Inequality, gender and policy initiatives

Abstract

The participation of women employees in the corporate sector in India has increased considerably over the past. This has been made possible due to increased awareness regarding the education of the girl child in India. Although women are taking up corporate jobs in large numbers, the mindset towards women employees remains frozen in the yesteryears. Women are known to face many gender-related challenges and gender-based discriminatory practices by their employers not only in the unorganised sector but also in the organised sector or the corporate sector in India. Against this backdrop, the present study investigates various dimensions of gender issues faced by women working in the corporate sector. The objectives of the study are to study the gender-related challenges faced by women employees at the workplace; the forms of gender discrimination against women employees practiced by employers/management; and the policy initiatives for women empowerment in the corporate sector. The study is exploratory in nature and is based on secondary data. It concludes that that there is much scope in the area for business organisations as well as the government to find credible solutions and take policy initiatives to ensure fair and equitable treatment of working women in India.