Indian Railways is among world’s largest transportation and logistics networks. The Railways transports 23 million passengers every day in 12,000 passenger trains and 3 million tonnes of freight per day in 7000 freight trains from its 8000 stations across India. It transports around 36% of overall transit in the transport sector.
Although being the national transporter, the women participation in the development and usage of this vast transportation network has been at a comparatively lower rate compared to other sectors, which is an issue that should be addressed. The female participation as consumers of transportation facilities must be improved for establishing railways as a gender-equitable transport system. Women are underrepresented in the transportation sector in general, and in Indian Railways in particular, because the infrastructure is not equipped for female personnel or female passengers.
Seeing in totality, it seems that the railways in India has never been planned with keeping the needs of women in mind. Only a few reserved coaches, a few separate restroom blocks at stations, and certain special waiting areas at larger stations are normally planned for female passengers. According to the International Labor Organization’s Transport Policy Brief 2013, occupations in the transportation sector are highly gendered and uneven, as is access to transportation services. As a result, when it comes to transportation planning and the quest of good work, women’s voices are all too often ignored.
Male and female commuters are affected differently by public transportation conditions. Women suffer more when public transportation is in disrepair. For example, if public transportation is unreliable or prohibitively expensive, women may pass up better employment prospects away from home in favour of a low-paying local job closer to home. As a result, a good transportation system (that is both economical and convenient) is critical not just for women’s practical needs, such as travelling to school/college or the market, but also for offering equitable chances for women’s social and economic empowerment.
Concern
Despite the fact that Indian Railways has been pursuing all of the efforts and plans introduced by the Government for a more active participation of women in railways as passenger and employee for its development, there are only 100,000 female employees out of a total workforce of 1.3 million, (nearly 8%) of the entire workforce. However, for a managerial position, this ratio is around 13% which is encouraging. Therefore, we can say that labour participation at all levels in Indian Railways needs significant attention.
Major Issues
As previously indicated, the situation for female employees in railways is not much different. Every day at work, women staff encounter a number of problems. There are very few stations that offer separate bathroom for female staff. If female staff are stationed at level crossing gates, for example, there is likely to be no nearby bathroom facility available. Because lower-level employees lack basic workplace amenities, it is likely that relatively few would continue with the job or strive to learn; most will prefer a desk job in a controlled setting where obstacles are less and conditions are better.
In a situation where fewer women choose to work in the field, there are chances of lesser vertical up-gradation of women employees to achieve decision-making positions, this further creates a lack of interest towards lesser investment in basic amenities. The employment as aeroplane pilots and air hostesses is popular among young females in the country, while the number of female locomotive pilots and guards is far lower in railways. Additionally, despite the fact that there are a number of female ticket checkers, very few prefer to work in long-distance trains. These are some of the prominent issues that railway is facing. The reason can be attributed to lack of decent restrooms of female running staff, as well as the difficulties associated with long-distance train operations and journeys.
Need for active woman participation
Transport acts as a pivot, connecting individuals to their workplaces, educational institutions, and social activities. Everyone uses it. As a result, a wide and elaborative perspective is required to develop and guide the transportation sector at every stage, ensuring that the services it provides are accessible to all.
According to International Labor Organization, transport is one of the several areas that has traditionally been seen as having ‘no place for women’. The Indian Railways is no exception. Female participation is quite low in all departments of Indian Railways. According to the 2011 census, India has 940 girls for every 1000 males; however, the working population in India tells a different tale.
As per a recent NSSO labour force survey, which uses the usual status approach, the estimated female work population ratio (in percentage) in the country in 2009-10 and 2011-12 was 26.6% and 23.7%, respectively. According to the NITI Ayog report, just 27 females per 1000 work in transport, compared to 117 males per 1000 (in urban population) (State Statistics/Labor Force Participation Rates) in storage and communication.
This gap persists despite various government initiatives and steps to increase the female participation rate, such as the enactment of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, which increases paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks and makes a provision for mandatory crèche facility in establishments with 50 or more female employees, and the issuance of an advisory to states under the Factories Act, 1948, to allow women workers in night shifts with adequate severance pay.
However, despite the fact that the Minimum Wage Act of 1948 and the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976 have been in place for a long time to ensure equal wages for men and women and equal remuneration for men and women for the same or similar work without discrimination, female participation in the workforce has remained stagnant.
Situation in other countries
Women’s engagement in other countries is also low. Female labour force participation (aged 15 and up) is 48.7% worldwide as of 2018, lesser than 51.2% in 1990. Nonetheless, public transportation is a sector dominated by male working culture, with females making up about 10% to 30% of the workforce in large countries. JR-East is one of Japan’s six major passenger rail companies.
It is crucial to highlight that most countries are undertaking various initiatives to enhance female participation in the transportation sector. Women in Transport, an all-party organisation in the United Kingdom, is active in this subject, holding regular meetings and debates to adopt techniques for increasing female participation.
In Europe, the same types of organisations, UITP1 and ETF2, are trying to boost the share of female employees in transportation businesses from 17.5% to at least 25% by 2020 and 40% by 2035. This demonstrates that the value of female participation in the transportation sector is recognised in all countries, and efforts are being made to promote it at all levels.
Conclusion
Under Vision 2020, Indian Railways is regarded as a “Vehicle of Inclusive Growth and National Integration” (Indian Railways: Vision 2020). Indian Railways committed in the Citizen Charter issued in March 2018 that providing passenger facilities and convenience in travel is one of the most significant aims of Indian Railways, in terms of both corporate ethics and social commitments. The first mission statement in this charter is safe and dependable services, and the final is essential facilities for females, senior citizens, and disabled persons for their convenience.
The Citizen Charter expresses Indian Railways’ commitment to female passengers, and there is now a need to develop gender-friendly transportation. The first, and most crucial, step in achieving this aim may be to hire more female employees at various stations and on trains.
A lady travelling alone will feel more secure with a female ticket checker and station master. It instils confidence in female candidates to observe that women operate in night shifts on Indian Railways. If Indian Railways wishes to achieve inclusive development, it is critical that ladies be included in all services and future planning. Whether it is station construction projects or new lines for high-speed trains, a female perspective will enhance social and strategic development.
It is worth noting that, with 14 lakh employees, Indian Railways would set an example for other sectors of our economy if it takes initiatives to enhance female involvement at all levels. Indian Railways is an economic and social change career. This position should be broadened by opening doors for females and allowing female employees wings to reach the top and provide quality services to clients.
The desired steps towards expanding female labour-force participation should include both infrastructure and regulatory adjustments.
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- Addressing the issue of basic amenities:Â It is also critical to address the demands of urban women, including their everyday needs and other gender-related measures. To encourage women to pursue non-traditional careers, organisations must offer a welcoming environment. The most crucial factor in making this happen is infrastructure. Priority should be given to providing basic amenities such as separate toilet blocks in all establishments. The second barrier that prevents females from taking on the roles of driver/guard or ticket checker on long-distance trains is a lack of restroom facilities.
- Monetary Encouragements:Â It has been observed that monetary incentives can serve as an incentive to embark on difficult jobs. Hence, if a well-paying railway position becomes available for eligible ladies, they will be encouraged to pursue it over a low-paying career. Only monetary rewards can enhance the allure of physically difficult work. If additional benefits are provided to female employees, it is likely that an increasing number of young women will apply for these positions.
- Reservation on managerial positions:Â The presence of women at all levels of public transportation authorities has the potential to mainstream gender inside the organisation by bringing women’s issues to the forefront of its services and infrastructure. As a result, it is crucial that an increasing number of female officers join railway services and remain committed once the journey begins. This can be accomplished by providing reservations for top management positions.
- Publicity and glamorization:Â Young people tend to gravitate towards careers that are within their financial means or have a certain allure, such as that of air hostesses or airline pilots. Careers in Indian Railways are well-paid and popular among young students, but the actual job-related hardships and rewards are not commonly understood.
As a result, the service must be widely marketed, and female students must be made aware of both the problems and the benefits associated with it. The variety of employment profiles must be marketed and glamorised, with role models approaching training schools.
- Women Committees:Â The Indian Railway Board recently issued instructions requiring inadequacies in separate toilet blocks and changing rooms to be corrected on a priority basis in all zones, with a deadline set to finish all such works. The Railway Board has also committed in the employee charter to address the concerns of female employees.
Although the Railway Board has issued directions, its compliance must be regularly reviewed because it is not a priority item for field units. That is why, in each zone, a high-powered committee consisting of officials from the relevant departments is required to organise and assure the availability of basic facilities for female employees. These committees can then be used to establish the essential amenities in various cities through collaboration with various women’s groups to address gender concerns in public transportation.
- Organisational Will:Â There is a need for “Organisational Will” to incorporate gender sensitivity into Indian Railways’ vision and make it a part of all training programmes. While female employees should not be considered a special case, it is imperative that women receive equal attention in addressing their personal needs, and appropriate provisions should be made to execute this in all units.
