This document outlines a presentation on the problems faced by working women in India. It begins with an introduction on increasing financial demands forcing more women to work outside the home. It then provides statistics on women's employment and participation rates in India. It discusses reasons for women working, benefits, and disadvantages. The main body details common problems faced like discrimination, safety issues, balancing work/family duties, and domestic violence. It also covers protective labor laws and suggestions to improve the situation for working women.

2. GURUDAKSHITA
FACULTY INDUCTION PROGRAMME- 3
Organized by
Human Resource Development Center
Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology Hisar
Presented by:
Mr. Sunil Kumar
Assistant Professor in Sociology
SMRJ Govt. College, Siwani
Presentation on
Problems of Working Women in India

3. OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION
 Introduction
 Women Employment In India
 Work Participation Rate
 Reasons For A Woman To Work
 Benefits To Working Women
 Disadvantage
 Problems Faced By Working Women
 Protective Provisions
 Suggestions
 Conclusion

4. INTRODUCTION
 The financial demands on the Indian families are
becoming raise day by day. The sky rocketing cost of
living, increasing expenses on education of children,
increasing cost of housing properties in India, force
every family in India to look for ways and means of
increasing the household income.
 Women in India who were mostly known as
homemakers are forced to go for jobs and take up
even careers that were considered only suitable for
men such as working in night shifts in call centers.
Source : Ministry of labour employment

5. Conti…
 Today , we will talk about world , that become not
making different between men and women in business
and working career . so it’s natural for women to enter
working career and making kind of hard
competitiveness, and in most times women be first in
some careers .
 A women who earns a salary, wage, or other income
through regular employment, usually outside the home.
 A woman who works for a living is called working
woman. ( Acc. To Collins English Dictionary)
Source : Ministry of labour employment

6. WOMEN EMPLOYMENT IN INDIA
Census 2011:-
Total no of female workers -149.8M
Rural area -121.8M
Urban area -28.0 M
I. Cultivator :- 39.5M
II. Agriculture Labour :-61.5M
III. Household Industry :-8.5M
IV. Other Worker :-43.7M
(Review by Directorate General of Employment & Training
(DGE&T), on 31st March, 2011)

7. WORK PARTICIPATION RATE
In 1981 :- 19.67%
1991 :- 22.27%
2001 :-25.63%
2011 :- 25.50% (reduce marginally)
In Rural Area :-30.02%
Urban Area :-15.44%
Organised Sector:-20.50%
(Review by Directorate General of Employment &
Training (DGE&T), on 31st March, 2011)

8. REASONS FOR A WOMAN TO WORK
 For upper class families:-
- To improve their family’s social status.
- To contribute in family business.
 For middle class families:-
- to counterpart the dominance of males.
- to give financial support to family.
 For lower class families:-
- to fulfill their basic necessities.
- to educate their children better.
Source : Working Women and Empowerment

9. Benefits to working women
 Complete Financial Independence
 An Inspiration for Children
 Get More Respect from her Husband and others
 Never Feel Bored as Working Life is Exciting
 Give Back Something to Society
Source : Working Women and Empowerment

10. Disadvantage
 Might be neglecting her children and husband
 Fatigue because managing two things at a Time
 Feel isolated from rest of the society
 Disturbed family life and a guilt feeling
 Might be suffering harassment at workplace
Source : Working Women and Empowerment

11. Problems faced by working women
 We all talk of gender equality, woman
empowerment and female education; but
how far it has achieved in reality? Coming
this far, evolving, civilizing, modernizing;
the lot of women is very less changed in
reality.
 A woman plays so many roles (of daughter,
sister, wife, daughter-in-law, mother…)
and for ages has been a multi-tasker ; one
who cook food, does the domestic works,
raises kids, and cares for everyone.
 She works 24X7, never complains and asks
no remuneration.
 Inequalities in wages.
Source : Indian Journal of Social Work

12.  Discrimination at Work
 Challenges to Safety, Life and Dignity
 Non-acceptance of Talent, Offered Disrespect
 Family Duties
 Juggling Between Work, Home, Relationships and
Personal Life
 Ego of Male Counterpart
 Low Dignity and No Ownership of Her Own Earning
 Sexual Harassment
 Safety of Working Women While Traveling
 Domestic Violence
Source : Indian Journal of Social Work

13. Discrimination at Work
 Discrimination starts at the very level of recruitment
and interview, where recruiters/interviewers see
women incompetent for challenging roles and ask
questions like whether you would be able to continue
after marriage ?
Challenges to Safety, Life and Dignity
 Sexual harassment, theft, molestation, eve-teasing,
etc. are some of the forms of challenges working
women face to their safety, life and dignity.
Source : Indian Journal of Social Work

14. Non-acceptance of Talent,
Offered Disrespect!
 A woman going out to work in many societies in seen very
lowly and questioned about her character/moral.
 A working woman who is beautiful or well-maintained or
presentable or is friendly with everyone and is progressing in
her career instead of being complimented is disrespected and
disgusted; is questioned/remarked on her dignity and morals.

15. Family Duties
 In today’s modern era, even after working in the
corporate world and after taking up challenging roles of
executives/directors/marketing professional/IT
professionals, etc.; the age old image of a woman of
being a home-maker is not much changed.
 Even if she works, comes home tired/has to leave early
for office; she is expected to cook food, take care of
kids and all other household duties and the male
counterparts may volunteer but they hold no
responsibilities.

16. Juggling Between Work, Home, Relationships
and Personal Life
 Amid all the dilemma and stretch of balancing the job
responsibilities, following her passion, going ahead with her
aspirations and looking after her family-kids-husband; a woman
handles and balances a big lot of stress, which deprives her of
peace, rest, sleep, independent though and luxury to be herself
Ego of Male Counterpart
One of the most tough to handle challenges is to manage and cope
with the ego of your male counterpart as wife/partner.
 Males do support women to go out and work, but somewhere
they find it hard to accept the progress and achievement of women
whether she is his colleague or life partner.

17. Low Dignity and No Ownership of
Her Own Earning
 Mostly women are not seen as independent earners,
who command respect and dignity. Instead is seen as
a small back-wheel of a heavy vehicle and thus, her
role and contribution is mostly over looked.
 In most of the families, especially middle class,
upper middle class and lower middle class; it’s seen
that the income of the woman either goes in the hands
of her father or husband, rather than in her hands.

18. Sexual Harassment
 Every single day a woman when steps out, stays out whole day working
while travelling, in office, in field, in canteen, in outdoor meetings…;
directly/indirectly she is subjected to a lot of sexual abuses and
harassment.
 It’s not always with hands she is hurt, but she is attacked and hurt with
eyes, with tongue, with gestures and of course unfortunately physically.
 A few women wave off, ignore and move on; some disgust them to the
very soul, out there is no way out so with tears or suppressed anger they
move on; while some root off their dignity and even existence.

19. Safety of Working Women While Travelling
 Typically, the orthodox mindset in the Indian society
makes it difficult for a working woman to balance her
domestic environment with the professional life.
 In some families, it may not be acceptable to work after
six o’clock. Those families that do accept these working
hours may experience considerable anxiety every day
about a woman’s safety while traveling. So many issues
affect a working woman because she is closely protected or
watched by her family and the society.
 According to survey conducted by ASSOCHAM, on 1000
women professionals, around 80 per cent of the households
expect their daughters-in-law to prioritize household
requirements over the official work.

20. Cont…
• Further, many of them are physically and
psychologically abused, by their in-laws and husband
but they do not complain or let others know about it,
particularly if they have children

21. Domestic Violence
 "Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling,
threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those
aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners
or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.
• This can encompass but is not limited to the following
types of abuse:
i. psychological
ii. physical
iii. sexual
iv. financial
v. emotional
Source :Wikipedia

22. Cont…
Domestic violence in India is
endemic(Around 70% )
a crime against woman is committed every
three minutes
 a woman is raped every 29 minutes
 a dowry death occurs every 77 minutes
one case of cruelty committed by either the
husband or relative of the husband occurs
every nine minutes
Source : Wikipedia

23. SOCIAL PROBLEM

24. OTHER PROBLEM
 Health Problem/Disease.(Most severe in industrial
society)
 Accident or injury while carrying out duties.
 Psychological problems:-
I. Shivery(66%)
II. Stress(15%)
III. Sleeplessness(19%)
(Srinivasan S and Iliango P, 2019)

25. Protective provisions
Safety/Health Measures :-
 Section 22(2) of the Factories Act, 1948 provides that no
woman shall be allowed to clean, lubricate or adjust any part
of a prime mover or of any transmission machinery while the
prime mover or transmission machinery is in motion, or to
clean, lubricate or adjust any part of any machine if the
cleaning, lubrication or adjustment thereof would expose the
woman to risk of injury from any moving part either of that
machine or of any adjacent machinery.
 Section 27 of the Factories Act, 1948 prohibits employment of
women in any part of a factory for pressing cotton in which a
cotton opener is at work.

26. Cont…
Prohibition of Night Work :-
 Section 66(1)(b) of the Factories Act, 1948 states that
no woman shall be required or allowed to work in any
factory except between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.
 Section 25 of the Bidi and Cigar Workers (Conditions
of Employment) Act, 1966 stipulates that no woman
shall be required or allowed to work in any industrial
premise except between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.
 Section 46(1)(b) of the Mines Act, 1952 prohibits
employment of women in any mine above ground
except between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.

27. Cont…
Maternity Benefit :-
 The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 regulates the
employment of women in certain establishments for
certain periods before and after child-birth and
provides maternity benefits. The Building and Other
Constructions (Regulation of Employment and
Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 provides for
maternity benefit to female beneficiaries of the
Welfare Fund.

28. Protection of Women against Domestic
Violence Act (PWDVA)
• Laws under the Indian Penal Code (IPC)
• Dowry Prohibition Act: any property or valuable (direct
or indirect) given before, at or after the marriage
• Section 304B: Death of a woman within 7 years of her
marriage
• Section 498A: When husband or his family subjects
woman to cruelty (“intentional” behaviour that causes
serious injury or harassment for dowry)
• Section 376: Rape law
• Section 294: Obscene acts and songs
• Section 354: Intent to outrage a woman’s modesty

29. SUGGESTIONS
 Women should be educated. When she is educated, she can manage
her dual responsibility of home and work.
 Women should be made aware of their constitutional and legal rights
both in their work and in the social sphere.
 The attitude of the husband and family members should be changed
towards the working women. Husband should come forward to
share her burden.
 She should be given financial freedom.
 Wage gap between men and women should be eliminated.
 Women should change their attitude about themselves. They should
be self confident in their approach.
 More seminars, conferences and workshops on women should be
organized. They should be encourage to participate in them and
express their views.
(Yojana, March 2020)

30. Conclusion
 Women don’t know their rights properly .
 It’s time for people to change their thinking about
working women. They should be treated equivalent to
a working man.

31. Thank
You