, there is already a decline in women’s participation. Women are employed in textiles or food processing, services, hospitality, which will take longer to revive. Only as domestic workers, their work might not see a decline. But even there, their wages will have to co-relate with middle-class household incomes as many households will make cuts or reduce their work to only physically-intensive tasks such as cleaning,” Neetha N, director of the Centre for Women’s Development Studies <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/women-to-bear-brunt-of-new-labour-laws-experts/articleshow/75794353.cms">told</a> ET. 44 labour laws to be compressed Meanwhile, the government of India is set to introduce several initiatives for the welfare of workers including universalization of minimum wages, implementing national floor wage to eliminate the regional disparity in wages and more. The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently announced that 44 labour laws have been compressed into four codes, awaiting the approval of the Parliament and the Standing Committees. “Such an extreme measure may actually drive a shift in the workforce from the formal to the informal sector. If different states engage in regulatory competition, this could put pressure on systemic wages, hurting both the revenue and mark-ups of staffing companies,” according to a staffing report by Motilal Oswal Group, a financial services company. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/indian-women-dont-like-being-gig-workers/articleshow/75757460.cms">Indian women don’t like being gig workers ⁠— the potentially $455 billion industry has to woo them with fair pay to start with</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/from-minimum-wages-for-all-to-social-security-for-gig-workers-these-are-the-broad-outlines-of-upcoming-labour-reforms-in-india/articleshow/75733790.cms">From minimum wages for all to social security for gig workers ⁠— these are the broad outlines of upcoming ‘labour reforms’ in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indias-top-lawyer-harish-salve-says-this-may-not-be-right-time-for-labour-reforms/articleshow/75528999.cms">India's top lawyer Harish Salve says this may not be right time for labour reforms</a>

Billionaires Azim Premji and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw argue against the labour ‘reforms’ in Indian states⁠— and they are not alone

<ul><li>India is the second largest market of freelance professionals in the world, after the United States. That accounts for nearly 15 million professionals in the country. </li><li>Despite the growth, women refrain from pursuing gig work. </li><li>That is majorly because of the gender disparity in terms of pay, flexibility and employment status. </li><li>There are at least two surveys that explain the lag in the labour reforms for women. </li></ul>India is the second largest market of freelance professionals in the world, after the United States. That accounts for nearly 15 million professionals in the country. In fact, as India Inc moves to evaluating an ‘alternative workforce model’ with <keyword id="7771650" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="gig-workers">gig workers</keyword> and freelancers, the demand is only going to rise. But despite the growth, women refrain from pursuing gig work. That is majorly because of the gender disparity in terms of pay, flexibility and employment status — that prevails in the <keyword id="3080230" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="gig-economy">gig economy</keyword> as well. This also reflects in the <keyword id="4476046" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="female-labour">Female Labour</keyword> Force Participation Rate (FLPR) in India, which has been falling for two decades now. There are at least two surveys that explain the lag in the labour reforms for women. In 2018, a survey said that a third of women were disinterested in joining the gig economy due to the lack of job security and uncertainty on employment status. Pay parity still a concern In addition to this, they are being paid less, widening the gender parity. A research by <a href="https://www.orfonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ORF_IssueBrief_359_GenderGig.pdf">Observer Research Foundation (ORF)</a> reiterates the data from TeamLease in India that said the gig economy added 40,000 women in 2019. But, they are making 10% less than men, especially the delivery executives. The same year, the <keyword id="119211" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-labour">Ministry of Labour</keyword> and Employment proposed the Code on Social Security Bill, to offer social security benefits to gig workers. On those lines, Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> on May 14, said that social security schemes will now be extended to even gig and platform workers, the proposal is awaiting approval of the Parliament and the Standing Committees. It is important because food-tech and e-commerce players such as Uber, Ola, Zomato and Swiggy, account for nearly 90% of the total gig workers in India. On an average, women make an average of ₹15,000 to ₹30,000 per month in the emerging gig economy. “This could be attributed to their income being of the ‘distressed’ category. Consequently, as soon as conditions improve, women leave the workforce — this phenomenon is widely visible in India’s informal economy as well,” said the ORF report. Limited access to digital technologies That aside, the lag in the access to digital technologies is yet another hurdle to women’s participation in gig work. Despite the country’s push for digitisation, merely 16% women in India use mobile internet, as per the findings of the GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2019. To overcome that, many companies offer their own devices to facilitate work. “The gig economy is here to stay and offers many ways for women to start and improve their careers. However, the problem in India is twofold: an inability to facilitate women’s movement into the workforce, and the perpetuation of structural and operational barriers promoting gendered division of gig work,” said the report. Future scope As per Deloitte data, nearly 80% of the organisations have less than 10% of their employees as gig workers, accounting majorly to <keyword id="2245174" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Contractual-staff">contractual staff</keyword>. India’s gig economy is projected at a market size of $455 billion over the next three years — which might increase even further with the new-found interest. “A large majority of this is expected to be contributed by the unorganised sector of the economy, as India Inc's adoption of gig workers remains nascent at best,” the Deloitte report said. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/more-employees-at-capgemini-infosys-and-wipro-are-being-brought-back-to-offices-while-tcs-is-still-in-wait-and-watch-mode/articleshow/75691940.cms">More employees at Capgemini, Infosys, and Wipro are being brought back to offices while TCS is still in wait and watch mode</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/from-minimum-wages-for-all-to-social-security-for-gig-workers-these-are-the-broad-outlines-of-upcoming-labour-reforms-in-india/articleshow/75733790.cms">From minimum wages for all to social security for gig workers ⁠— these are the broad outlines of upcoming ‘labour reforms’ in India</a>

Indian women don’t like being gig workers ⁠— the potentially $455 billion industry has to woo them with fair pay to start with

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The son of suspected Chinese agent Christine Lee worked for Labour MP <keyword id="12947746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="barry-gardiner" source="Orion">Barry Gardiner</keyword> until Thursday.</li><li>Lee has donated more than £427,000 to Gardiner since 2015, records show.</li></ul>The son of a woman identified as a suspected Chinese agent worked for Labour MP Barry Gardiner until he resigned "earlier today", the former shadow minister has said. MI5, the UK's Security Service, has issued an alert warning MPs and Lords that they should avoid Christine Lee. The notice, seen by Insider, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/british-mps-warned-by-mi5-to-avoid-woman-suspected-to-be-china-agent-2022-1">said she had "knowingly engaged in political interference activities" on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party</a>."Christine Lee's son [Daniel Wilkes] volunteered in my office many years ago and was subsequently employed by me as a diary manager," Gardiner said in a statement to Insider."He resigned from my employment earlier today. The Security Services have advised me that they have no intelligence that shows he was aware of, or complicit in, his mother's illegal activity."Gardiner, a longtime ally of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, said he had been liasing with security services about Lee for "a number of years", adding: "They have always known, and been made fully aware by me, of her engagement with my office and the donations she made to fund researchers in my office in the past."The former shadow minister said: "Steps were taken to ensure Christine Lee had no role in either the appointment or management of those researchers. They are also aware that I have not benefitted personally from those donations in any way. She ceased funding any workers in my office in June 2020."Links between Gardiner and Lee are well-established and were <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/china-cash-link-to-top-labour-mp-65d3c92j8">reported on by outlets including The Times in 2017</a>. Lee's firm paid the wages of Parliamentary aides working in Gardiner's office, including for her son's salary, according to declarations in Gardiner's entry in the register of members interests.Lee's firm donated more than £427,000 to Labour MP Barry Gardiner since 2015, Electoral Commission records show.As well as donations to Gardiner, Lee's firm also gave £5000 to the local association of Sir Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat leader.The <a href="http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0088623">April 2013 donation</a> was made while Davey was Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government.A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said no concerns had previously been raised over the donation.The spokesperson told Insider: "Ed is shocked by these revelations and the email from the Speaker of the House of Commons today was the first time he has been given cause to be concerned about a donation to his local party association received in 2013."The Government must make it a national security priority to protect the UK's democracy from threats and interference by foreign actors."This donation was reported properly and all rules and guidance was followed - as Ed expects is the case with donations made to colleagues across the House."In <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/british-mps-warned-by-mi5-to-avoid-woman-suspected-to-be-china-agent-2022-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">his email to MPs, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said</a>: "I should highlight the fact that Lee has facilitated financial donations to serving and aspiring parliamentarians on behalf of foreign nationals based in Hong Kong and China."This facilitation was done covertly to mask the origins of the payments."A spokeswoman for the Speaker's office told Insider: "The Speaker takes the security of Members and the democratic process very seriously, which is why he issued this notice in consultation with the security services. There is no further comment on this matter."Nicky Morgan, the former Culture Minister who oversaw the government's decision to exclude Chinse tech firm Huawei from critical UK infrastructure, told Insider that MPs were often approached by people and that it was important for parliamentarians to "be on their guard."She said people would be "hard pushed find any MP who hasn't been approached by someone who wants to make a donation or invite them to something that rings alarm bells."You have to be on your guard all the time, and not just on China," she said.The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said it was "deeply concerning" but stressed that the UK's "strong structures" would enable authorities to "identify foreign interference or any potential threats to our democracy".She added: "Where necessary, proportionate action is always taken to mitigate these threats."Tom Tugendhat MP, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and chair of the China Research Group, told Insider: "Our security services are rightly focussed on state threats in the UK."It is clear that the challenge from Beijing is increasing and we need to defend our democracy against hostile activity."The alert sent to parliamentarians, and sent by a source to Insider, can be seen below.<div type="image" title="MI5 Parliamentarian alert" height="921" width="1319" msid="88882978" hostid="261"></div>Lee became a prominent figure within legal and political circles in recent years, <a href="https://www.pointsoflight.gov.uk/british-chinese-project/">receiving a prestigious "Points of Light" award from former Prime Minister Theresa May</a> for founding the British Chinese Project, a nonprofit group that promoted "engagement, understanding, and cooperation" between the Chinese community and the UK.In a letter to Lee, May wrote: "You should feel very proud of the difference that 'The British Chinese Project' is making in promoting engagement, understanding, and cooperation between the Chinese and British communities in the UK. I also wish you well with your work to further the inclusion and participation of British-Chinese people in the UK political system."Footage uploaded to YouTube by the Chinese state broadcaster shows Lee, wearing blue, shaking hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a May 2019 meeting of the China Overseas Friendship Association.She is later seen directly behind the leader of the United Front system, a network of party and state agencies responsible for influencing groups outside the party, according to <a href="https://www.aspi.org.au/report/party-speaks-you" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a 2020 report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute</a>.

You Searched For "labour participation" and got 12 results

Indian women’s participation in the labour force fell by 10 percent in the past 15 years

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Accenture, TCS and other top tech giants that extend adoption leaves to its female employees

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Fewer jobs for better educated: India’s unemployment rate stands at 13.2% among the highly educated segment

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Self-employed males earn 2.5 times more than females: Oxfam

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India's urban unemployment rate dips to 7.6% in the April-June quarter

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Labour's Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner cleared by Durham Police of 'beergate' lockdown-breaching allegations

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India would be US$550 billion richer if it just increased its share of women in the labor force by 10%

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US adds 379,000 jobs in February, say Labour Department report

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Billionaires Azim Premji and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw argue against the labour ‘reforms’ in Indian states⁠— and they are not alone

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Indian women don’t like being gig workers ⁠— the potentially $455 billion industry has to woo them with fair pay to start with

Prerna Sindwani

The son of a woman named by MI5 as a suspected Chinese spy resigned from a Labour MP's team

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