Understanding the Gender Earnings Gap in India: Key Insights

Gender Earnings Gap in India: A Deep Dive into Disparities and Work Hours

The gender earnings gap remains a notable challenge in India, even as progress towards equality is made. Recent findings from Periodic Labour Force Surveys (PLFS) show significant variations in this gap across different employment types, which are largely shaped by societal norms and individual choices.

Key Findings on the Gender Earnings Gap

• Overall Gap: As of 2023, men earn 24% more than women in regular wage jobs. Furthermore, male self-employed individuals earn 2.8 times more than their female counterparts.
• Work Hours: A major contributor to this gap is the difference in work hours. In 2023, self-employed men worked 50% more hours than women, while the gap was 19% for regular wage workers.
• Hourly Earnings: The gap in hourly earnings is narrower. For regular wage workers, the discrepancy in hourly earnings is about 4% as of 2023, a decrease from 11% in 2019.
• Social Factors: Societal norms often dictate that women bear more domestic responsibilities, which limits their ability to work longer hours, thereby affecting their total earnings.

Policy Recommendations

• Workplace Interventions: It is crucial to mandate the provision of creches and offer generous maternity leaves to support working women.
• Awareness Campaigns: Educating communities is essential to challenge and transform traditional norms that disproportionately burden women with domestic tasks.
• Flexible Working Hours: Implementing policies that provide flexible work hours can significantly accommodate women managing household duties.

UPSC Practice MCQs

Question 1: What is a key factor behind the gender earnings gap in India, as of 2023?
A) Higher educational qualifications for men
B) Lesser bonus and overtime for women
C) Lesser work hours for women
D) Discrimination in promotions
Correct Answer: C

The gender earnings gap is greatly influenced by the disparity in work hours between men and women. Men typically work longer hours, while societal norms and responsibilities, such as domestic duties, limit women's working hours, thus affecting their overall earnings and contributing to the gender gap.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What does the gender earnings gap indicate in India?
Answer: The gender earnings gap indicates the income disparity between men and women in the workforce, showing that men generally earn significantly more than women across various job sectors.

Q2. How do societal norms affect women's earnings in India?
Answer: Societal norms often assign women more domestic responsibilities, which restricts their ability to work longer hours, ultimately impacting their earnings and career advancement.

Q3. What are some effective policy recommendations to bridge the gender earnings gap?
Answer: Effective policies include providing workplace childcare, promoting flexible work hours, and conducting awareness campaigns to change societal attitudes towards women's roles in the workforce.

Q4. Why is hourly earnings gap narrower than overall earnings gap?
Answer: The hourly earnings gap is narrower as it reflects pay for each hour worked, whereas the overall earnings gap is affected by the total number of hours worked, which is often lesser for women.