Feminisation of poverty has always been a great concern the world over. The report ‘Global Employment Trends for Women 2007’ says that the number of women participating in the labour market has risen to about 1.2 billion. At the same time, in India, women have perennially faced a lower socio-economic status; with illiteracy and male dominance adding to the pervasive swelling of their ranks that lie below the poverty line.
The female gender has been living at the mercy of male members in most of India. Even the discrimination on the payment of wages for the women labour force, though prevented by the law, has been rampantly practised. The Minimum Wages Act categorically states that daily wage for untrained labourers has to be fixed at Rs.66; in actual practise, they get not more than Rs. 30 or 35 per day.
Would the government ever move against this prevalent discrimination against women? Well, try asking them for up-to-date information on the number of women living below the poverty line in India! Don’t worry, we checked already, they have no idea whatsoever.