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Hazards faced by women at the workplace

Majority of women working in the organised sector have been employed in the public sector. But with restructuring and downsizing of workforce in the public sector and government departments, as a part of the neo-liberal policies, women are the first to be retrenched, because of the general perception that women's income is supplementary. Women have been forced to go on VRS in some banks, under threat to transfer to far-off places; Coal India has formulated a special VRS package for women. Large numbers of women work in schools, hospitals, as sales persons in shops, in plantations, in construction etc. It is found that even in many government hospitals and schools, there are no separate toilets for women. Lack of such basic facilities like toilets, rest rooms, dining spaces, etc at the workplace cause a lot of physical discomfort and mental stress besides leading to several urinary tract and other diseases, particularly among pregnant women. Women working in the informal sector do not have any child-care facilities. Even in the organised sector, crèches are not provided in most of the establishments. Even where they do exist, they are either ill-equipped or are not maintained properly, as a result of which women are reluctant to keep their children in such crèches. Most often women workers, particularly in the informal sector, are forced to leave their children at home, under the care of their elder children, or old people or neighbours. This causes great anxiety and emotional strain. Some studies indicate that this is a major problem for working women in the EPZs. Sexual harassment is another serious hazard faced by working women. Whether in the organised or unorganised sector, whether illiterate, low paid workers or highly educated and highly paid executives, a large number of working women face sexual harassment at the workplace. Nearly a decade after the Supreme Court judgement in the Visakha case, the government is yet to bring legislation against sexual harassment at workplace. Even the Supreme Court guidelines of constituting complaints committees, amending standing orders, creating awareness etc have not been implemented in most of the establishments. The government has decided to amend the Factories Act allowing women workers to work in the night shift. Women have been working in hospitals, in the telecom department and in the fish processing industry in the night shift. But in the era of globalisation, the export oriented units in EPZs and call centres etc are employing women in large numbers in the night shift, without providing proper protection or transport facilities to them. The case of Pratibha working in the multinational company HP in Bangalore, who was brutally raped and murdered, is only an example of the serious hazard that women working in the night shifts face. Besides, women who work in the night shift generally are not in a position to take proper rest during the day because of their domestic responsibilities, impacting their health. Women working in some industries like construction, brick kilns, electronics industry etc suffer from gynaecological problems, miscarriages, premature deliveries etc and give birth to babies with low birth weight or birth defects. Given the socio-economic conditions of these women, these often lead to tension and strained relations in the family, along with the physical problems. The Factories Act, The Mines Act, The Dock Workers' Act etc are some of the laws, which contain provisions for regulating the health of the workers in an establishment. The Employees' State Insurance Act and the Workmen's Compensation Act provide health benefits and compensation to the workers in cases of ill-health and injuries etc. But in the unorganised sector where the majority of women workers are concentrated, no occupational safety and health safeguards are in place. Even in the organised sector, where these are applicable, safeguards are rarely provided for the workers, either male or female. Usually the safety devises are designed keeping the male workers in view and become unsuitable for women workers. Besides, the social aspects of work are not considered risk factors. As a result, more emphasis is given to work related accidents than to illnesses. Though more and more women are coming out in search of paid employment and their families also need their income, the attitude towards women and their role in the family has not undergone much change. Women continue to be perceived as weak, inferior, and second-class citizens. In capitalist society, this feudal attitude is utilised by the capitalist classes to further exploit women and increase their profits. For working women, this discrimination is extended to the workplace also. Even today, looking after the family and children is generally perceived to be the primary responsibility of women. With the State retreating from its minimum responsibilities of providing welfare measures and privatisation of basic services like health, education etc, women are forced to spend more time and energies on these responsibilities towards their children and other family members. The unpaid labour of women in providing these services to the family increases their burden while at the same time helping the employers in keeping the wages low. Because of this perception, which is prevalent even among most of the working women, women have to shoulder the entire burden of domestic chores, which they try to complete before leaving for work, with little help from the other, particularly the male members of the family. Many women have reported not to have a proper meal before leaving to work. Improper and insufficient dietary intake along with the heavy workload result in nutritional disorders. In addition, this perception that they alone are responsible for the domestic work, leads to a feeling of guilt when they are not able to look after the children or the family due to their official work, often resulting in em