The payroll data for EPFO showed net new addition of female workers under the retirement fund body soared 120% to 2.8 million female employees in 2022-23 from 1.30 million added in 2018-19.
The number of female employees added to EPFO in 2019-20 stood at 1.59 million but fell marginally to 1.39 million in 2020-21, due to the outbreak of the pandemic. However, it rebounded sharply to 2.61 million in 2021-22.
Further, the e-Shram portal, dedicated to registration and creation of a comprehensive national database for unorganized workers, has about 53% women unorganised workers registering on the portal, according to labour ministry data.
Labour and employment minister Bhupender Yadav told ET that the net addition in EPFO subscriptions is an indicator of the extent of formalisation of the job market for women and the coverage of social security benefits to the organised and semi- organised sector workforce.
“The government has taken various steps to improve women’s participation in the labour force, to ensure their economic security and quality of their employment and it’s a continuing process,” he said, adding women specific laws, policies and schemes by the government have driven positive signs in the female labour market.Consequently, the estimated female labour force participation rate (LFPR) on usual status for age 15 years and above, as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, has increased from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 37.0% in 2022-23. However, the figure widely trails when compared to the global female labour force participation rate pegged at over 50% by the World Bank on its gender data portal.
According to the labour ministry, several protective provisions have been incorporated in the labour laws for equal opportunity and congenial work environment for women workers. These include enhancement in paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, and maternity leave of 12 weeks to mothers adopting a child below the age of three months as well as to the commissioning mothers.
Besides, establishments having 50 or more employees have been mandated to set up a crèche facility in the premises while also permitting women workers in night shifts with adequate safety measures.
Further, the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, now subsumed in the Code on Wages, 2019 provides that there shall be no discrimination in an establishment or any unit thereof among employees on the ground of gender in matters relating to wages by the same employer, in respect of the same work or work of similar nature done by any employee.