Agriculture has the highest estimated percentage distribution of female workers followed by the manufacturing sector, quoting the Annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Report 2021-22, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Government of India, Rameswar Teli said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
The estimated percentage distribution of workers at the all-India level in usual status by broad industry division as per National Industrial Classification (NIC) 2008 is as below:
| Broad industry division as per NIC-2008 | Male
(%) |
Female
(%) |
Person
(%) |
| Agriculture | 38.1 | 62.9 | 45.5 |
| Mining & Quarrying | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Manufacturing | 11.8 | 11.2 | 11.6 |
| Electricity & Water | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Construction | 15.6 | 5.0 | 12.4 |
| Trade, Hotel & Restaurant | 14.7 | 5.9 | 12.1 |
| Transport, Storage & Communications | 7.5 | 1.2 | 5.6 |
| Other services | 11.2 | 13.6 | 11.9 |
| All | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
Source: Ministry of Labour & Employment, GoI
“Government of India has taken various steps to improve women’s participation in the labour force and the quality of their employment. A number of protective provisions have been incorporated in the labour laws for equal opportunity and a congenial work environment for women workers. These include enhancement in paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, provision for mandatory crèche facility in the establishments having 50 or more employees, permitting women workers in the night shifts with adequate safety measures,” the minister informed the lower house of Indian parliament.
You may also like to read: Agriculture minister launches ‘DigiClaim’ for claim disbursal through National Crop Insurance Portal
“Employment of women in the aboveground 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 continuous presence may not be required. The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 now subsumed in the Code on Wages, 2019 provides that there shall be no discrimination in an establishment or any unit thereof among employees on the ground of gender in matters relating to wages by the same employer, in respect of the same work or work of similar nature done by any employee. Further, no employer shall make any discrimination on the ground 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 by or under any law for the time being in force,” he said.
“To enhance the employability of female workers, the Government is providing training to them through a network of Women Industrial Training institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes and Regional Vocational Training Institutes,” the minister said.
