Gendered Impacts of India's New Labour Codes: Work, Care, and Social Protection

Abstract

The four new labour codes in India, effective from November 2025, merge 29 existing laws into a new system that is expected to make compliance easier while covering more than 40 crore workers, including gig and platform workers. The new laws promise a lot to women workers in terms of equal pay, 26 weeks of maternity leave for fixed-term and adoptive mothers, the requirement of crèches in establishments employing 50+ female workers, and restrictions on night shifts with safety provisions. These are expected to give a much-needed push to female labour force participation (FLFP), which has been stagnant at 37% due to gender gaps, and unlock huge economic potential by overcoming issues such as unpaid care work, which consumes more than seven hours a day for women compared to men's less than three hours. However, the new laws have been criticized for the lack of implementation, watering down of the crèche scheme, failure to recognize unpaid care work, and the possibility of precariousness in the gig economy, which is the mainstay of women's employment. This paper will assess the gender implications of these changes through work opportunities, maternity security, and social security. It identifies the progressive will being overpowered by structural weaknesses, proposing enhanced care infrastructure, shared parental leave, and robust enforcement to bring about transformative levels of equity. As implementation at the state level presses on into April 2026, it is essential to monitor early to counteract deep-seated patriarchal patterns.