Looks preferred over education for women

Hyderabad: The workforce in our country is skewed to begin with, starting from job advertisements that clearly state that they prefer a male employee to a female employee. 

A study by the World Bank looked at eight lakh advertisements on online job portals between 2011 and 2017 to arrive at the conclusion that women are excluded from the very beginning.

These advertisements have also been criticised for the “language” they use. 
Padmavati Pamarthy who runs a women’s welfare centre says, “The very few advertisements that are for women employees specifically also mention the words, “fair,” “beautiful”, “attractive” and “pleasing” which should stop being “qualifications” for employment. How can features be chosen over qualification or education? Even TV advertisements show the prettier girl clearing a job interview. This builds a notion in the employer's head that the employee's looks must come first and only in the case of female candidates.”

Although more girls are being educated, the female workforce has remained constant between 2011 and 2017, with no increase. 

Fewer promotions and increase in pay for women is common at the workplace and men are preferred over women because companies say female employees have to be given more perks such as maternity leave and marriage leave. There are a few start-ups willing to break this pattern.

Adarsh Raman, HR manager at a start-up focusing on accounting solutions, says that maternity leave is mandatory, but it is flouted in the informal sector. 
Yet “women employees are just as focused and driven as men.” 

In the start-up circle, he says, “many women have begun their own companies. It is all about balance of work and home, which should not be expected from a woman alone. Shying away from giving women top positions in the company is also very common. Gender should stop being a ‘requirement’ in the workplace and then the best of everyone’s abilities can be brought out.”

Women still paid lower than male counterparts

Stereotyping of jobs and the gender gap in salaries is still a harsh reality in this country, shows the report.

N. Janardhan, program coordinator for Mahila initiatives by Telangana says, “Not only are women paid less, they are also subjected to longer hours of work, no holidays, and their rights are also ignored. What is even more saddening is the exploitation of female labour. Domestic help tend to take their young daughters with them to the houses they work at and these young girls also do chores and they are not even paid for it. The state should take responsibility; it counts as child labour.”

Officials from the Domestic Workers Association say male domestic help is paid more. Jyoti, a 28-year-old house help says, “My husband also works as a house help and despite both of us working the same hours and doing the same chores i.e. cleaning, cooking and others, he is paid more. While I am paid '5,000 per month, he is paid '7,000. I have spoken about the wage difference at the house I am working in but they say this is the most they have paid a female servant.”
She says she is told that her husband is capable of doing more ‘manly chores’ such as lifting heavy objects. “I am also asked to do all the same chores. When there is no difference in the work that we do, why should it influence my pay?” asks Jyoti. 

Similarly women on construction sites face the same discrimination as they are paid only half of what their male counterparts are. Ramanni V, a female construction worker says, “I am paid only Rs 350 daily whereas my husband is paid Rs 500. The number of bricks that we haul is not counted. It is just the superior’s preconceived notion that men work harder that is leading to the difference in our pay scale. I am the only one who speaks against this and so sometimes they pay me fifty rupees more but a lot of my peers stay silent for fear of losing their jobs. Since we are daily wage labourers, we are easily replaceable.”

A trend that is largely seen in the informal sector is paying the daily wages as a couple to the husband. The women employee is rarely paid "in hand". This leads to lack of financial security for women employees. The stereotyping of jobs is seen in women being preferred for the job of receptionists and teachers. But this is restrictive and unnecessary.