Schemes related for women

Implementation Guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana

Yojana
pan-India implementation of this scheme w.e.f. 01st January, 2017.
Guidelines inter-alia provide Aadhaar linkage, Direct Benefit Transfer, antenatal check-up and
registration of child birth & first cycle of immunisation of the child.
PMMVY is implemented by the Ministry of Women & Child Development in collaboration
with State Governments.

About PMMVY:
Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), previously Indira
Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY), is a maternity
benefit program run by the government of India.
conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating
women of 19 years of age or above for first two live births.
It provides a partial wage compensation to women for wage-loss during
childbirth and childcare and to provide conditions for safe delivery and good
nutrition and feeding practices.
In 2013, the scheme was brought under the National Food Security
Act, 2013
Centrally Sponsored Scheme
60:40, the States & UTs with Legislature
for North-Eastern States & three Himalayan States, it is 90:10 and
100% Central assistance for Union Territories without Legislature.
The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017
which amended some of the provisions related to the duration and applicability of maternity
leave, and other facilities in the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
Also WHO and the Union ministry of health and family welfare guidelines emphasize that a
baby needs to be nursed by its mother for a minimum of six months. Six month of
breastfeeding is important for the infant to develop immunity against diseases. This step will
lower the infant mortality rate. Why maternity leaves are important? Article 42 of the
Constitution guarantees maternity benefits to all working women.

Key Features of the Act

The act is applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more persons
The amended act increases this to 26 weeks.
Under the Act, this maternity benefit should not be availed before six weeks from the date of
expected delivery. The amendment changes this to eight weeks.
In case of a woman who has two or more children, the maternity benefit will continue to be 12
weeks, which cannot be availed before six weeks from the date of the expected delivery.
 a commissioning mother. A commissioning mother is defined as a biological mother who uses
her egg to create an embryo implanted in another woman. a woman who legally adopts a child
below three months of age Maternity leave for adoptive and commissioning mothers: The
amendment introduces a provision to grant 12 weeks of maternity leave to:
Option to work from home: an employer may permit a woman to work from home even after the
leave period.
Informing women employees of the right to maternity leave: every establishment to intimate a
woman at the time of her appointment of the maternity benefits available to her

Critical appraisal of the amended Act

Pros
Exceeds ILOs minimum standard of 14 weeks. It will improve India's ranking in terms of the
number of weeks for maternity leave.
will help 18 lakh women workforce in organised sector
As absence of adequate maternity leave and income security is one of the reasons for women
dropping out of the labour force, this will provide protection to women
would help new mothers bond with their babies and also to enable them to breastfeed leading to
enhanced nutrition and immunity for the child.

Worldwide practices
Parents in Britain are eligible to share 12 months of leave after the birth of a child.
In Asia, Japan offers a years unpaid leave to each parent. South Korea allows both parents
partially paid parental leave for up to one year.
In Europe, new mothers mostly get between 14 and 22 weeks of paid leave

Paternity leave
In India, Public sector grants 15 days of paternity leave while there is no law on paternity leave
in the private sector.

Singapore Model:
the concern that the financial burden will deter employers to hire young married women can be
solved by adopting this model. In Singapore, women in the city-state get 16 weeks of maternity
leave with the employer paying for eight weeks and the next eight reimbursed to the employer by
the government.

Way forward
should also extend to women working in unorganized sector.

We must work together to ensure the equitable distribution of

wealth, opportunity, and power in our society.
NELSON MANDELA

labour force participation (LFPR) rates:

 International Monetary Fund working paper:

India has one of the lowest female labour force participation (FLFP) rates among
emerging markets and developing countries.
Women's participation in the workforce is skewed towards certain sectors. For example

Unorganised sector: - Ninety percent of Indian workers are employed in the

unorganized sector but the inability to provide flexibility, childcare benefits and
maternity leaves creates disincentives for women to seek work outside the home.
Manufacturing and services - account for just 18 per cent of rural employment for
women.
Manufacturing and services - account for just 18 per cent of rural employment for
women.
Agriculture - dominates at 75 per cent.

If you say, I'm for equal pay, that's a reform. But if you say. I'm a
feminist, that's a transformation of society.

--Gloria Steinem
Reasons for low labour force participation

Increased income of men

Caste factor
Safety issues & Harassment at work place
The nature of economic growth in the country has meant that jobs were not created in
large numbers in sectors that could readily absorb women, especially for those in rural
areas.

How to bring more women into the workforce?

Bridging gender gaps in secondary and tertiary education.

Creating employment opportunities in male dominated sectors.
Ensuring skill training for women in key sectors.
Increasing the reach of the financial sector in order to provide services to the women
entrepreneurs better.
Promoting gender diversity policies and practices in private sector organisations
Strengthening legal provisions for women and the enforcement of these laws
Addressing infrastructure issues.
Reshaping societal attitudes and beliefs about women participation in the labour force.
Reservation can be provided to women in formal sector as provided in Bihar for state
government jobs.
WAGE DISPARITY

Salary Index Report of online service provider Monster highlights gender pay gap in
India.
Gender pay gap is as high as 27%.
Men earned a median gross hourly salary of Rs. 288.68, while women earned Rs. 207.85.

Reasons Behind Gender Pay Gap

Career breaks of women due to parenthood duties and other socio-cultural factors.
Lack of opportunities in male dominated sectors

Our inequality materializes our upper class, vulgarizes our

middle class, brutalizes our lower class.
MATTHEW ARNOLD

WOMEN IN COMBAT ROLE

India has announced that women will be allowed to occupy combat roles in all sections of its
army, navy and air force, indicating a radical move to gender parity in one of the world's most-
male dominated professions. This is line with the gradual induction of women in combat roles in
armed forces across the globe- be it United States or Israel.
The whole concept of womens induction in the services, therefore, has to be viewed in a holistic
and objective manner and not only from gender equality perspective.