International Women’s Day which is celebrated on 8th March every year calls for action to acknowledge strategies, resources and activities that positively contribute to achieve gender equality. While India has made notable strides over the past decades, the report of World Economic Forum suggests that at the current pace, achieving full gender parity would take over a century, which serves as a reminder of the work ahead.

While India’s economic parity score in the Global Gender Gap Report 2024 has improved in recent years, but it still lags behind its 2012 peak of 46%. Bridging this gender gap requires structural shifts in estimated earned income, representation in leadership and management roles, labour-force participation rate; and inclusion under professional and technical workers.

As a part of the commitment towards facilitating women’s participation in the workforce, over the years, India has been tuning its legal and regulatory compliance landscape to facilitate women’s active participation in both personal and professional spheres. From Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 to Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 gender-focused laws are evolving / reshaping our country’s gender landscape. Let us delve into few such measures:

Strengthening Workplace Safety: The SHe-Box Portal

As a significant step towards workplace safety for women, the Ministry of Women and Child Development launched (in August, 2024) the SHe-Box portal which provides a centralized platform to facilitate the registration and monitoring of sexual harassment complaints and also ensures streamlined reporting and accountability across Internal Committees (ICs) and Local Committees (LCs) nationwide.

State-Specific Legal Reforms for Gender Equality

The right to work should not come with a curfew. Historically, restrictive labour law provisions pushed women out of work-related opportunities, particularly in sectors operating on a 24*7 basis. With a view to boost women’s participation in the workforce, State labour departments are redrawing employment legislations to enable women’s participation in night shifts, backed by mandatory safety provisions.

Employment of Women in Night Shifts

• Haryana & Uttar Pradesh (March 2024): Revised safety conditions for factories employing women at night, mandating CCTV surveillance, batch employment of at least 10 women, and secure transport facilities.

• Rajasthan (May 2024): Temporary exemption for shops and commercial institutions from Section 22 of the Rajasthan Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, subject to obtaining employee consent and providing safe transport.

• Chandigarh (July 2024): Similar exemptions from Section 30 of the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, ensuring safety measures like separate lockers, security, and restrooms.

• Tripura: Proposed the Tripura Shops and Establishments (Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2024, aligning working hour flexibility with the Ease of Doing Business initiative.

• Meghalaya: Implemented stringent safety norms under the Factories Act, 1948, applicable to all factories employing women in night shifts.

• Chhattisgarh: Proposed amendments to Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2021, reinforcing compliance obligations for women in night shifts.

Strengthening Protections and facilitation in workplace for Women

• Tamil Nadu (2025): The Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women (Amendment) Act now includes verbal, non-verbal, digital, and electronic harassment, expanding protections to threats, abuse, and assault. Further, on a complaint made by an aggrieved person, there is an obligation to give information to the police about the harassment of woman within twenty-four hours of the occurrence of the incident.

• Karnataka (November 2024): Drafted a circular proposing one day of paid leave for women workers on the first day of their menstrual cycle in industries including factories, IT, and multinational companies.

Financial Inclusion Initiatives for Women

Financial empowerment is crucial for gender equality, and India has introduced several schemes to support women entrepreneurs and workers:

• PM Jan Dhan Yojana: Opened 30.46 crore accounts, with 55% belonging to women.

• Stand-Up India Scheme: 84% of loans (₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore) sanctioned to women entrepreneurs.

• MUDRA Scheme: 69% of microloans directed toward women-led enterprises.

• Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under NRLM: Connected 10 crore women to 9 million SHGs.

• Bank Sakhis Model: Over 6,094 women banking correspondents processed transactions worth $40 million in 2020.

• Women Entrepreneurs in Startups: 10% of funds in SIDBI reserved for women-led startups.

Digital and Technological Empowerment for Women

To bridge the digital divide and enhance women’s access to technology, the government has rolled out following initiatives:

• PMGDISHA (Prime Minister’s Digital Saksharta Abhiyan): Trained 60 million rural citizens in digital literacy.

• Common Service Centres (CSCs): Over 67,000 women entrepreneurs run digital service centers.

• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM): Strengthening healthcare accessibility through digital solutions.

• SANKALP Hubs for Women Empowerment: Functioning in 742 districts across 35 States/UTs.

Skill Development Initiatives:

• Skill India Mission, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Women Industrial Training Institutes provide vocational and technical training to women.

• Women Technology Parks (WTPs) serve as hubs for training and capacity building.

Gender Budget 2025-26: A Step Towards Economic Empowerment

Recognizing the need for gender-responsive budgeting, India’s Union Budget 2025-26 has increased Gender Budget allocation to 8.86% from 6.8% in FY 2024-25. The Ministries with greater share in Gender Budget Allocation are-

• Ministry of Women & Child Development (81.79%)

• Department of Rural Development (65.76%)

• Department of Food & Public Distribution (50.92%)

• Department of Health & Family Welfare (41.10%)

• Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (40.89%)

• Department of Social Justice & Empowerment (39.01%)

• Department of Higher Education (33.94%)

• Department of School Education & Literacy (33.67%)

• Ministry of Home Affairs (33.47%)

• Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (31.50%)

Conclusion: A Future of Accelerated Gender Equality

As the recent reports on gender parity underscores the urgency in removing barriers for creating a gender-equal society, the Indian government’s policies, legal reforms, financial inclusion programs, and increased budget allocations are positive approaches towards women’s empowerment. By continuously evolving and implementing targeted interventions, India is setting a strong foundation for a more inclusive and equitable future for all.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, let us pledge to sustain this momentum and actively participate in advancing gender equality in all spheres of life.

Links:

[1] Labour Department of Haryana

[2] Labour Department of Rajasthan

[3] hrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://knowledge.legalitysimplified.com/attachment/ajax/uploads/circularAmendments/DOC-20240626-WA0026.pdf

[4] Tripura Gazette

[5] Department of Labour, Employment & Skill Development, Meghalaya

[6] https://www.teamleaseregtech.com/updates/article/39639/govt-of-chhattisgarh-issued-the-draft-amendment-in-the-chhattisgarh-sh/

[7] https://www.legalitysimplified.com/tamil-nadu-amends-harassment-law-strengthens-protections-for-women/#:~:text=Tamil%20Nadu%20Amends%20Harassment%20Law%2C%20Strengthens%20Protections%20for%20Women,-Legality%20Simplified&text=On%20January%2022%2C%202025%2C%20the,(Amendment)%20Act%2C%202025.

[8] chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://klwb.karnataka.gov.in/storage/pdf-files/garmentswomen1dayleave.pdf

[9] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2108690#:~:text=International%20Women’s%20Day%20is%20celebrated,Equality.

[10] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2108690#:~:text=International%20Women’s%20Day%20is%20celebrated,Equality.

[11] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2098912

Authored by: Amiya Mukherjee, Abhishek Roy

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