Discrimination against Women in Bombay Textiles

Abstract

In most western countries, discrimination against the employment of women in industry has diminished steadily in recent years under the influence of technological changes and the development of new, more liberal attitudes toward the employment of women outside of the home. In contrast, in the Bombay textile industry, which has traditionally employed large numbers of women, discrimination and even resistance against the employment of females has been increasing. This article is a sociocultural analysis of this sharp break with past employment policies in India's major urban industry and with the tendencies of modern industrial relations practices elsewhere. The author's analysis is based on an intensive field study of six Bombay textile mills during 1955-1956, during which he frequently discussed the problem of discrimination against women workers with representatives of management, government, and the trade union movement. (Author's abstract courtesy EBSCO.)