(a) the details of the percentage of working women across the country, State/UT-wise including West Bengal and Gujarat;
(b) the details of the percentage of working women on top posts within the country, State/UT-wise;
(c) whether the percentage of women on top posts is very less;
(d) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise and the reasons therefor; and
(e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)
(a) to (d) : As per the last three rounds of Annual Employment –Unemployment (EUS) Surveys conducted by Labour Bureau in the year 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16, the Worker Population Ratio for Female aged 15 years & above according to Usual Status basis are 25.0%, 29.6% and 25.8% respectively. State/UT-wise details are annexed.
(e) Government has taken various steps for increasing employment including female employment like encouraging private sector of economy, fast tracking various projects involving substantial investment and increasing public expenditure on schemes like Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) run by Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) schemes run by Ministry of Rural Development and Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) run by Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), a special rebate of 0.25% is extended to women borrowers. Ministry of Labour and Employment has targeted the issue by taking various steps to increase female labour participation rate which includes the enactment of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 which provides for enhancement in paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks and provisions for mandatory crèche facility in the establishments having 50 or more employees; issue of an advisory to the States under the Factories Act, 1948 for permitting women workers in the night shifts with adequate safety measures. The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 provides for payment of equal remuneration to men and women workers for same work or work of similar nature without any discrimination. Further, under the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the wages fixed by the appropriate Government are equally applicable to both male and female workers and the Act does not discriminate on the basis of gender.
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