CERTIFICATE

UNDERTAKING

I submit that the edifice of this dissertation research report on “Problems faced by Working
Women in India” is built and further developed on the framework of extensive and critically
focused literature survey with sources listed in the bibliography. In addition, the recourse has
also been made to large number of references based on critical analysis of experts, special
reports in journals, articles and research papers of journals and magazines, internet,
newspapers, reports of government agencies, conceptual anchoring attributable to standard
works including books and the vast treasure of secondary information. They have been
indexed at the end of this dissertation research report.

I further submit that in the process of the primary research, the conceptual underpinnings,
interpretations and analysis leading to major findings are mine and I, at the same time, accept
the limitations and inadequacies, if any. I certify that I have not copied any material without
citation from any published sources. I also certify that I have checked plagiarism of this
dissertation thesis and it is under prescribed limit defined by the UGC i.e. University Grants
Commission (UGC), Government of India.

I certify and declare that I have not been awarded or conferred any degree, diploma or
distinction of any kind, either by Pandit Deendayal Energy University or any other University
for the work presented in this dissertation research report.

Place: PDPU Signature:

Date: 04 / 06 /2021 (Name) Rashi Sharma
(Roll No.) 17BCO026
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank my dissertation guide Dr. Neeta Khurana for her guidance and

cooperation throughout my project without which present work would not have been

possible. Despite of her hectic schedule and responsibilities, she always gave me full

attention and patiently helped me in everything.

I express my indebtedness to my parents for their motivation, encouragement and support,

which inspired me to carry out this work despite of all hardships of life. I would like to thank

Pandit Deendayal Energy University and School of Liberal Studies for providing me with an

opportunity to research of this stature. I express my sincere gratitude to the people who chose

to become a part of my survey and for helping me out to complete this research project.

This study has been a great learning experience for me and I would like to express my

gratitude towards all the people who have guided me throughout and without whose guidance

and support this project would not have been completed successfully. And lastly, I would like

to thank all respondents with whom I interacted during my project for their kind cooperation

in helping me to complete this project work successfully.

ABSTRACT

The study's major goal was to learn about the problems and concerns that working women in

India confront. In India, as a result of the changing global landscape in recent years, there has

been an increasing trend in the number of women-owned businesses and working women.

Females make up half of the population of the world's second most populous country. As

more women become entrepreneurs or work somewhere as a result of the growth of

education, they face obstacles at home and work. Work-life balance is a word that describes

how to strike a balance between the demands of an employee's personal and professional

lives. Workplace responsibilities and expectations make it tough to carve out time for work-

life activities. The public perception of women's roles lags far behind the law. This attitude,

which considers women suitable for certain tasks but not others, harms people who hire staff.

As a result, women can readily find work as nurses, doctors, teachers, secretaries, or

assemblers in the caring and nurturing industries.

This injustice of different earnings and wages for the same job is governed by the ingrained

belief that women are capable of less effort or are less effective than males. The long-held

assumption that men are superior to women at work poses several barriers for women at

work.. This paper is based on both primary and secondary data. I have tried to explain what

problems working women face in India. Managing both household and office work increases

work load on women’s shoulder and they have handle the pressure

This paper is an attempt to discuss the stress level and challenges faced by working women in

India.
Table of contents

Chapter 1: Introduction………………

1.1 Background of the study

1.2 Women Employment in India

1.3 Statement of the problem

1.4 Initiative taken by government

1.5 Objectives of the study

Chapter 2: Literature Review………..

Chapter 3: Research Design………………..

3.1 Sample

Chapter 4: Results and Discussions………………………..

Chapter 5: Conclusion and Suggestions……………..

References

Appendices
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION

• In the history of human evolution, women have played even as important a role as

males. Working women encounter a slew of issues/challenges connected to time

management while engaging in income-generating activities outside the house.

Working women face more obstacles than men because they are responsible for both

household and professional job, while men, on the other hand, rarely offer assistance

with household chores. It’s hard for a female to manage both at the same time. Sleep,

leisure, resting, and travel are thought to be the main issues that working women

encounter. Gender prejudice often begins during the recruitment process, when

women's abilities are undervalued. Apart from nursing and teaching, most men are

unable to recognise that they’re as capable of working side by side with men.

• Women in India have traditionally been homemakers, but in recent decades, decent

education and amenities have given them the chance to undertake to figure outside the

home. India features a patriarchal society in which men are still seen as the primary

breadwinners in the household. Women who are employed encounter challenges in

the job just because they are female. Despite a great deal of effort throughout the

years, the female sector of society suffers in comparison to the masculine section.

Although Indian women have begun working outside the house, they still have a

long way to go in terms of cultural, social, and economic development in order to

instil favourable attitudes in people's minds. Women have started sleeping less than

they used to since they can only cook for their families, get ready for work, and get

their children ready for school if they get up early, so on an average, women lost 2

hours of sleep per day and up to 14 hours sleep per week. If they work in a high-
 pressure setting, they will bring their work home with them, depriving them of a few

more hours of sleep. It's not just about the lack of sleep; such a way of life also

causes stress. This tension is passed on to the family, and the family's irritation level

rises. They have to deal with harassment at work and sometimes just look the other

way to make sure that everything is well. Many Indian families are still living as joint

families along the oldsters and in-laws. This adds to their stress further because they

need to please all the relations of her husband, hear their complaints that they

make against her and switch deaf ears towards them and so on. Number of them

have given up that hope and learnt to simply accept that nothing can be done about

it. India features a great distance to travel before our women are going to be ready

to live their lives to the complete .

.
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

• While women continue to face prejudice and gender bias, the number of women who

have achieved success in technology, business, and other fields has steadily increased

in recent decades. Women are now viewed from a variety of perspectives in society.

Women are currently in every area, including lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers,

managers, and officers, yet working women still confront challenges. Women have

been used and tortured physically, sexually, and mentally for hundreds of years.

Women encounter a plethora of challenges and issues, both at home and at work.

Working women experience emotional stress, sexual harassment, discriminatory

behaviours, and safety and security concerns, as we have seen. Furthermore, Indian

working women face far greater difficulties than their Western counterparts. In India,

men are still regarded as the family's principal winner and boss. Despite the fact that

working women manage their professional lives by dealing with competition and

obstacles at work, and their personal lives by managing home work, children, family,

and cooking, social obligations are still seen as solely a woman's responsibility. They

must work full-time and take care of all domestic responsibilities. Increased stress is

an unintended consequence of a woman's multitasking attempts. If proper balancing

act is not given in both personal and professional life, her relationship with her partner

can become unbalanced.

• Women are more cautious to make financial investments than males. When it comes

to money, they are more careful. There’s a saying for women: “The hand that rocks

the cradle rules the world”. Saving is the habit of women. In earlier days also, when
 women were only housewife’s, they were used to save money for emergencies as

well as for future planning. Earlier , women did not have knowledge of various

st
investment outlets. But in 21 Century, the working women have become more aware

about the financial investments and they have the great potential to bring a positive

change in socio economic conditions of the country. Today’s working women invest

in several investment avenues like shares, debentures, mutual funds, commodities etc.

1.2 WOMEN EMPLOYMENT IN INDIA:

• India's economy has undergone a substantial transformation since the country's

independence in 1947. Agriculture now accounts for less than one-third of the gross

domestic product (GDP), down from 59 percent in 1950, and a good range of recent

industries and support services now exist. In spite of these changes, agriculture

continues to dominate employment, employing two-thirds of all workers. India faced

economic problems within the late 1980s and early 1990s that were exacerbated by

the Persian Gulf Crisis. Starting in 1992, India began to implement trade liberalization

measures. The economy has grown-the GDP rate of growth ranged between 5 and 7

percent annually over the period and considerable progress has been made in

loosening government regulations, particularly restrictions on private businesses.

Different sectors of economy have different experiences about the impact of the

reforms. In a country like India, productive employment is central to poverty

 reduction strategy and to cause economic equality within the society. But the results

of unfettered operation of market forces are not always equitable, especially in India,

where some groups are likely to be subjected to disadvantage as a result of

globalization. Women constitute one such vulnerable cluster.

• Since the days immemorial, worth of the work done or services rendered by women

has not been recognized. India is also a multifaceted society where no generalization

could apply to the whole nation's various regional, religious, social, and economic

groups. Nevertheless, certain broad circumstances during which Indian women live

affect the ways they participate in the economy. Indian society is extremely

hierarchical with virtually everyone ranked relative to others consistent with their

caste (or caste-like group), class, wealth, and power. This ranking even exists in areas

where it is not openly acknowledged, like as certain business settings. Though

specific customs vary from region to region within the country, there are different

standards of behaviour for men and women that carry over into the work environment.

Women are expected to be chaste and particularly modest altogether actions which is

able to constrain their ability to perform within the workplace on an equal basis with

men. Another aspect of life in India is that women are generally confined to home

thus restricting their mobility and face seclusion. The women face constraints beyond

those already placed on them by other hierarchical practices. These cultural rules

place some Indian women, particularly those of lower caste, in a paradoxical

situation: when a family suffers economically, people often think that a woman

should go out and work, yet at the equivalent time the woman's participation in

employed outside the house is viewed as "slightly inappropriate, subtly wrong, and

definitely dangerous to their chastity and feminine virtue". Once a family recovers
 from associate degree slump or attempts to enhance its status, women could even be

kept reception as an indication of the family's morality and as a logo of its financial

security. As in many other countries, working women of all segments of Indian

society faces various forms of discrimination including molestation. Even

professional women find discrimination to be prevalent: two-thirds of the women in

one study felt that they had to figure harder to receive the identical benefits as

comparably employed men.

• A part of Indian women--the elite and the upper middle class-- have gained by the

exposure to the global network. More women are engaged in businesses in

international platforms like the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and have greater career

opportunities as a result of international network. But most of the women continue to

remain marginalized as they are generally employed in a chain of work and seldom

allowed independent charge of her job. Sharing responsibility at work place or taking

independent decisions is still a remote possibility for them. Economic independence

of women is vital because it enhances their ability to require decisions and exercise

freedom of choice, action. Many of the workingwomen, who control their own

income, do contribute towards the economic needs of family as and when required.

They often participate in discussions at their work place and their views are given due

weight age before any final decision. Working women do use and spend their income

at their own sweet will but sometimes permission of the husband becomes necessary

for the purpose. However when it involves making investments, they often leave it to

their husband or other male member of the family to take a position on their behalf.

Many of them don’t take decision just in case of important investments, like, life
insurance, national saving schemes or other tax saving investments. Workingwomen

do feel concerned about the economic needs of the family but when not consulted in

such matters, they regret being ignored especially when they contribute monetarily

towards economic well-being of the family. After globalization women are able to get

more jobs but the work they get is more casual in nature or is the one that men do not

prefer to do or is left by them to move to higher or better jobs. Globalization has

indeed raised hopes of women for a better and elevated status arising out of increased

chances to work but, at the same time, it has put them in a highly contradictory

situation where they have the label of economically independent paid workers but are

not able to enjoy their economic liberty in real sense of the term. India is the first

among countries to give women equal franchise and has a highly credible record with

regard to the enactment of laws to protect and promote the interests of women, but

women continue to be denied economic, social and legal rights and privileges.

Though they are considered to be equal partners in progress, yet they remain

subjected to repression, marginalization and exploitation. It has been advocated by

many researchers (Amartya Sen, 1990) that independent earning opportunities reduce

the economic dependence of woman on men and increase her bargaining power in the

family. This bargaining power depends on the nature of work she is employed in. But

the income earning activities increase the workload of a woman unless the man

accepts an increased share in domestic work. Since globalization is introducing

technological inputs, women are being marginalized in economic activities, men

traditionally being offered new scopes of learning and training. Consequently, female

workers are joining the informal sector or casual labor force more than ever before.

For instance, while new rice technology has given rise to higher use of female labor,

the increased work-load for women is in operations that are unrecorded, and often
 unpaid, since these fall within the category of home production activities. The weaker

sections, especially the women, are denied the physical care they deserve. There is,

thus, hardly any ability for the majority of Indian women to do valuable functioning;

the "capability" to choose from alternatives is conspicuous by absence. Although most

women in India work and contribute to the economy in one form or another, much of

their work is not documented or accounted for in official statistics. Women plough

fields and harvest crops while working on farms, women weave and make handicrafts

while working in household industries, women sell food and gather wood while

working in the informal sector. Additionally, women are traditionally responsible for

the daily household chores (e.g., cooking, fetching water, and searching after

children). Although the cultural restrictions women face are changing, women are still

not as free as men to participate within formal economy. In the past, cultural

restrictions were the primary impediments to female employment now however; the

shortage of jobs throughout the country contributes to low female employment as

well. The Indian census divides workers into two categories: "main" and "marginal"

workers. Main workers include people who worked for 6 months or more during the

year, while marginal workers include people who have worked for a shorter period.

Many of these workers are agricultural laborers. Unpaid farm and family enterprise

workers are supposed to be included in either the most worker or marginal worker

category, as appropriate. Women account for a small proportion of the formal Indian

labor force, even though the amount of female main workers has grown faster in

recent years than that of their male counterparts.

• Since Indian culture hinders women's access to jobs in stores, factories, and the public

sector, the informal sector is particularly important for women. More women may be

involved in undocumented or "disguised" wage work than in the formal labor force.
There are estimates that over 90 percent of workingwomen are involved in the

informal sector and not included in, official statistics. The informal sector includes

jobs such as domestic servant, small trader, artisan, or field laborer on a family farm.

Most of these jobs are unskilled and low paying and do not provide benefits to the

worker. Although such jobs are supposed to be recorded in the census, undercounting

is likely because the boundaries between these activities and other forms of household

work done by women are often clouded thus, the actual labor force participation rate

for women is likely to be higher than that which can be calculated from available data.

Women working in the informal sector of India's economy are also susceptible to

critical financial risks. Particularly vulnerable are the poorest of the poor. Should they

become ill, lose their job, or be unable to continue working, they and their families

may fall into debt and find themselves in the depths of poverty. At risk are millions of

poor who depend on the income generated by one or more women in their household.

These women do not have regular salaried employment with welfare benefits like

workers in the organized sector of the labor market. Female workers tend to be

younger than males. According to the 2001 census, the average age of all female

workers was 33.6 compared with the male average of 36.5.These data are reported by

local employment offices that register the number of people looking for work. The

accuracy of, these data is questionable because many unemployed people may not

register at these offices if there are no perceived benefits to registering. In addition,

the offices operate more extensively in urban areas, thus likely undercounting

unemployment in rural areas. One would expect that as cultural impediments to work

decrease, younger women would be the ones entering the workforce; older women

who have never worked in the formal sector are not likely to start working later in

life. Throughout the economy, women tend to hold lower- level positions than men
even when they have sufficient skills to perform higher-level jobs. Researchers have

estimated that female agricultural laborers were usually paid 40 to 60 percent of the

male wage. Even when women occupy similar positions and have similar educational

levels, they earn just 80 percent of what men do, though this is better than in most

developing countries. The public sector hires a greater share of women than does the

private sector, but wages in the public sector are less egalitarian despite laws requiring

equal pay for equal work. There is evidence that suggests that technological progress

sometimes has a negative impact on women's employment opportunities. When a new

technology is introduced to automate specific manual labor, women may lose their

jobs because they are often responsible for the manual duties. For instance, one

village irrigated its fields through a bucket system in which women were very active.

When the village replaced the manual irrigation system with a tube well irrigation

system, women lost their jobs. Many other examples exist where manual tasks such as

wheat grinding and weeding are replaced by wheat grinding machines, herbicides, and

other modern technologies. These examples are not meant to suggest that women

would be better off with the menial jobs rather they illustrate how women have been

pushed out of traditional occupations. Women may not benefit from jobs created by

the introduction of new technology. New jobs (e.g., wheat grinding machine operator)

usually go to men, and it is even rare for women to be employed in the factories

producing such equipment. National Sample Survey data exemplify this trend. Since

the 1970s, total female self-employment and regular employment have been

decreasing as a proportion of total employment in rural areas, while casual labor has

been increasing (NSSO, 1994). Other data reinforce the conclusion that employment

options for female agricultural workers have declined, and that many women seek

casual work in other sectors characterized by low wages and low productivity. Other
 agricultural work includes workers involved with livestock, forestry, fishing and

hunting, plantations, orchards, and related activities.

• Even if a woman is employed, she may not have control over the money she earns,

though this money often plays an important role in the maintenance of the household.

In Indian culture women are expected to devote virtually all of their time, energy, and

earnings to their family. Men, on the other hand, are expected to spend time and at

least some of their earnings on activities outside the household. Research has shown

that women contribute a higher share of their earnings to the family and are less likely

to spend it on themselves. Research has suggested that as the share of the family

income contributed by woman increases, so does the likelihood that she will manage

this income. However, the extent to which women retain control over their own

income varies from household to household and region to region. Many women still

sought their husbands' permission when they wanted to purchase something for

themselves. In northern India, where more stringent cultural restrictions are in place,

it is likely that few women control family finances. Conditions of working women in

India have improved considerably in the recent years. Ironically, despite the

improvement in their status, they still find themselves dependent on men. It is because

of the fact that man in patriarchal society has always wielded economic independence

and power to take decision. Since the working woman earns an independent income in

the same patriarchal set-up, where the basic infrastructure of society has hardly

changed, though her own role within the same structure is passing through a

transitional phase, it is but natural that she would remain vulnerable to exploitation

even in her economically independent state. Society perhaps yet needs to accord due
 recognition to women to take the lead role and women, at the same time; need to be

oriented vigorously towards assuming this role in the society.

• The status of Indian women has undergone considerable change. Though Indian

women are far more independent and aware of their legal rights, such as right to work,

equal treatment, property and maintenance, a majority of women remain unaware of

these rights. There are other factors that affect their quality of life such as age of

marriage, extent of literacy, role in the family and so on. In many families, women do

not have a voice in anything while in several families; the women may have a

dominating role. The result is that the empowerment of women in India is highly

unbalanced and with huge gaps. Those who are economically independent and literate

live the kind of life that other women tend to envy about. This disparity is also a cause

for worry because balanced development is not taking place.

1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The study shows the following research problems for the study at hand associated with

problems and challenges faced by working women in the workplace:

• Maintaining a balance between work and family obligations.

• Workplace stress issues that affect working women.

• Those who have been subjected to workplace harassment and discrimination.

• Abuse, violence, harassment, and prejudice are all tolerated.

• Sexual harassment, mental stress, and a lack of safety.

• Working women confront prejudiced and stereotypical thinking.

MAIN PROBLEMS FACED BY WOMEN.

The position of Indian women has changed dramatically. Despite the fact that Indian women

are significantly more self-reliant and aware of their legal rights, such as the right to work,

equal treatment, property, and upkeep, the vast majority of women are uninformed of these

rights. Other elements that influence their quality of life include the age at which they

married, their level of literacy, their role in the family, and so on. Women in many

households do not have a say in anything, yet in others, women may have a dominant role. As

a result, women's empowerment in India is highly imbalanced, with significant gaps. Women

who are financially self-sufficient and literate have a life that other women lust after. This

disparity is especially concerning because balanced development is essential.

Sexual harassment

Many working women today, regardless of their rank, personal attributes, or types of

employment, are victims of sexual harassment. They are subjected to sexual harassment on

public transportation, at work, in educational institutions, hospitals, at home, and even when

filing complaints at police stations. It's frightening that the law enforcers are breaking and

outraging the law. As a result of the overcrowding on public transportation, women become

easy targets for physical harassment. The majority of women are concentrated in low-wage

service jobs, whereas men are in immediate management positions, allowing them to exploit

their female subordinates. There have been several cases of sexual harassment recently

involving even the senior women officials. If a woman is praised for her work or promoted

on merit, her colleagues do not hesitate to attribute it to sexual favours. This psychological

pressure can easily lead to a woman resigning from her job. In our society, most cases of

sexual abuse go unreported because of the trauma and the social stigma attached to it. In the

recent past, various guidelines, resolutions have been made to broaden the definition of
sexual exploitation. There must be gender equality which includes protection from

harassment and right to work with dignity. Sexual harassment of a female at the place of

work is incompatible with her dignity and needs to be eliminated. Appropriate steps must be

taken by employers or persons in charge of workplaces, public or private sector, to ensure

safe working atmosphere for women. Appropriate work conditions must be provided in

respect of work, health and hygiene to further ensure that there is no hostile environment

towards women at workplaces. If we want to see a society free of sexual harassment, there is

need of changing the mindset of the society. Simply enacting laws is not sufficient. So, the

political structure should be altered to achieve the goal.

Mental harassment:

It is an age old convention that women are less capable and inefficient in working as

compared to men. The attitude which considers women unfit for certain jobs holds back

women. In spite of the constitutional provisions, gender bias creates obstacles in their

recruitment. In addition to this, the same attitude governs injustice of unequal salaries for the

same job. No one thinks of upgrading their skills with technological advancement which

makes it easy to terminate woman’s employment and hire other persons. Maternity leave is

seldom given. Women’s issues do not occur on the priority list of most of the trade unions.

Traditionally women are seen as the house-keepers and child bearers. A woman could still

bear up with these problems if she controls over money that she earns but in most cases, their

salary is handed over to father, husband or in laws. Therefore, main purpose for seeking

employment to get independence is nullified in many cases. The story doesn’t end here.

Sexual harassment, which was an invisible problem until quite recently, has now become a

major social problem with the widespread entry of women in to the labor force.
Discrimination at workplace

However, Indian women still face blatant discrimination at their workplaces. A major

problem faced by the working women is sexual harassment at the work place. Further,

women employees working in night shift are more vulnerable to such incidents. Nurses, for

example, face this problem nearly every day. There is nothing that is done in hospitals to

tackle and address the danger they face. Such blatant disregard of current Indian laws is one

reason why sexual harassment at the workplace continues to increase.

Also, Indian women are often deprived of promotions and growth opportunities at work

places but this doesn’t apply to all working women. A majority of working women continue

to be denied their right to equal pay, under the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 and are

underpaid in comparison to their male colleagues. This is usually the case in factories and

labor-oriented industries.

Balancing Personnel and Professional life

It is a very big challenge for Indian working women to maintain a balance between their work

and family. She has the responsibility to fulfil all the expectations of family members and

particularly from kids. In India, the career and professional aspirations are still considered as

secondary for women. In majority of the families, there is a lack of emotional and moral

support given to the working women. And at the same time, there are many official

expectations and deadlines that women have to fulfil to continue their job. In this type of dual

roles to become perfect in all tasks, the working women fill very much stressed in her day to

day life
Negligible Personnel Space

Indian working women have to maintain a balance between their families and career if they

want to achieve independence and success in their lives. In this hassle, women get restless.

They try to increase their working power for their work which makes them lacking in sleep.

They gradually feel frustrated and helpless because no one is there to help and support them.

They sometimes feel isolated and due to this, they have to face many emotional and

psychological problems. Insomnia and depression are two major mental problems that Indian

working women usually suffer from. They feel an immense lack of personnel space. They

have no time for themselves. They feel unable to share their feelings with anyone because

they know that no one will understand them. Under this psychological pressure, they are left

with only two options: either to give up the job or to accept the depression as a part of their

working life

Safety of women while travelling

Typically, the orthodox mindset in the Indian society makes it difficult for a working woman

to balance her domestic environment with the professional life. In some families, it may not

be acceptable to work after six o’clock. Those families that do accept these working hours

may experience considerable anxiety every day about a woman’s safety while traveling. So

many issues affect a working woman because she is closely protected or watched by her

family and the society.

According to survey conducted by ASSOCHAM, on 1000 women professionals, around 80

per cent of the households expect their daughters-in-law to prioritize household requirements

over the official work. Further, many of them are physically and psychologically abused, by
their in-laws and husband but they do not complain or let others know about it, particularly if

they have children.

Lack of Family Support

Lack of proper family support is another issue that working women suffers from. At times,

the family doesn’t support women to leave the household work and go to office. They also

resist for women working till late in office which also hampers the performance of the

women and this also affects their promotion.

Insufficient Maternity Leaves

Insufficient maternity leave is another major issue that is faced by a working mother. This

not only affects the performance of women employees at work, but is also detrimental to their

personal lives.

Workplace Adjustment

Adjusting to the workplace culture, whether in a new company or not, can be intensely

stressful. Making oneself adapt to the various aspects of workplace culture such as

communication patterns of the boss as well as the co-workers, can be lesson of life.

Maladjustments to workplace cultures may lead to subtle conflicts with colleagues or even

with superiors. In many cases office politics or gossips can be major stress inducers.

Other reasons
It includes Personal demographics like age, level of education, marital status, number of

children, personal income and number of jobs currently had where you work for pay and

Work situation characteristics like job tenure, size of employing organization, hours worked

per week.

Physical Psychological & Behavioural

• Headaches • Serious depression • Inefficiency in work •

• Stomach problems Suicidal behaviour

• Eating disorders • Domestic violence • Anxiety

• Sleep disturbances • Irritability

• Fatigue • Low morale

• Muscle aches & pains • High Blood • Depression

Pressure • Heart disease • Alcohol & drug use • Feeling powerless

1.4 INITIATIVE TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT

 Grant in aid scheme

The Ministry is running a Grant-in- aid Scheme for the welfare of women labour. This

Scheme, which has been continuing since Sixth Five Year Plan is administered

through voluntary organizations by giving grant-in-aid to them for the following

purposes:

Organizing working women and educating them about their rights/duties, Legal aid

Working women.

Seminars, workshops, etc. aiming at raising the general consciousness of the society

about the problems of women labour.

 Protective provisions for women employees: Safety/Health Measures

Section 22(2) of the Factories Act, 1948 provides that no woman shall be allowed to

clean, lubricate or adjust any part of a prime mover or of any transmission machinery

while the prime mover or transmission machinery is in motion.

Section 27 of the Factories Act, 1948 prohibits employment of women in any part of a

factory for pressing cot- ton in which a cotton opener is at work.

• Regarding Night Work

Section 66(1)(b) of the Factories Act, 1948 states that no woman shall be required or

allowed to work in any factory except between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Section 25 of the Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966

stipulates that no woman shall be required or allowed to work in any industrial

premise except between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Section 46(1)(b) of the Mines Act, 1952 prohibits employment of women in any mine

above ground except be- tween the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.

 Prohibition of Sub-terrain Work

Section 46(1)(b) of the Mines Act, 1952 prohibits employment of women in any part

of a mine which is below ground.

• Maternity Benefit

The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 regulates the employment of women in certain

establishments for certain periods be- fore and after child-birth and provides maternity

benefits. The Building and Other Constructions (Regulation of Employment and

Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 provides for maternity benefit to female

beneficiaries of the Welfare Fund.

• Separate Latrines & Washing Facilities Provision exists under the following:

Section 57 of the Contract Labour Act, 1970.

Section 42 of the Factories Act.

Section 43 of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979.

• Provision for Crèches

Provision exists under the following:

Section 48 of the Factories Act, 1948.

Section 44 of the Inter State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979. • Section 12 of the

Plantations Labour Act, 1951.

Section 14 of the Beedi and Cigar Workers Act, 1966.

Section 35 of the Building and other Constructions Act, 1996.

• Central/state advisory committee A Central Advisory Committee has been set up

at the Centre under the Act to advise the Government on providing in- creasing

employment opportunities for women and generally reviewing the steps taken for

effective implementation of the Act. The Committee has been reconstituted vide

Gazette Notification dated 12.10.2010.

• Working Women’s Forum

The (WWF) is a women’s organization in southern India. It was founded in 1978 by

Jaya Arunachalam in Madras (Chennai). The WWF aims to empower poor women

in southern India by providing microcredit, a trade union, health care and training.

• Women’s hostels

The objective of the scheme is to promote availability of safe and conveniently

located accommodation for working women, with day care facility for their children,

wherever possible, in urban, semi urban, or even rural areas where employment

opportunity for women exist. To achieve this objective, the scheme will assist projects

for construction of new hostel buildings, expansion of existing hostel buildings and
hostel buildings in rented premises to be made available to all working women

without any distinction with respect to caste, religion, marital status etc., subject to

norms prescribed under the scheme. This scheme is operated by ministry of women

and child development.

1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

• The study attempts to address following points:

• To gain a better understanding of the problems and challenges faced by working

women in the workplace, the study seeks to address the following points:

• To pinpoint the important socioeconomic indicators that influence women's status,

safety, and security.

• To investigate women's participation in various activities/organizations for the

betterment of their families, communities, and society, which can lead to their overall

growth.

• To find out possible solutions to identify factors preventing women employees from

aspiring for higher post.

 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW
2. LITERATURE REVIEW

 Sophia J. Ali (2011) “Investigated the challenges facing women in career

development. She found that most of the women employees were dissatisfied with

career development programmers and women were discriminated against in career

development opportunities. The study recommended that organizations should strive

to ensure that career development programmers were set to enhance career

development amongst women employees. Top management should also be committed

to the career development of women, and organizations should also introduce

affirmative action to urgently address career development of women

• Mitra (1997) analyses the causes and comes to some important conclusions:

“Relationship between women and professions could be perceived as one of women

in full-fledged professions, medicine, law, academics, etc and another in the semi-

professions-like nursing, teaching, clerks etc.”

• Okolo (1989) studied that another obstacle is the lack of role models of executive

women due to their scarce presence in top managerial positions. Likewise, this study

found out that there 18 is no gender difference in organizational hierarchies when a

woman has already gained access to them. “The lack of impact in women can occur

because executive and managerial women have developed survival features becoming

immune to the effects of men’s hierarchies. A hierarchy composed by men solely may

have an effect upon the election of a managerial board, and then its further influence

is not very strong.”

 Wentling (2003) showed that the twin roles of women cause tension and conflict due

to her social structure which is still more dominant. In her study on working women

in Delhi, she has shown that “traditional authoritarian set up of Hindu social structure

continues to be the same basically and hence women face problem of role conflict

change in attitudes of men and women according to the situation can help to

overcome their problem.”

 Gunavathy and Suganya (2007) in their study among married women employees of

BPO companies traced the causes, consequences of work-life imbalance and

interventions for worklife balance. More than two-third of the respondents stated the

experienced work-life imbalance primarily on account of work interference with

personal life. The causes for work-life imbalance were classified as organizational and

personal factors. The organizational factors included work related factors, time-

related factors and relationship-related factors. The personal factors included lack of

family support, marital conflicts and frequent change in sleeping patterns. According

to the study, “the three main consequences of work-life imbalance were stress and

burnout, ill-health and poor work performance. The respondents also experienced

guilt of not being able to spend time with family, anxiety about poor performance,

displacement of negative emotions on family members and on co-workers.”

 Ahmad and Aminah (2007) examined the work-family conflict experienced by 239

married female production operators in dual-career families, the social support they

received and the coping strategies used to manage the conflict. “The women

experienced more work interference with family than family interference with work.

The intensity of work interference with family was significantly higher in the earlier
 life-cycle stage than in the later stage. About two thirds of the women indicated that

they intended to leave their job upon having another child, mainly due to the rising

cost of child-care services. They received the least social support from their

supervisors compared to other sources, and tended to cope with conflict using reactive

role behavior and personal role redefinition strategies.”

 Somjee (1989) has some very strong critical comments. She has said that “in the

history of women’s studies, which is not very long, a variety of approaches have been

adopted in order to understand women’s problems and find solutions to them. such

approaches range from how women are perceived in various cultures and historical

settings, given their biological functions and what nature ‘intended’ them to do, to

their decline in power and status vis-à-vis men in the complex social evolution, to a

widely shared emphasis on the need to make women equal through the economic on

the need to make women equal through the economic and legal route which treats

them as individuals rather than those having the sole responsibility for looking after

the family”.
 CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
METHODOLOGY

Research can be broadly defined as systematic gathering of data and information and its

analysis for advancement of knowledge in any subject. Identifying and using a correct

research methodology is important and should never be underestimated, as it provides a

comprehensive understanding of the research. The research methodology in this study

includes the research framework, sample, measurement instruments, research procedure and

data collection.

I prepared questionnaire of 22 questions in which I got 65 responses which I have discussed

in results and discussion chapter

3.1 SAMPLE:

When you conduct research on a group of individuals, it’s rarely doable to collect statistical

data from everybody within that particular group. Instead, a researcher chooses to select a

sample. The sample is a smaller group of people a researcher chooses as participants in an

analysis. Thus, a sample refers to a smaller, manageable version of a bigger group. it's a

subset containing the characteristics of a bigger population. Samples are utilized in statistical

testing when population sizes are overly large for the test to incorporate all potential members

or observations. A sample should represent the population as a whole and not be influenced

by any bias toward a specific attribute. The set of criteria to find out which subjects would be

included in the sample is the “Inclusion Criteria” while the criterion to find out which

subjects will not constitute the sample are the “Exclusion Criteria”.

In my study, the inclusion criteria is as follow

• Women’s from the age group of 18-55

The exclusion criteria were as follows

• Non-working women or below 18 women.

CHAPTER- 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

From the above records, we can say that:

1. 66.2% of the respondents belong to 18-25 age group

2. 26-35 % of the respondents belong to 26-35 age group

3. 36-50 % of the respondents belong to 36-50 age group

From the above records, we can say that

1. 69.2% of women’s are unmarried

 2. 27.7% of women’s are married

3. 1 % of women’s are widowed

4. 1% of women’s are separated

From the above records we can say that,

1. 41.5% of women’s were equally promoted

2. 49.2% of women’s were promoted longer than men.

3. 4.6% of women’s got promotion earlier

4. 1.5% of women’s haven’t yet started working

5. 1.5% of haven’t been in such situations

6. 1.5% of were not sure

From the above facts, we can say that

1. 18.5% of women’s got a promotion based on favouritism

2. 52.5% of women’s got a promotion based on their work

3. 20.2% of women’s were not sure

From the above data we can say that

1. 38.5% of women’s do work as much as male colleagues do

2. 35.4% of women’s work less than male

 3. 26.2% of women’s are not sure

From the above data, we can say that

1. 36.9% of women’s says that their boss’s attitude is cooperative towards them

2. 55.4% of women’s says that its neutral

3. 2% of women’s says that its abusive

4. Remaining were sure

From the above data, we can say that

 1. 52.3% of women’s feel hesitant working with male colleagues

2. 47.7% of women’s were good working with male colleagues

From the above data, we can say that

1. 64.6% of women’s think that people conclude about their character

2. 23.1% of women’s think people don’t conclude them by their character

3. 12.3% of women’s were not sure

From the above data, we can say that

 1. 75.4% of women’s have faced sexual abuse at work

2. 24.6% of women’s have not faced sexual abuse at work

From the above data, we can say that

1. 60% of women’s were not sure that authorities will took/take action against accused

person

2. 13.8% of women’s says yes

3. 26.2% of women’s says that authorities didn’t take action

From the above data, we can say that

1. 36.9% of women’s says yes

 2. 12.8% of women’s says no

3. 49.2% of women’s are not sure

From the above data, we can say that

1. 53.8% of women’s are facing health problems due to problems at workplace

2. 33.8% of women’s faced no health complications

3. 12.3% of women’s were not sure

From the above data, we can say that

1. 15.4% of women’s suffer in silence

2. 55.4% of women’s will fight against injustice

 3. 20% of women’s were not sure

4. 9.2% of women’s will quit their job

From the above data, we can say that

1. 60% of women’s says that they were given same work as male

2. 21.5% of women’s says that they were given easier job

3. 18.5% of women’s were not sure

From the above data, we can say that

1. 53.8% of women’s were respected by other members

2. 12.3% of women’s were not respected by other colleagues

 3. 32.3% of women’s were not sure

4. 1.5% has not yet started working

From the above data, we can say that

1. 40% of women’s were mentally pressurised

2. 32.3% faced gender discrimination

3. 10.8% faced sexual harassment

4. 13.8% faced depression

5. 3.1% faced something else

From the above data, we can say that

1. 32.3% of women’s were supported by other family members

2. 24.6% of women’s were supported by friends

3. 20% of women’s were supported by spouse/partner

4. 16.9% of women’s were encouraged to use paid/unpaid leaves

From the above fact, we can say that

 1. 55.4% of women’s were not involved in any other activities

2. 44.6% of women’s were involved in activities

From the above , we can say that

1. 49.2% of women’s think that they have been treated differently at work because of

being a women

2. 50.8% of women’s that everyone was treated equally

From the above data, we can say that

 1. 43.1% of women’s are facing problems at home and work

2. 56.9% of women’s were not facing any problems

From the above data, we can say that

1. 90.8% of women’s feel that financial independence gave them more respect in society

2. 6.2% of women’s feel that financial independence doesn’t give them respect in

society

3. 3 % of women’s were not sure

22. Do you have any additional comments about your fears, frustration, wants,
needs, career, boss, team, workplace and workplace environment etc. Please
elaborate?
65 responses

No

All leaves should be paid

-
No comments
Male domination

There must be period leaves at least 2 days in a month. As almost all women suffer the same
issue of back to back leaves.

No such issues 😀

Even though the government has set VISHAKHA GUIDELINES for protection of women at
workplace they are still not being implemented and cases of sexual harassment have very
slow tedious and expensive judicial process thus making it tough for a vast proportion of
population to afford justice which is a fundamental right.

My boss was really mean. Infact she fired me w out any proper notice and didn’t even give me
the last months salary.

Fear of losing dear ones while pursuing own dreams.

I think it dependent on how your workplace environment is if it’s good then surely you’ll be
happy but if don’t then fear and depression can create a problem

No

Fear of losing family for work sometimes

Understand what problems we face while managing both household and work by seeing that
we should be allowed to take leave in emergency.

The workplace should be made more gender neutral there have been issues like male
washroom being well equipped and clean in comparison to female washroom.

I have been lucky enough to have faced no injustice because of the fact that I am a woman.

There should be action against companies which do not take timely action against sexual
harassment complaints

It has been a tough journey being a woman.

No, I don’t think that there is any kind of discrimination between male and female employees
all are treated equally these days

Doesn't get equal place

Not sure

Menstrual leaves
I have always been scared of going out in public with a place full of men

I hope the world will be considered safe for women

Always been surrounded in a safe environment

Every woman should have equal rights to live their life their way

Kind of confuse

Questions are remarkable . Good work Rashi

Na

Work load of home

More opportunity should be given

Strict rules by government

fear of getting assaulted by colleague.

Nope

Safe environment at public transport.

Gender discrimination has been a by-product of the patriarchy since time immemorial. Work
places must abide to law and offer equal opportunities and well deserved respect to women.

From the above that, we can say that

In this questions have women’s have answered different answers according to their

experience and suggesting accordingly.

 CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS

CONCLUSION

Problems affect not only lower-level employees, but also higher-level employees and

practically every working woman. Varied women have different perceptions of their heads,

worries, frustrations, and so on. Some women work in pleasant environments, while others

are despondent due to problems with male and female co-workers. The literature I evaluated

for this dissertation provides empirical support for the obstacles that working women

experience on a daily basis, both at home and at work. One form of stereotyped thinking that

still exists is whether women who leave their homes for work are capable of competing with

others while maintaining a balance between family and professional obligations. People have

made assumptions or conclusions about the personalities of working women. At work and at

home, women are oppressed, dominated, and exploited. When women go to work, they are

frequently subjected to sexual harassment. The public transportation system is packed, and

guys take advantage of the situation to harass women physically. Because women workers

are frequently subjected to sexual harassment, the government should impose strong penalties

for such crimes. Additionally, public transportation can be dangerous for women, and the

government should conduct more inspections. People used to believe that men should only

work to make money and women should stay at home, but this is no longer the case, but The

financial demands of the Indian families are increasing that’s why women also should step in

gaining income for families. As a result, a fundamental shift in employee, family, and public

attitudes is required. The solution to the problem of occupational stress among working

women in India is a shift in society's traditional mindset that males are breadwinners and
females are housekeepers. As a result, employers, policymakers, legislators, and family

members must all modify their attitudes.. They should provide the tension free environment

to working women at place of work as well as at home. Women have become more important

as a result of the government's many programmes and programmes. Women should also be

encouraged to take advantage of the government's policy initiatives.

Long-term exposure of workers to excessive work hours and high levels of work-to-family

interference increases their risk of mental and physical health problems, according to the

findings. Furthermore, the research indicates that solutions to these potential issues must

address workload and job demands, employee choice and flexibility in work hours and

arrangements, organisational cultures, and manager behaviours at all levels. According to the

findings, women faced numerous obstacles in balancing job and family life.
SUGGESTION

Organizations should designate a counsellor to learn more about the issues that affect

working women. Administrators must foster an environment in which employees are not

afraid to start a family. Managers can create a welcoming workplace that allows for

scheduling flexibility, telecommuting, personal time off, onsite child care, and other family-

friendly programmes. Working parents' internal social network (forum, blog, mentors,

coaches). Meditation, prayer, and back-up child care are all available in the wellness/resource

room. As a result, firms must develop standards for the administration of WFCs, which are

linked to employee job satisfaction and performance. Illiterate folks should also be included

in the study. Additional research is needed to compare the experiences of men and women in

terms of work and family balances, as well as to learn more about the effects of work and

family conflict. Researchers must examine many aspects such as job stress, quality of life,

mental health, and work demography in order to gain a comprehensive knowledge of one's

work and family life. Partners can be more sensitive to women's needs and go against the

grain by assisting their wives with everyday activities and kid care. Governments should

require corporations to install Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in vehicles transporting

women and in all industries that use women on night shifts. Providing women with self-

defence training; installing safety devices and CCTVs at the work place; undertaking police

verification of cab drivers, security guards etc.

REFERENCES

Barati, A., Arab, R., & Masoumi, S. (2021). Challenges and Problems Faced By Women

Workers in India (Research Scholar). University of Kerala, Trivandrum, Kerala.

Dashora, D. (2013). Problems faced by Working Women in India (Principal). P.P. Patel

College of Social Science, Dahemi, Anand, Gujarat (India).

Garg, D. (2014). Occupational Stress and Challenges Faced by Working Women in

India (Head). SSD Girls College, Bathinda, Punjab, India.

Ramasethu, D. A Study on Problems and Challenges Faced by Urban Working Women in

India (Assistant Professor,). Rathinam College Arts and Science, Assistant Professor,

Coimbatore-21.

Shambunath, D. (2017). PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY URBAN WORKING

WOMEN IN INDIA (Dept of Women’s Studies). Gulbarga University, Kalaburagi.

Shiva, M. (2015). A Study on Problems and Challenges Faced by Urban Working Women in

India (Assistant Professor). Rathinam College Arts and Science, Assistant Professor,

Coimbatore-21.
Tiwari, A. (2017). PROBLEM OF WORKING WOMEN IN INDIA (Research Scholar). Devi

Ahiliya University Indore (MP).

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WEBSITE

ministry of labour and employment www.labour. nic.in

Appendices

1. What's your age?

2. What is your marital status?

3. How long did it take for you to get promoted in comparison to male colleagues of the

same position?

4. Did you get your promotion on merit basis or you were offered a promotion based on

favouritism or any other indecent proposal?

5. Do you work as much as your male colleagues or are you required to work less than

male?

6. How is the attitude of your boss towards you?

7. Do you sometime feel hesitant to work with male colleagues because they may

sexually harass or underestimate you on the basis of gender?

8. Do you think people draw conclusions about your character, reputation and attitude

the way they like?

9. Have you ever faced sexual abuse of any kind in your workplace?

10. If yes, did the office authorities take any strict measures against the accused persons?

11. If No, do you think the office authorities will act in a fair manner if you face sexual

harassment?

12. Do you suffer from any health complications like mood swings, depression,

concentration problems due to problems at workplace?

13. What in your opinion is more convenient when faced with the situation of harassment

based on gender discrimination?

14. Are you given easier jobs at work as compared to male candidates?

15. Do your seniors/colleagues/male members/other members respect you?

16. Which problems do you think is the most important problem faced by working

women in the work place?

17. . Support for balance between work and non-work activities given by

18. Are you involved in any kind of activities in the workplace, community and society?

19. Do you think you have been treated differently by your colleagues/seniors/boss/other

members because you are a woman?

20. Are you facing problems related to your family life and professional life?

21. Do you feel financial independence gives you more respect in the society?

22. Do you have any additional comments about your fears, frustration, wants, needs,

career, boss, team, workplace and workplace environment etc. Please elaborate?