GENDER PARITY IN HOUSEHOLD WORK
As per the Time Use Survey (January – December 2019) conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, in both rural and urban India, about 80% females are involved in unpaid domestic services for household members devoting about 5 hours per day compared to about 20% males with about 1 hour and 30 minutes per day.
The National Policy for the Empowerment of Women of the Ministry of Women and Child Development has inter-alia the objective of changing societal attitudes and community practices by active participation and involvement of both men and women. It provides policy directions to ensure women’s perspectives which are included in designing and implementing macro-economic and social policies by institutionalizing their participation in such processes. The policy aims to recognise women as producers and workers in the formal and informal sectors (including home based workers) and appropriate policies relating to employment and her working conditions are accordingly drawn up.
As per the Quarterly Bulleting of the Periodic Labour Force Survey for the period January – March 2021 released on 30th November 2021 by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) on the Current Weekly Status (CWS) for females of age 15 years and above in urabn areas was 21.9% in the Quarter January – March 2020, which owing to the Covid-19 pandemic induced lockdown in the country, dropped to 19.6% in the Quarter April – June 2020. However, thereafter, it has continuously increased, being 20.3% in the Quarter July – September 2020, 20.6% in the Quarter October – December 2020 and 21.2% in the Quarter January – March 2021. For Bihar, the the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) on the Current Weekly Status (CWS) for females of age 15 years and above in urabn areas was 8.7% in the Quarter January – March 2020, which has gradually decreased and stands at 6.5% in the Quarter January – March 2021. District level estimates are not available.
Government has taken following steps to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 pandemic induced job losses, including women:
- To prevent disruption in the employment of the wage-earners below Rs 15,000/- per month in organized sector businesses having less than 100 workers, government paid 24 percent of their monthly wages into their PF accounts for three months, April to June 2020.
- MNREGA wages were increased by Rs 20/- with effect from 1 April 2020 to provide an additional Rs 2,000/- benefit annually to a worker to benefit approximately 13.62 Crore families.
- The first instalment of Rs 2,000/- due in 2020-21 was front-loaded and paid in April 2020 itself under the PM KISAN Yojana to benefit 8.7 Crore farmers.
- A total of 20.4 Crore Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna women account-holders were given ex-gratia of Rs. 500/- per month for three months, April to June 2020.
- Limit of collateral free lending was increased from Rs 10 to Rs 20 Lakhs for women organised through 63 Lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs) supporting 6.85 Crore (68.5 million) households.
- Government gave Rs 1,000/- per month from April to June 2020 to 3 Crore aged widows and people in Divyang category who are vulnerable due to economic disruption caused by COVID-19 to tide over difficulties.
Government has launched the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY) with effect from 1st October 2020 as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat package 3.0 to incentivize employers for creation of new employment along with social security benefits and restoration of loss of employment during Covid-19 pandemic. This scheme is being implemented through Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and seeks to reduce the financial burden of the employers and encourages them to hire more workers. The salient features of the scheme are summarized below:
• An employee drawing monthly wage of less than Rs. 15000/- who was not working in any establishment registered with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) before 1st October 2020 is eligible for the benefit. The employees who lost their job during Covid-19 pandemic and did not join in any EPF covered establishment upto 30.09.2020 are also eligible for the benefit.
• Government of India is crediting for a period of two years, both the employee’s share (12% of wages) and employer’s share (12% of wages) of contribution payable or only the employee’s share, depending on employment strength of the EPFO registered establishments.
• The scheme has commenced from 1st October 2020 and shall remain open for registration of eligible employers and new employees upto 31st March 2022. Government is paying the subsidy for two years from the date of registration.
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is implementing Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors’ Atma Nirbhar Nidhi Scheme (PM SVANidhi) since June 01, 2020 with the objective to facilitate collateral free working capital loan up to ₹10,000 of 1 year tenure, to about 40 lakh street vendors across the country whose businesses had been adversely affected due to Covid pandemic and subsequent lock downs. Further, on timely or early repayment, the vendors are eligible for enhanced working capital loan to ₹20,000 and ₹50,000 in second and third tranches respectively.
- on 13.12.2021, out of total 27.06 lakh beneficiaries, 59% loans have been availed by male while 41% are females beneficiaries. For state of Bihar, out of 44,325 total beneficiaries, 33,091 are male and 11,234 are female beneficiaries.
This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
