Women Workers in Unorganized Sector in India: Problems and Prospects

Abstract

Almost 400 million people (more than 85 percent of the working population in India) work in unorganized
sector and of these at least 120 million are women. Women working in the informal sector are not included in
the official statistics and their work is undocumented and considered as disguised wage work, unskilled, low
paying and does not provide benefits to the worker. India was one of the first countries in the world to give
women the right to vote. The Indian constitution is one of the most progressive in the world and guarantees
equal rights for men and women. Despite the advances women have made in many societies, women's concerns
are still given second priority almost everywhere. They continue to face discrimination and marginalization both
subtle and blatant and do not share equally in the fruits of development. Their contribution is not given due
credit. Women workers in unorganized sector lag behind the males in terms of level and quality of employment.
The aim of this paper is to explore the issues, concerns and prospects of women workers in unorganized sector
in India in general. The paper will be based on case studies conducted in Okhla region in South Delhi.