Gender Disparities in the Indian Workplace: A Legal Perspective

Abstract

The research paper titled "Gender Disparities in the Indian Workplace: A Legal Perspective" unravels the tendency of gender disparity in workplace settings in India in view of the extant legal provisions regulating the Indian labor. Even though India’s demographic dividends of human capital and economic progress have shifted to the middle-aged and youths, still gender inequalities still a reality and the issue thus continues to inform and shape the conversation around equitable growth and sustainable development. The research deals with the following objectives: To assess the existing labor laws that have been enacted to tackle these evils; To focus on some significant legislations namely, the Equal Remuneration Act, the Maternity Benefits Act, and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act. The primary concern explored in this research is the continuity of gender Inequalities in the INDIAN workplace in the context of pay gaps, the Precariousness of the gig economy, and Maternity under the New REGIME. This can be attributed to the slow progress in enacting and effectively implementing and enforcing the laws such as the Equal
Remuneration Act, the Maternity Benefit Act, and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act. The rest of the research question is to establish whether the current Indian labor legislations sufficiently capture responsibilities and practices in relation to women in the new forms of employment such as gig economy. It also discusses the changes that can be made to those laws that will enhance workplace equality for women.