Women Workers and the Law

The history of women’s participation in gainful employment is a recent one. After the Industrial Revolution the social situation changed throughout the world and so in India. Job opportunities, economic hardships and favourable social and cultural situation encouraged women to seek employment outside the home. Although it enhanced the status of women, it gave rise to many problems and difficulties for them by way of exploitation, discrimination and dismal working conditions. The problems and difficulties got multiplied due to their peculiar social, biological and psychological conditions and also their illiteracy and ignorance. To undo the aforesaid discrimination and exploitation, there arose a need to provide them some security and protection through law. The Constitution of India, inter-alia made several provisions for the protection and security of women. The Constitution provided for equal rights and privileges for men and women and made special provisions for women to improve their status in society. In line with these provisions and to comply with the different Conventions and Recommendations of the I.L.O, the Government undertook various ameliorative legislative measures to provide security and protection to women workers. The protective measures are not only provided through legislations but are also being provided through different plans, programmes, policies and schemes of the Government. It is in this context that this book makes an indepth and critical study of the relevant provisions of the Constitution and different labour legislations which provided security and protection to women workers. The book also analyses various court decisions in this regard. One of the Chapters of the book deals with an empirical assessment of protective measures provided to women workers in J & K state. This is the first book of its kind which discusses comprehensively the protective measures provided to women workers, which underlines its relevance to the present day times. This book will be of great use to academicians, scholars, lawyers, judges presiding officers of the Labour Courts/Tribunals, N.G.O’S and organisations dealing with women’s Empowerment Programmes.