Problems of NE India's working women in metropolises of India - Part 2 -

Grace Kamei *

Map of NE India

Sexual harassment is a major problem that women face at their work places. Women in most of the fields faced sexual harassment and other forms of sexual assaults like molestations, rapes etc. Women are considered as weak and vulnerable and the male employees and employers try to take sexual favour from women employees in return of other benefits and promotions.

Security is another major issue that women face in the work places. Large percentages of women working at night shift are insecure. Women who work at night shifts had many health problems as they did not get their proper sleeps in the day time due to domestic works. It is said that those women working at night are more prone to breast cancer due to exposure of unnatural light.

Unequal pay is another issue prevailing at their work places. Most of the time, women were paid lesser than the men, though women work equal job. This is an injustice to the women folk who work dedicated for the progress and growth of the organization.

Lack of education and proper guidance is another issue that many women struggle and this hampers their performance and this also affects their promotion.

Poverty is also another main factor that makes young women of Northeast come to the metros cities for seeking job. In many cases, these people are earning and supporting their siblings as well as family back at home. Majority of them are tribal from hill areas. Many of them worked under contract basis thus faced lots of difficulties. The company bosses give false promises, discrimination and the bosses also treated them as inferior employees many times.

The actual amount salary that was fixed during the job interview was hardly given and the employees are not getting salary on time. There is no time-bound rules and regulation for increasing salary or promotion. These young poor women are forced to work under the high-handed bosses. Fearing from the sacking of their job, they neither have courage to raise against the bosses' wishes nor ready to leave the job, for the future consequences.

In addition, lack of knowledge, semi-literate, and language problems are common problems faced by the women employees in the metro cities of India.

Though women have a significant contribution towards the upliftment of the society, yet they are treated as a second class citizen till today. The Constitution of India grants equality to women and also empowers the state to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favour of women for neutralizing the cumulative socio-economic, educational and political disadvantages faced by them. But, in actual practice, the legislations have not been properly implemented so women lag behind the equality status.

It is very important to know one's rights especially many women's in India are not aware of their privilege and fundamental rights. Though some of the women are aware of the legislation and looking forward for the implementation from the concerned authority, but there is a delay in implementing in times of need. The government's enforcement agencies and social action groups should take positive action to provide women the true dignity in socio-economic, political and personal arenas.

Suggestions

To improve the status of Northeast states' working women in the metro cities, few important suggestions are under the following heads:

Responsibility of government

* The government must invest more money for the job opportunity and well being of the poor working women and initiate specific programmes for the working women of Northeast states.

* The governments must encourage entrepreneurship for women by providing a skill training in general management and accounting, and entrepreneurship, depending on the needs of specific women workers.

* Central government along with Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, North East Council and the state governments must seek to invest more to develop in educational sector, and economic development in the region.

* The government of the Northeast states must check the requirement of migrant working women of Northeast region and for their safety measure within and outside the states.

* There is an urgent need to spread awareness on the legislation of women and the government must properly implement the existing laws related to women issues.

Role of Northeast region's social organizations and other agencies

* Back at home in the Northeast states, the Northeast social organizations should take initiative to organize awareness programmes by conducting seminars/workshops and provide proper guidance like improper salary, failures of promises, bribe taking, insecure in work places, and social related issues to the women before they go out from the states to the metro cities of India.

* The Northeast social organizations based at the Northeast states and the Northeast social bodies existing in the metro cities should tie up and working together for the welfare of the people living in the metro cities.

* Northeast social organizations and local social organizations of the metro cities should collaborate and form a welfare wings to guide the migrants workers so that the women's workers can be place in safe job and give awareness before they take up the jobs.

* NGOs and other government welfare department of women must go for training and carry out research study once in a year to study about the problems of Northeast working women so that they can create awareness among the youth especially women by spreading information through workshops and group discussions.

Imparting education to women

* Imparting education to women is one of the best options available to make aware of their rights.

* More professional and technical higher education must include in their educational careers.

* Need for encouraging women for higher studies within the schools so that school going children may get knowledge of better career from school level which is required for bringing a better education among the women in the Northeast states.

* More public awareness on prevention and safety against sexual violence, human trafficking and racial discrimination is needed for working women, which could be carried out by the political leaders, community leaders, and student bodies.

* Basic legal awareness on how to file cases and legal remedies are essential part of sensitization. More cultural integration between people of Northeast region and local communities is needed.

Role of mass media

* Media plays pivotal role in reporting, mobilizing public opinion, bringing about social change and highlighting positive development.

* In many places, the potential exists for the media to make a far greater contribution to the advancement of women.

* Media needs to show the presence of women at par with men and support by raising awareness in all spheres for the upliftment of women.

Concluded..