Syllabus: GS-I
Subject: Society and social justice
Topic: Issue of women
Issue: Discrimination at workplace
Recently in Union of India and Others, vs Ex. Lt. Selina John case Supreme Court declared discharge of a women employee after marriage as unconstitutional.
- Other discrimination faced by women:
- Barriers in education, employment, and opportunities
- Uncomfortable personal questions during job interview (about marriage and motherhood)
- Many girls drop out of school due to economic constraints and lack of facilities
- Government schemes for girls and women may not be effective if they are constrained by restrictive social and cultural norms.
- UN’s Gender Snapshot 2023: Without corrective measures, the next generation of women will continue to face disproportionate burdens of household duties and lack access to leadership roles .
| +1 Advantage (Data Point)
· Labour participation of women in the workforce in the latest Periodic Labour Force data (October-December 2023), is at an abysmal 19.9% for women of all ages. Observation of Supreme Court in the current case) “Terminating employment because the woman has got married is a coarse case of gender discrimination and inequality. Acceptance of such [a] patriarchal rule undermines human dignity, right to non-discrimination and fair treatment.” |
