Women, Work and Insecurities in India

The poor women in developing countries are burdened with the dual responsibility of taking care of housework and the need to supplement household income to meet the subsistence needs. The on-going flexibalisation process world over has no doubt created new jobs, most of them informal, but they lie beyond the reach of labour legislation and social protection and are characterized by low incomes and high levels of insecurity. There is a need to address the economic needs of the women and a need to reform the social security system to recognise the value of women’s labour at home [GIDR WP No. 135].