Modi makes pre-election push to empower India's women

Critics see advisory to boost workforce participation as a sop to voters

20240209 women india

Women disembark from a train in Mumbai, India. The government is renewing a push to promote women's rights in the workplace and address the labor force's skewed gender ratio. © Reuters

NEETA LAL, Contributing writer

NEW DELHI -- India's government is renewing a drive for women's empowerment, including greater participation in the workforce, just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi gears up for his reelection campaign.

The South Asian nation of 1.4 billion people faces calls to address a skewed worker gender ratio that economists say undermines its development and social welfare. Fresh guidelines aimed at employers, released by the Labor Ministry at the end of January, reiterate implementation of longstanding legislation on women's work conditions, such as maternity benefits and allocations for nurseries.

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