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38% IT sector employees are women

September 17th, 2008

BANGALORE: Safety of women working on night shifts has become an issue, with many instance of violence against them in the recent past. The IT industry is in particular focus, with women forming 38% of IT/BPO companies.

Today, 50% of women work in night shift, among them 71.7% have expressed safety at the workplace. Agreeing that the recent incidents of crime on women working in night shift call for ensuring safety at workplace, state women and child development minister P M Narendraswamy and told the participants of a seminar on Tuesday that the state government will pass a legislation on this issue soon.

In the organized sector, IT industry has more women employees , as having women on board is business imperative at all levels. IT and BPO companies have 38% of women work force, of which 20% are from the IT sector. And recently NASSCOM has started gender inclusive programme with the vision of having 50% of women employees , explained Sucharita Eashwar , NASSCOM regional director.

Karnataka government prohibits employment of women in offices that work from 8 pm to 6 am, barring sectors like IT, biotechnology, media, hospitals, railways and airport. Similar acts passed by other states were widely opposed by the participants, as such initiatives only deprive job opportunities for women in hospitality, entertainment and retail sectors.

WAKE-UP CALLS

August 6, 2005: A cab driver threw acid on the face of a 22-year-old woman working at a BPO in Pune, when she resisted his advances. December 13, 2005: Pratibha Srikantamurthy, a HP globalsoft employee in Bangalore, was raped and murdered by the cab driver. November 3, 2007: Jyothikumari, a Wipro BPO employee in Pune, was raped and murdered by her driver.

RESOLUTIONS PASSED

Request Centre to enact comprehensive legislation enforcing all the guidelines laid down by SC. States need to review the laws which prohibit women working in night shift. State needs to sensitise the police officers with the help of NCW, lawyers, NGOs to ensure security and safety of women working in night shifts. All sectors must adopt genderfriendly polices. NCW need to be regularly updated about the issues related to women working in night shifts.
Source:TOI

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