The Modi government has taken several pro-woman steps during its tenure. This includes the Maternity Benefit Amendment Bill, 2016. The bill mandated 26 weeks of leave for women working in the formal sector and made it mandatory for every organisation with more than 50 employees to have a crèche. The bill says :
‘11A. (1) Every establishment having fifty or more employees shall have the facility of creche within such distance as may be prescribed, either separately or along with common facilities:
Provided that the employer shall allow four visits a day to the creche by the woman, which shall also include the interval for rest allowed to her
This provision in the law may help in increasing participation of women in various sectors.
According to a recent PTI report, the information and broadcasting ministry have approved setting up a crèche facility at the National Media Centre for daycare of kids of journalists. The centre is situated on Raisina Road near to offices of news organisations and is likely to help women working in the sector. Similarly, the Parliament house is also planning to have its own crèche after the matter was highlight by Minister for women and child development, Maneka Gandhi highlighted the same to the speaker of Lok Sabha.
Other pro-women steps taken by Modi led BJP government include accepting Saudi Arabia’s proposal for allowing women aged above 45 travel without a male guardian, support to Muslim women in fighting triple talaq and launch of affordable sanitary napkin ‘Suvidha’.
This latest step by the I&B ministry will come as a big relief for working mothers in the journalism fraternity who tend to work tedious hours.
