Daily Current Affairs (MCQ) | Date 08.03.22

Q1. Consider the following statements

1. More than 90% of India’s working women are informal workers who work in labour-intensive, low-paying, highly precarious jobs/conditions, and with no social protection
2. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 covers all women in workforce formal and informal

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer : a

Why is the Question ?

Working women too, with a dream of good childcare More than 95% of India’s working women are informal workers, but they lack affordable services and maternity benefits
Gender Equality in India: India’s female informal workforce

1. The theme for International Women’s Day 2022 (March 8) is ‘gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’.
2. However, gender equality is still a far cry for India’s female informal workforce. According to a 2018 study by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), more than 95% of India’s working women are informal workers who work in labour-intensive, low-paying, highly precarious jobs/conditions, and with no social protection.
3. A World Health Organisation bulletin says that “women’s informal work is central to the feminisation of poverty”.
4. However, we know little about how informal work affects maternal, neonatal, and child health, with the lack of childcare solutions being a serious concern.

Formal and Informal distinction:
1. India is ahead of many advanced nations in instituting maternal health benefits, and its statutory maternity leave is among the global top three.
2. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 more than doubled the duration of paid maternity leave for women employees to 26 weeks, proposing an option to work from home after this period, on mutual agreement with the employer, and made crèche facilities mandatory for establishments employing 50 or more women.
3. However, these benefits are mostly enjoyed by formal sector women workers, constituting less than 5% of the women workforce.
4. Another ILO study, in 2016, pointed out that a lack of access to quality childcare services forces women workers to leave the labour force, ceasing their earnings, exposing themselves to discriminatory employment practices, and to significant economic and health risks.
Focusing the women in the informal sector:
1. India has paid less attention to addressing concerns around childcare support for informal women workers.
2. Here are three ways to enable women to take up more productive paid work and improve their maternal and child health outcomes:

 Extending the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) infrastructure;
 Revitalising national crèche schemes, and
 Improving maternity benefits

Q2. Consider the following statements

1. The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, entitled pregnant and lactating mothers to a cash transfer of at least ₹6,000.
2. The scheme notified for this purpose, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) limits the benefit to the first birth and has also reduced the amount to ₹5,000

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer : c

Why is the Question ?

Maternity benefits and limitations:
1. Childbirth and childcare are financially stressful and compel many women to return to work within a few weeks of childbirth.
2. Women in informal employment did not have maternity benefits until the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, entitled pregnant and lactating mothers to a cash transfer of at least ₹6,000.
3. However, the scheme notified for this purpose, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) limits the benefit to the first birth and has also reduced the amount to ₹5,000.
4. States such as Tamil Nadu (Dr Muthulakshmi Maternity Benefit Scheme), Rajasthan (Indira Gandhi Maternity Nutrition Scheme), Odisha (Mamta Scheme), Gujarat (Kasturba Poshan Sahay Yojana), and Chhattisgarh (Kaushalya Maternity Scheme) try to bridge the coverage gap, incentivising health-seeking behaviours.
5. Of these, Tamil Nadu has an expansive and ambitious scheme offering ₹18,000 in cash and kind for two live births. Right to Food ( demands that universal and unconditional maternity entitlements of at least six months of the minimum wages for pregnant women and lactating mothers be implemented.
6. The cash transfers under the PMMVY are insufficient, by both evaluations on the ground and the NFSA benchmark, as well as for nutrition needs and wage compensation.
7. The compensation, which is lower than the minimum wages, is inadequate in postponing the mother’s return to work for the first six months. The amount also does not match an inflation-adjusted NFSA benchmark (nearly ₹9,400 in 2022).
The lack of affordable and quality childcare services and maternity benefits increase the burden on informal women workers, aggravating gender and class inequalities. 

Presently, it is up to individuals and families to find a resolution to this tension of a worker-mother, putting women, girls, and children at a gross disadvantage. It is imperative that we consider affordable and quality childcare infrastructure as an employment-linked benefit and as a public good.

Q3. Consider the following statements

1. Female labour force participation rate is higher in India than Bangladesh
2. India’s female labour force participation (FLFP) rate is the lowest among the BRICS countries
3. The participation of women in the workforce in India has dropped from 32% working or looking for work in 2005, to 21% in 2019

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 1 and 3 only
d. 1, 2 and 3

Answer : b

Why is the Question ?

India’s demographic dividend
1. The participation of women in the workforce in India has dropped from 32% working or looking for work in 2005, to 21% in 2019

2. India’s female labour force participation (FLFP) rate is the lowest among the BRICS countries and is also lower than some of its neighbours in South Asia such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
3. Increasing FLFP in India is crucial not just to achieve economic growth but also to promote inclusive growth and achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
4. India’s population is among the youngest in the world. In 2020, the median age in India was about 29. Women and girls form a significant part of India’s demographic dividend.
5. However, their inability to stay employed or, at times, take up employment due to economic and social factors at both the household and macro level has been a challenge for the labour market and economy.
6. Countries like China, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea are examples of how the demographic dividend can be reaped to achieve fast-paced economic growth.

Q4. Which of the following can be advantages of the Gig economy for women?

1. Balancing career and family needs
2. Autonomy and control
3. Additional income while looking for better career opportunities

Select the correct answer from the codes given below

a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 1 and 3 only
d. 1, 2 and 3

Answer : d

Why is the Question ?

Gig Economy and Gender: Enablers and challenges
1. The gig economy comprises platforms that offer innovative solutions in different sectors such as transport, retail, personal and home care. India has emerged as one of the largest countries for gig and platform work.
2. Digital platforms in India have thrived as a result of the increasing use of smartphones, the low cost of the Internet and other initiatives under the Digital India campaign.

3. The gig economy has demonstrated resilience even during the pandemic, with platform workers playing an indispensable role in urban India.
4. Platform jobs have low-entry barriers and cater to the needs and aspirations of workers with varying degrees of skill sets.
5. Studies indicate that women appreciate the incomegenerating potential of the gig economy. The ILO Global Survey (2021) noted that working from home or job flexibility is particularly important for women.
6. Digital platforms that allow remote work is, in principle, accessible to men and women in any location. However, access to the Internet and smartphones can be a restricting factor. Data suggest that in India, women’s access to the Internet and to smartphones is much lower than that of men.
7. According to the GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report, only 25% of women-owned smartphones compared to 41% of men in India in 2020. Closing this gap can be significant in boosting women’s employment in the gig and platform sector.

Q5. What is the theme of International Women's Day 2022?

a. Gender equality today for a climate-resilient tomorrow
b. Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow
c. Gender equality and armed conflicts
d. Gender equality and food security

Answer : b

Why is the Question ?