Oxfam India releases ‘India Discrimination Report’

The ‘India Discrimination Report’ has been released by Oxfam India. The report’s findings are based on the Government’s data on employment and labour from 2004-05 to 2019-20.

Key findings

• Discrimination in the labour market is when people with identical capabilities are treated differently because of their identity or social backgrounds.

• A woman competing with a man for jobs in India’s villages is 100% likely to face discrimination because of her gender and stands only a 2% chance of finding work in cities.

• Social pressure and employer prejudices contributed to a bias against hiring women. Discrimination is a driving factor behind the low women’s Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in the country.

• Despite their educational qualification and work experience, women will be discriminated in the labour market due to societal and employer prejudices.

• The lower wages for salaried women are due to discrimination (67 percent) and lack of education and work experience (33 percent).

• The report calls on the Government to enforce measures for the protection of equal wages and work for all women.

• The Government should also incentivise the participation of women in the workforce including enhancements in pay, upskilling, job reservations and easy return-to-work options after maternity.