Suruchi Sharma – Content Strategist | Legal Writer | Ph.D. Scholar

The challenges and problems faced by women at the workplace are persistent in the contemporary world. With rapid globalization, industrialization, and liberalization, the employment opportunity for women has increased to many folds, as the women find the opportunity to work outside their homes there are some serious limitations to it. 

By giving women the opportunity to work is not an obligation that is being done to them rather it is their human right. Thus, it becomes important to provide a pleasant environment to work in. Various problems are being faced by an individual at their workplace, when taking the case of the female gender, in particular, the challenges and problems are and can never be faced by their male counterparts. 

Various challenges are being faced by women in contemporary times ranging from pay- parity, pregnancy discrimination, work-life imbalances. It is mostly noted that hiring a newly married or pregnant woman is unlikely. The role of the women even in the time of Modernisation has been only focussed on a reproductive role.

There are innumerable incidences of sex segregation at the workplace. Social evil persists. The demand-supply in the labor market explains as from the demand side, which includes employer’s preference, demand for workers, discrimination, and personnel practices. The supply side includes the size of the labor available, the skill set, gender roles, and opportunity structure. 

Workplace segregation directly leads to sex segregation The stratification in the roles provided to genders is due to the apprehensions in regards to women’s s capability. 

The wage differential is one of the most highlighted issues that is being faced by women at their workspace. Due to structural adjustment programs, there has been an increase in contractual jobs and the decline in government intervention, which has led to evils like gender discrimination, harassment at the workplace. Sexual harassment is an unlawful intrusion on the right of privacy and sanctity of a female. The problems of sexual harassment of women and girls have increased to a menacing proportion. A report published by the International Labour Organisation states that one-third of women in industrial society are sexually harassed at work. It has now become a global issue. 
There has been an increase in the cases of sexual harassment as the National Commission of Women stated that women are still apprehensive to report the cases to the authority, which does not give real data on the harassment of women. 

Catharine Mackinnon (1979) defines sexual harassment as the “unwanted imposition of sexual requirements in the context of the relationship of unequal power.” Likewise, Kathleen Gallivan (1991) defines sexual harassment as “any type of unwanted sexual or gender-oriented behavior that has an adverse job-related effect.

In Visaka v. the State of Rajasthan, the Supreme Court of India has defined “sexual harassment” to include: “such unwelcome sexually determined behavior (whether directly or by implication) as

• physical contact and advances;
• demand or request for sexual favors;
• sexually colored remarks;
• showing pornography or
• any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature

Where any of these acts are committed in circumstances whereunder the victim of such conduct has a reasonable apprehension that concerning the victim’s employment or work whether she is drawing a salary, or honorarium or voluntary, whether in government, public or private enterprise such conduct can be humiliating and may constitute a health and safety problem. 

The constitutional protection provided to women to protect the interests through   Article 14 of the constitution. Article 15 of the constitution the ground inter alia of sex. Thus Article 15(1) of the Constitution provides that the State shall not discriminate against any citizen on the ground only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or any of them.

Therefore, it becomes important to voice out these challenges and once the challenges faced by women are out in public, they can be dealt with in a full swing. In the end, what matters is to provide justice and equality to every individual regardless of their choice.