Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Women’s Employment in Modern Indian Industry

  • Research Note
  • Published:
The Indian Journal of Labour Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper examines the qualitative aspect of women’s employment in modern Indian industries through a case study of the electronics manufacturing industry. The results reveal that this industry is gender-unequal; women increasingly hold regular, salaried jobs, but in low-paid, low-productive occupations, and are paid much less than men and given fewer social security benefits. These women are mostly young, single, and from lower caste, and either highly educated or illiterate. Few of the firms that employ them have a union. Very few women are union members, and have bargaining power. The paper ends with a set of policy recommendations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  • Abraham, V. (2013), “Missing Labour or Consistent “De-Feminisation?”, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 48, No. 31, pp. 99–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ara, S. (2015), “Gender and Jobs: Evidence from Urban Labour Market in India”, The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Vol. 58, No. 3, pp. 378–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arneson, R. (1989), “Equality and Equal Opportunity for Welfare”, Philosophical Studies, Vol. 56, No. 1, pp. 79–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bacchus, N. (2005), “The Effects of Globalisation on Women in Developing Nations”, Honors College Theses-Paper 2, Accessible at http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/honorscollege_theses/2’.

  • Beneria, L. (2003), Gender, Development and Globalization, Routledge, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caraway, T.L. (2007), “Assembling Women: the Feminization of Global Manufacturing”, Cornell University Press, New York and London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, D.O. (2009), “Informalising Labour in Asia’s Global Factory”, Journal of Contemporary Asia, Vol. 39, No. 2, pp. 161–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chhachhi, A. (1999), “Gender, Flexibility, Skill and Industrial Restructuring: The Electronics Industry in India”, Working Paper: 296, Institute of Social Studies, Hague.

  • Cohen, G.A. (1989), “On the Currency of Egalitarian Justice” Ethics, Vol. 99, No. 4, pp. 906–944.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, J.L. (2003), “Threads: Gender Labour and Power in the Global Apparel Industry”, Chicago University Press, Chicago and London.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Custers, P. (2012), “Women, Labour and Capital Accumulation in Asia”, 2nd edition, Monthly Review Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dworkin, R. (1981), “What Is Equality? Part 1: Equality of Welfare” Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 185–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghai, D. (2003), “Decent Work: Concept and Indicators”, International Labour Review, Vol. 142, No. 2, pp. 113–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldar, B. (2013), “Sustaining a High Rate of Industrial Growth in India in the Next 10 Years”, Paper presented at a Workshop on ‘Sustaining High Growth in India”, 25–26 July, 2013, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi.

  • IER (2016), “Challenges and the Imperative of Manufacturing-Led Growth”, Oxford University Press, New Delhi.

    Google Scholar 

  • ILO (2004), “Fair Globalization, Creating Opportunities for All”, A Report of the World Commission on the Social Dimension on Globalization, Geneva; Also available at http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/report.pdf.

  • ILO (2016), “India Labour Market Update, International Labour Organisation, July 2016”, Also available at http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—asia/—ro-bangkok/—sro-new_delhi/documents/publication/wcms_496510.pdf.

  • Kabeer, N. and S. Mahmud (2004), “Globalisation, Gender and Poverty: Bangladeshi Women Workers in Export and Local Markets”, Journal of International Development, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 93–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kapoor R. (2015), “Creating jobs in India’s Organised Manufacturing Sector”, The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Vol. 58, No. 3, pp. 349–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaur, A. (2004), “Economic Globalisation, Trade Liberalisation and Labour-Intensive Export Manufactures: An Asian Perspective”, in Kaur, A. (ed.), Women workers in Industrialising Asia: Costed, Not Valued, Palgrave, New York, pp. 37–58.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Mazumdar, I. (2007), “Women Workers and Globalisation: Emergent Contradiction in India”, Stree, Kolkata, Distributed by Bhatkal Books International, Mumbai.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mehta, B.S. (2016), “A Decent Work Framework: Women in ICT sector in India”, Information Development, Vol. 32, No. 5, pp. 1718–1729.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Momen, M. (2006), “Empowering whom? Garments worker in Bangladesh”, Empowerment: A Journal of Women for Women, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 23–38.

  • Ngai, P. (2005), “Made in China-Women Factory Workers in a Global Workplace”, Duke University Press, Durham and London.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • NIC (2004), ‘National Classification of Occupations-2004’, Also available at http://dget.nic.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/publication/Code%20Structure.pdf

  • Nozick, R. (1974), “Anarchy, State, and Utopia”, Basic Books, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nussbaum, M. (2003), “Capabilities as Fundamental Entitlements: Sen and Social justice”, Feminist Economics, Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 33–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD (2007), “International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO)”, Also available at https://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=5572

  • OECD (2008), “The Price of Prejudice: Labour Market Discrimination on the Grounds of Gender and Ethnicity”, OECD Employment Outlook, pp. 139–202, OECD, Paris; also accessible at http://www.oecd.org/employment/emp/43244511.pdf.

  • Ozler, S. (2007), “Export led Industrialisation and Gender Differences in Job Creation and Destruction: Micro Evidences from Turkish Manufacturing Sector”, in I. Staveran, D. Elson, N. Cagatay and C. Grown (eds.), The Feminist Economist of Trade, Routledge, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawls, J. (1971), “A Theory of Justice”, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarkar S. and B.S. Mehta (2010), “Labour Market Patterns and Trends in India’s ICT sector”, in A. Posthuma and D. Nanthan (eds.), Labour in Global Production Networks in India, Oxford University Press, New Delhi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seguino, S. (2000), ‘Gender Inequality and Economic Growth: A Cross Country Analysis’, World Development, Vol. 28, No. 7, pp. 1211–1230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sen, S. (2004), “Women, Work and Household in Industrialising Asia”, in Kaur, A. (ed.), Women Workers in Industrialising Asia: Costed, Not Valued, Palgrave, New York, pp. 77–98.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Sen, A. (2001), “Development as Freedom”, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen, A. (1979), “Utilitarianism and Welfarism”, The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 76, No. 9, pp. 463–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sen, A. (1985), “Well-Being, Agency, and Freedom: The Dewey Lectures 1984”, Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 82, No. 4, pp. 169–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Standing, G. (2011), “The Precariat: the New Dangerous Class”, McMillan Publishing, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiglitz, J.E. (2002), “Employment Social Justice and Societal Well-Being”, International Labour Review, Vol. 141, No. 1, pp. 9–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Balwant Singh Mehta.

Annexure: Electronic Manufacturing at 4 Digit Level (NIC 2004)

Annexure: Electronic Manufacturing at 4 Digit Level (NIC 2004)

3320

Installation of industrial machinery and equipment

3313

Repair of electronic and optical equipment

3240

Manufacturing of games and toys

2817

Manufacture of office machinery and equipment

2732

Manufacture of other electronic and electric wires and cables

2731

Manufacture of fibre optic cables for data transmission or live transmission of images

2680

Manufacture of magnetic and optical media

2670

Manufacture of optical instruments and equipment

2660

Manufacture of irradiation, electromedical and electrotherapeutic equipment

2652

Manufacture of watches and clocks

2651

Manufacture of measuring, testing, navigating and control equipment

2640

Manufacture of consumer electronics

2630

Manufacture of communication equipment

2620

Manufacture of computers and peripheral equipment

2610

Manufacture of electronic components

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mehta, B.S., Shree, M. Women’s Employment in Modern Indian Industry. Ind. J. Labour Econ. 59, 291–303 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-017-0058-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-017-0058-3

Keywords

Navigation