Women Employees The participation of women in employment has increased in various sectors during recent years. According to the information collected under the Employment Market Information Programme of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the details of participation of women in the organised sector year-wise and sector-wise are given below: (Figures in lakh) Year (Ended 31st March) Employment in Organised Sector Total Public Sector Private Sector 2008 30.40 24.72 55.12 2009 30.91 24.89 55.80 2010 31.96 26.63 58.59 Government has taken several steps for creating a congenial work environment for women workers. A number of protective provisions have been incorporated in various Labour Laws, such as, The Beedi & Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966, The Plantation Labour Act, 1951, The Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970, The Inter State Migrant Establishments Workmen (Regulation of Employment & Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, The Factories Act, 1948, The Mines Act, 1952, The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, The Employee’s State Insurance (General) Regulation, 1950, The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946. Besides, the Bill for Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 7th December, 2010. It seeks to provide every woman, irrespective of her age or employment status (excluding domestic workers) a safe and secure environment free from sexual harassment by fixing responsibility on the employer and laying down a redressal mechanism. This information was given by the Union Minister for Labour & Employment Shri Mallikarjun Kharge in reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha

Average number of days of employment per year for all usual status workers was projected at 318 days during 2006-07 to 2011-12 under the Eleventh Five Year Plan. As per results of 66th round of quinquennial labour force survey on employment and unemployment conducted by National Sample Survey Office conducted during 2009-10, average number of days per year for all usual status workers was estimated to be 318 days that exactly corresponds to projected figure under the Eleventh Plan. Corresponding figure for wage labour during the same period was estimated at 307 days per year. Maintaining average number of 318 days of employment in a year, total requirement of persondays in a day for wage labourer could be around 1997.33 million during 2009-10.

Government is taking all necessary steps to enhance the employment in the country by promoting growth of labour intensive sectors such as Construction, Real Estate and Housing, Transport, Tourism, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Information Technology Enabled Services and a range of other new services. Besides, Government is also implementing various employment generation programmes, such as, Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, Swaranajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Swarna Jayanti Shahri Rozgar Yojana. 

Approach Paper to the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) suggests focus on faster, sustainable and more inclusive growth for creating adequate livelihood opportunities. Such job opportunities could come from faster expansion in agro-processing, supply chains, steady modernization in farming, maintenance of equipment & other elements of rural infrastructure and the services sector. 

This information was given by the Union Minister for Labour & Employment Shri Mallikarjun Kharge in reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha