Mannat Saini, Pune
“For migrant women workers, it asked that all employers in the highways sector ensure facilities such as latrines and urinals, washing spaces, crèches, and adequate accommodation are made available.”
-Advisory issued on 30 January by Women and Child Development Minister, Smriti Irani.
The Women and Child Development Ministry and the Labour Ministry have collectively released an advisory regarding women in construction work. It directs the employers of registered road construction workers to provide 26 weeks of paid maternity leave for up to two deliveries. Women expecting that have two or more children are to be provided with 12 weeks of maternity leave.
Besides childbirth, the advisory governs miscarriages. It mandates that women experiencing a miscarriage are entitled to the wages they would otherwise receive on maternity leave for six weeks after the day of the miscarriage.
The advisory also stresses that these wages are to be transferred online to avoid the possibility of getting duped at the hands of the supervisors. It also emphasized the need to facilitate more sustainable workplaces in terms of hygiene and sanitation. Female workers must be provided a safe and supportive work environment with access to all health and sanitation facilities. Female workers need to be provided with safe transport during night shifts. This advisory also stated that the sexual harassment complaints of women workers will be dealt with in accordance with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act of 2013 to safeguard their rights.
It emphasized the role of employers in implementing programmes and policies aimed at increasing the involvement of women in the workforce.
This advisory comes after the encouragement of women in the workforce by the Ministries of Road Transport and Highways, Housing and Urban Affairs.
Ms Irani also suggested that the Union government has suggested venturing into creating working women’s hostels on campuses with government support.
“We have proposed in a combination – between the (Union) Ministry of Labour and the Women and Child Development Ministry – to our counterparts in the Ministry of Education that our Central universities can get additional support from the Ministry so they can now build hostels only for working women within the university environment,” she said adding that several Central universities have already submitted their proposals in writing. (Quote from The Hindu)