The Status of Working Women in India

Working women face various problems like wage discrimination, gender stereotyping of labour, cultural barriers, lack of social security, substandard conditions at workplace, dual burden of work at home, inadequate family support, sexual harassment and violence, poor implementation of laws and policies, lack of proper education and training opportunities etc. All these problems act as a barrier in progress of working women and prevent them from achieving equality and justice. The problems and challenges faced by working women require special emphasis and focus in view of their marginalized position within the society. Even when women are not employed, contributing to national output, a considerable share of their time is consumed by socially productive as well as reproductive labour. This is called the “: Dual Burden of Work” which distinguishes women from men. Nearly 90 percent of the workforce is employed in the unorganized sector and on this basis there is no exaggeration in saying that the unorganized in India is the women's sector. Since ages women have been facing domination, subjugation and oppression due to patriarchal nature of society. However the social scenario has undergone changes but it has not yet reached the goal of providing equal status for women. Series of changes through processes like industrialization, modernization and globalization have created entirely new set of conditions. This impact brought rise in the proportion of women's engagement in gainful employment.