International Day of Rural Women | 15 Oct 2022

Why in News?

Every year, International Day of Rural Women is celebrated on 15^th October.

Why do we Celebrate the International Day of Rural Women?

• Background:
  • The idea of honouring rural women with a special day was put forward by international NGOs at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.
  • The first International Day of Rural Women was observed on 15th October 2008. This new international day was established by the General Assembly in its resolution 62/136 in 2007.
• About:
  • The day aims to create awareness about the fact that the engagement of rural women diversifies family livelihood, yet their efforts largely go unappreciated.
  • It recognizes “the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty.”
• Theme for 2022:
  • "Rural Women, key for a world free from hunger and poverty."

What are the Challenges Faced by Rural Women Workers in India?

• Incomplete Presentation of Data:
  • The rural economy suffers when women stop looking for work because they believe there is no work available, often incorrectly described as "dropping out" or "Leaving the market".
• Absence of Pay Parity:
  • In the field of manual labour work, women are being paid less than men in terms of piece rate due to physical constraints in lifting heavy weights.
• Lack of Education:
  • Majority of women construction workers are not registered as “Construction Workers” and therefore ineligible for any benefit accruing to them from the Construction Workers’ Welfare Board.
  • The paid formal jobs go to men and women with higher educational qualifications, leaving women with education till secondary level for non-agricultural, construction, house care and other roles.
• Limitation of MGNREGA:
  • The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a labour demand-driven programme, is limited to providing only 100 days of paid labour on public works projects per year.
  • For the rest of the period, women workers have to continuously look for alternative sources of income to meet expenses.
• Financial Constraints:
  • What the women earn from multiple tasks, for which there are no fixed rates is in no way equal to the amount of labour they do.
  • Due to non-availability of sufficient funds and lack of knowledge, they’re most vulnerable to land in debt traps.

What Initiatives Taken for the Upliftment for Rural Women Workers?

• e-Shram Portal:
  • e-Shram Portal was launched to register 38 crore unorganised workers such as construction labourers, migrant workforce, street vendors, and domestic workers, among others.
• The Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP):
  • Launched in 2011, it is aimed at imparting skill development and capacity building programmes for rural women.
  • This scheme was introduced as a sub component of DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana — National Rural Livelihoods Mission) and implemented through State Rural Livelihoods Mission (SRLM) across India.
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY):
  • Launched in 2015, it aims to train over 40 crore people in India in different skills by 2022. It aims at vocational training and certification of Indian youth for a better livelihood and respect in the society.
• Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
  • PMJDY has boosted confidence and prospects of rural women participation in economic activities. The Jan Dhan campaign has ensured access to financial services, viz, banking/ savings and deposit accounts, remittance, credit, insurance, pension in an affordable manner to rural women.
• Other Initiatives
  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
  • Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana
  • Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization Scheme
  • PM-KISAN Scheme

Way Forward

• Survey Conduction:
  • Timely village surveys should be conducted which could reveal the real image of ground reality, as with the deep penetration of capitalist processes in rural India, there is a crisis of livelihood options for rural workers.
  • Widespread surveys of poor rural women and how they spend their time are an urgent necessity.
• Adult Education and Training:
  • Women lack access to quality adult education and training, which is one of the greatest barriers to their sustainable development.
  • Women should receive life skills, and social skills training as part of capacity building and adult training.
• MGNREGA Standards:
  • The performance standards set under MGNREGA should be established gender-wise and the work sites made more worker friendly.
  • The ‘compulsory’ woman worker must be recognised and protected by laws and policies that address her issues.

Source: TH