SLIDE 1

The gender trends in employment show low labour force participation rates and
lack of quality jobs for women.
• The government has taken several measures to empower women in the
workplace. In order to improve employability a separate Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship was created. Women Training under this
Ministry aims to provide skill training to generate employment opportunities for
women of various socio-economic levels and age groups.

• Support to Training and Employment Programme (STEP) Scheme aims

to provide skills that give employability to women and to provide competencies
and skills that enable women to become self-employed entrepreneurs. Training is
provided to poor and marginalized women in traditional trades in the informal
sector.

• The Government has enacted the Unorganized Workers’ Social Security

Act 2008 in order to ensure social security to the workers including women in the
unorganized sector.

• Mahila Coir Yojana (MCY) is a women-oriented self-employment

programme in the coir industry, which aims to provide self-employment to rural
women artisans in regions producing coir fibre.

SLIDE 2
• The National Crèche Scheme ensures that women take up gainful
employment through providing a safe, secure, and stimulating environment to their
children. Crèches are designed to provide group care to children from 6 months to
6 years of age, who need care, guidance, and supervision away from their home
during the day. It includes providing nutrition, health, promoting holistic
development of the children and empowering parents for better childcare. The
National Crèche Scheme boosts the overall productivity of the employees and lets
working mothers return to their work in a short time.

• The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 is a legislation that

protects the employment of women at the time of her maternity (12 weeks before
and after giving birth) and entitles her to a 'maternity benefit' allowing her full paid
absence from work. The Act applies to women working in factories, mines,
industry, circus, plantation and shops and establishments employing ten or more
persons.

SLIDE 3
MNREGA

• Schedule-II of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee

Act prioritizes women beneficiaries, with at least one-third of the beneficiaries
being women who have registered and requested for work.
• Efforts are made to increase participation of single women and disabled
individuals under MGNREGA.
• MGNREGA promotes gender equality by providing wage parity with men
and a separate schedule of rates of wages for women.
• MGNREGA also provides facilities for crèche and child care services,
making it more accessible for women to participate.
• Unique features of MGNREGA make it attractive to women, resulting in
more than 50% of employment created under the program being availed by women
in the last four fiscal years.
• Even states with low women participation in the workforce are reporting
increased participation of women under MGNREGA compared to men.