Working Women in India: Everyday Struggles and Successes

The journey of work women in India is a story of progress and continued unequalities. Women's involvement in the paid workforce has grown in recent decades in a range of agricultural, educational, health, government and factory and corporate jobs. This change has affected the nature of families, employment models, and the social norms. However, the struggles faced by Indian working women are rife in everyday life, which are frequently invisible in homes and workplaces. Although their labour is important for the survival of the family and the development of the country, they are neither recognised nor supported. While women's employment has increased over time, recent studies reveal a large share of these women working in the informal sector or unpaid, indicating a lack of empowerment when it comes to inclusion.

Working women in India may have to bear the double burden. In addition to their work responsibilities, they are also responsible for domestic duties, child care, elderly care, and emotional work. This means that there is a situation where paid work does not displace domestic responsibilities, but rather increases the burden. The job burden imposed on women, particularly in urban areas, coupled with the demands of the home, can cause physical tiredness and emotional upsets. In the rural area, women are engaged in self-help groups, daily wage work and also take care of their families' needs on the farm. These realities show that the only way to understand women's work is by looking at the salary or at the job title, and not forgetting about unpaid domestic work. Research has identified that inequality in access to those leadership positions, occupational segregation and wage gaps continue to exist as a result of structural inequalities in the workplace‎.

The social norm persists in influencing women's working lives. Even when women earn the bulk of the income, the patriarchal attitude can still be reflected in women's income. Marriage, motherhood and care-giving remain a natural responsibility of women and further progression on the career path is difficult. Issues of safety while commuting, workplace harassment and limited mobility also create challenges to professional life. Women are required to demonstrate competence in male-dominated sectors and practice in a manner that is often new. In many sectors, women should constantly prove competence in male-dominated sectors and practice in a new way. Such barriers are particularly apparent in the industrial sector that demands long working hours or night shifts, as safety and family reputation concerns continue to be a concern. This has resulted in many women either dropping out of the workforce or taking up jobs within their family's community that pay less.

However, a lot has happened in India's working women to change the face of society despite these hurdles. They are making significant contributions to politics, business, science and technology and are moving up the leadership ladder. They contribute money, which leads to better family income, better education for children and increased gender equality in decision making. Women also have new opportunities to become self-sufficient with the advent of digital platforms, remote working and entrepreneurship. The lives of working women in India can thus be seen as a struggle and a transformation. Labor is not just economic, it is also a matter of dignity, identity, and social change, as seen in their everyday lives. To build a more inclusive future, we must lower structural barriers and appreciate the importance of women's work in the country's progress, both paid and unpaid.