India Inc should work with government to help marginalised sections: Rattan Lal Kataria
By TIOL News Service
NEW DELHI, FEB 13, 2021: THE Indian trade and industry should work with the government to address societal issues and help bring the marginalised into the mainstream, said Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Mr Rattan Lal Kataria on Friday.
The government's utmost priority and commitment is to take proactive, holistic and comprehensive initiatives to educate, sustainably employ, and empower women, persons with disabilities (PwDs), transgenders and other vulnerable sections of the society through its consistent policy interventions, said Mr Kataria.
Addressing the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) virtually at their 'Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Awards and Conclave,' the minister urged the Indian Inc to work in tandem with the government.
"We look forward to partnering with Indian trade and industry and help us to propagate gender diversity, equal opportunities for PwDs, HIV and transgender persons and ensure that all corporates implement it in 'letter and spirit' to achieve the overall social justice ," he further said.
Mr Ashish Srivastava, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) said that while there has been a decimal increase in female labour force participation rate in India between 2017 to 2019, the situation is not good.
"Looking at the gender gap index of the World Economic Forum, our position dropped from 98 in 2006 to 112 in 2020. Together with industry, trade associations and commercial enterprises we need to ponder very-very seriously on this," he said.
In health and survival, education, labour force participation and wage equality, he said India is below the global average.
"So, we are definitely well below average in all the constituent indicators and parameters. We all know that women, girls, and other marginalised sections of society tend to be more disproportionally impacted by any kind of natural or man-made calamity," said Mr Srivastava.
He further said that in the context of COVID-19, women have had to face disproportionate burden and that has exacerbated the possibilities of their entering, remaining retained in the workforce and labour market as well as in positions across the vertical spectrum which includes positions at the managerial and board levels as well as at the brown and blue-collar level activity.
"Of course, there are gender stereotypes which are strong, standing and we need to improve to respond to them. Besides, there are also issues concerning to gender pay gap," he said.
Sharing his perspective ASSOCHAM President Mr Vineet Agarwal said that a lot needs to be done and industries need to join hands with government to promote the job opportunities and other welfare benefits for people with disabilities, who are, a large, untapped pool of talent.