Working women welfare trust’s concerted efforts are directed towards improvement in the quality of life
and well being of women working in diverse capacities across the board.
WWWT envisages the accomplished, self-reliant prosperous working women who would stand out as
assets to their families and to their society.
Our Mission is to empower working women with value-based knowledge, technical skills, impart
awareness about their rights and obligations and strive for the attainment of enabling honorable and
just working environment.
Advocacy for implementation and enforcement of existing laws and proposing women-friendly laws to
Facilitating female workers is an important part of our mission.
WWWT is seriously concerned against exploitation, harassment, violence, and bullying of female
employees at the workplace and aims at ;
Realization of their Right to Just and Favourable Conditions of Work from women’s perspective.
In spite of the rapid increase in the number of working women, their legal, social, and eco rights to
honorable, safe, secure, and healthy environments are being openly violated.
The physical working conditions include an unsafe working environment due to the absence of basic
infrastructure such as electricity, safe exit in emergencies, fire fighting provision, congested workplaces,
filthy and unhealthy physical surroundings due to a lack of proper sanitation facilities (e.g.no toilet
facilities or separate toilet facility and open drains) and garbage collection.
No compliance to existing EHS Laws( Environment, Health, and Safety Laws).
The Work-related working conditions relate to Fair wages and equal remuneration for work of equal
value, mostly being denied. No limit of the probationary period. Working late without overtime or with
forced overtime.
Equal opportunity for women to be promoted in employment to an appropriate higher level( subject to
no considerations other than those of seniority and competence) not available.
Insufficient family support, particularly for children and dependents. Health facility not provided.
Compensation for workplace accidents is not granted.
Maternity benefits rights are not granted to women workers particularly women in vulnerable employment,
poor wage workers, and self-employed have little or no access to maternity-based benefits; thus poor
women do not get the required period of rest during pregnancy, and post-childbirth and suffer from
poor health and morbidity as a result. Lack of transport facilities, no prayer room facility, and no
provision of personnel lockers.
no separate toilets for female workers, poor sanitary conditions, no provision of clean drinking water,
improper lighting facility at the workplace, level of noise too high, etc. These can be ensured by proper
Legislation.
Above all sexual harassment from men such as fellow workers/vendors, clients, officials, immediate
bosses, even law enforcement officers is the biggest challenge faced by working women.
Most of the working women shared their personal experiences of work and were critical of the
the unfriendly, unhealthy, unsafe environment of work and harassment they faced.
Important points of concern raised that need to be addressed were:
- Job securities are not there.
- Timely promotions are not given. Promotions are delayed or denied.
- Physical working conditions are pathetic no separate toilets for female workers, poor sanitary
conditions, no provision of clean drinking water, improper lighting facility at the workplace, level of
noise too high, etc. These can be ensured by proper Legislation. - Exploitation by middlemen who snatch the lion’s share of profits from poor working women. It needs to
be checked. - The media is playing a negative role by propagating concepts that beautiful looks and personality are
more important for progress, not competence and character. Youngsters falling prey to such ideas
shown in advertisements are paying more attention to their looks than to enhancing their skills wasting
money on cosmetic products which are often damaging. Actually strong and good character gives you an
honorable personality as well as integrity these concepts should be promoted.
There is a need for check and balance by Ministries responsible for media as well as by civil society. - Women cannot raise voices against exploitation as Unions are banned or discouraged.
- Working women are not registered, and their data is not collected and compiled for Legislation.
- Fair wages are not paid. Women are so hard up economically, that they accept low wages.
- Women face transport problems, present mass transit system needs improvement through proper
planning and surveys accommodating women workers. Transport problem is severe for women working
in late hours. - Bills are passed in assemblies but their enforcement & awareness among women is not there.
- Home-based workers due to extreme poverty and illiteracy are silent sufferers. They need laws to
protect their rights and they should be given awareness about their rights also. Their Registration
should also be done and data compiled for effective legislation. It was also revealed home-based
workers don’t even know they are workers. - Paid maternity leave and full benefits with a medically required period of leave must be made
obligatory through legislation. - Most dominating complaint from almost all that of harassment, discrimination and exploitation by
men working with women.
14. At workplaces women commonly face bullying, abusive conduct, verbal abuse, threatening,
humiliating attitude and harassment by employers as well as male fellow workers. This needs to
addressed on a priority basis.
- Problems faced by the new growth of Sales Girls at superstores need urgent attention. They are forced
to dress up in western style with a lot of makeup, to boost the sales and profits of various products, are
being harassed by male customers as well as co-workers. - Beauty parlor workers’ rights are being violated, they need to be addressed too.
- Flexible working hours should be allowed to female workers by law, to ease the competing pressure
of work-life balance. - A participant Nazia who lost her husband and father in the Baldia Town factory fire has not yet
received the compensation promised by authorities even after the passage of 3 years. She has three small
children to feed and care for.
As a result of this very important discussion, there seems to be a dire need to restructure organizationally
framework and culture to ensure women workers have an enabling environment of work.
People at the helm of affairs and stakeholders must realize the seriousness of the problem which
women have to endure while working, they must try to understand women’s perspectives and recognize
the right of women to the enjoyment of Just and Favorable conditions of work. This is her legal and
moral right, government must provide relief through women-friendly policies and effective legislation.
Working Women are honorable ladies and an asset to society needs to be facilitated for their contribution to
the society for undertaking and managing the double burden of jobs _maintaining home-work balance.
The progress of a nation depends on individual and collective efforts to bring about a positive change in the
lives of men as well as women