Structure:

• Introduction: Status of women workforce in India
• Reason for low Labour participation of women in India (Focus on more ethical issues- practice of discrimination, exploitation, etc)
• How the above can be addressed by ensuring an ethical work environment
• Conclusion- some suggestions / what has been done

Supporting points:

India is among the top 10 largest growing economy of the world today, yet it appears that the women have an uphill task to change their image from “the nurturers” to decision taking higher management roles) and take a leap in their career progression.

Despite this growth, less than one-quarter (20.3%) of women aged 15 and older participate in the labor force as of 2020 (compared to 76.0% of men). Women account for only 19.9% of the total labor force in India

The conflict arising from need to balance work and personal life, gender discrimination, certain social restrictions in jobs, biological limitations, relocation and marriage prospects are some pulling factors and have resulted in more or less stagnation at around 18% in proportion of urban female participation in workforce. 

ISSUES PERTAINING TO WOMEN AS WORKFORCE

Of late women in India have ventured out to more challenging fields including armed forces, aviation, manufacturing, marketing, electronics, software engineering, physicians, surgeons, lawyers and many more against their earlier penchants teaching, banking, human resource and hospitals. They have by far broken four wall barriers of house wife and by large raised to top management positions in big organizations. Still women as a part of workforce face different types of issues. Many of the biggest workplace challenges facing women revolve around their gender.

• Cultural and social norms prevent women from realising their full economic potential
• Safety concerns restrict their physical and economic mobility.
• Gender inequities- Sexist treatment and gender discrimination in the workplace
• Lack of enabling conditions in the workplace

All these make it more difficult for women to actively participate in the labour market.

How Ethical work environment can address the above issues:

• Values and ethics are prime and central to all organizations, as they guide the conduct of employees in a variety of ways by forming a “moral compass” for work practices and express “integrity as believed by all individuals”
• These in turn guide quality, team work, behavior, continuous improvement, accountability, safety awareness as exhibited by the workforce while supporting for mission of organization.
• The company’s ethics dictate its response to all external and internal stimuli irrespective of governmental or other regulatory laws. Organizational values determine “what is right and what is wrong” and ethics address “doing what is right or wrong.
• To behave ethically is to behave in a manner consistent with what is right or moral.
• Ethics and values would help in promoting higher standards of practices, give employees a benchmark of self evaluation, setting up framework of professional behavior and responsibilities and mark occupational maturity.
• All employees shall be treated equally (equal pay, equal service condition) irrespective of their gender- Merit alone will be the criteria to determine their progress
• Safety and security of all shall be the primary concern of an ethical organisation. This shall promote confidence among the women workforce

The Organizations which mandatorily lack ethical practices in their business structure and corporate culture are virtually found to fail. Thus it is important that every organisation create an ethical work environment for all.