Discrimination Against Female Workers in Asia: A Neoliberal Paradigm

By N. GUNASEKARAN

Recent economic growth in Asia does not reflect the overall improvement in the status of women in Asian societies. A report released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) noted that women in Asia are “on average 70% less likely than men to be in the labor force. This gap persists despite economic growth, decreasing fertility rates, and increasing education.” South Asia has the largest working-age population and growing middle class. However, only about 28% of women in South Asia have a job compared to 79% of men. The gender disparity in the availability of jobs and income is very acute in Asian countries.

In Singapore, where market forces had developed comparatively among the Southeast Asian countries, had a female employment rate of 89%. Women have advanced in corporate and managerial sectors. However, they could receive less reward for their efforts, and earn an average 10% less than men for the same job. This condition is prevalent in most of the so-called developed Asian economies. Moreover, the lack of active female participation in the workforce had a negative impact on the capacity for growth of Asian economies.

Women had been increasing in the work force during the initial period of neoliberalism.Now it is getting reversed, and unemployment among women is high in many countries. The World Bank noted that, in India and Sri Lanka, tens of millions of women dropped out of the work force in the last two decades. This is mainly due to the anarchist nature of neoliberal policies, vigorously pursued by most of the governments in Asia. Neoliberalism had resulted in a paradigm in which the labor market was characterized by low participation, high unemployment, persistent wage gaps for women and increasing rates of violence against women, particularly in their workplaces.

In South Asia, a majority of the workforce is the unorganized, informal sector. Even in the developed economies, most of women workers could find jobs in informal sectors which have less job-security.In Vietnam, while 31% of working women are employed in formal sector, more than 69% are engaged in informal work.

And, the home-based workers are an important part of informal economies. Globally, there are 100 million home-based workers, of these 50 million live in South Asia and a majority of them are women. The home-based workers are engaged in traditional industries like carpet weaving, basket making and embroidery along with new-age industries like assembling micro-electronics or medical equipment. Since half of South Asia’s adult women, are illiterate, the home-based jobs are their natural option. The highest malnutrition rates among the girls living in this region had its impact on their ability to work.

Actually, the invisible and unrecognized labor of these home-based working women is the significant contribution, not only to their families, but also to the national economies. But, official statistics ignore their contribution. Organizing them is also difficult due to their nature of work. Hence, they are unprotected by law.

India’s Economic Survey (2018) stated that India had a low female workforce participation rate, at 24%, which is the lowest number among the South Asian countries. Among the many factors, child care is a key one that urges women to do away with their jobs. A World Bank policy paper, “The motherhood penalty and female employment in India,” written by Maitreyi Bordia Das and Ieva Zumbyte in 2017, states that, “Having a young child depresses the mother’s employment, an inverse relationship that has intensified over time.” It is very pathetic that women are quitting their careers, sacrificing their dreams for the sake of their children and family.

In India, the organized sectors and government sectors provide maternity leave for 26 weeks. But the private sector, which is the major source for employment do not provide such a long maternity leave for women, particularly for those who are employed in non-formal, casual jobs. India has passed an amendment to the Maternity Benefit Act, extending paid maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks.

The women labor had been very essential for agricultural growth in many of the Asian economies, and traditionally women played a greater role in local, rural based markets. In India, women contribute significantly to food security of the country both as farmers and agricultural laborers. However, the situation has been changing due to linking of the agricultural and local markets with the international markets, from the globalization era, And, agrarian crisis is now crippling the rural societies.

In agriculture also, the income disparity is continuing.An Indian report on agricultural statistics (http://agricoop.nic.in/recentinitiatives/pocket-book-agricultural-statistics-2017) by the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare showed that women are paid 22% less than their male counterparts.

There is an the alternative path for employment generation for women. Expanding legislation, improving child care services in work places, preventing gender-based violence in work-places, conducting programs for skills development, subsidized loans for women-led businesses, could be helpful for women to tackle the their barriers and work with dignity.

While avoiding dependence on large corporate houses, decent employment for women could be generated in job-oriented domestic industries, essentially in small, traditional industrial sectors, utilizing the local potential. For this, a paradigm shift is necessary with alternative policies replacing the current neoliberal policies.

N. Gunasekaran is a political activist and writer based in Chennai, India.

From The Progressive Populist, November 1, 2018

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