In all BJP’s election campaigns, it is being claimed that there is a wave of women-led development. All the claims are deceptive since these conceal the reality. For example, they claimed women empowerment through MGNREGS and said that 56 per cent of participants in the scheme were women in FY23. It should be noted, that MGNREGS is a rural employment guarantee scheme under which people ask for work when they are not getting remunerative jobs anywhere else, and accept the meagre minimum wage fixed by the Union Government. The lowest minimum Rs221 was being paid in some states. Due to election, some increases have been announced by Modi government and now the minimum is only Rs237. Therefore, this can’t be termed as empowerment of workforce, but only a minimum help to make their poverty little tolerable. As for women are concerned their high level of asking for MGNREGS work, it is due to they are getting less work elsewhere compared to males.

One of the claims was that between 2015-2022, over 59 lakh women have been trained under the PM Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PMKVY) and 12.51 lakh women candidates gained employment. This is pittance, on account of total population of women in the country which is over 70 crore. Many more claims are being made about women’s welfare, and now BJP manifesto has included Modi’s Guarantee for women which included - Expansion Lakhpati Didi self-help initiative for rural women; integrating women self-help groups into the service sector and enhance their market access; developing women hostels and crèches to boost their participation in the workforce, building more toilets for women in public places; expanding health services focused on prevention and reduction of breast cancer, cervical cancer; implementing the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam to ensure higher representation for women in Parliament and state legislatures; and expanding Shakti desks in police stations and strengthen emergency response systems.

It has been claimed that there is a wave of women led-development in the country under PM Narendra Modi, and it was claimed that female labour force participation was increased from 23.3 per cent in 2017-18 to 37 per cent in 2022-23. PM Modi claims all sorts of things under “Sashakt Nari – Vikasit Bharat” programme, quoting the increased female participation rate in 2022-23. Such claims conceal the reality that India’s female labour force participation rate was declined from 39.7 per cent in 2004-05 to only about 23 per cent in 2017-18, under Modi government, and it is still lower as per latest PLFS government data, which is by and large suspected to be manipulated to show the better face of the government.

The condition of the working women is all the more difficult. Reports after reports, it has been revealed how government policies function as disincentive for women workers, which is the chief cause of their participation in workforce and the development of the country.

Let us see an example of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA). They are key essential workers but several international reports had criticised India that does not even care for these key workers, and not even recognise as key workers. The latest reference has been made by World Employment and Social Outlook (WESO) 2023 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and recorded their plight. It should be noted that the WHO in 2022 had awarded ASHA the title of Global Health Leaders, but India not even recognised them as employees. The WESO 2023 has said that the plight of ASHAs is of particular concern.

ASHAs perform important roles and have positive impact on communities and localities. Wherever they work, immunization rates are higher and mortality rates declines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, ASHA workers raised awareness about the virus and safety protocols, tracked positive cases and assisted with vaccinations in addition to their usual responsibilities of providing maternal care, immunization for children and community healthcare. It was due to this in 2022 WHO awarded them the title of Global Health Leaders.

It should be shocking to know that ASHAs were not given status of workers, though they are appointed and trained by National Rural Health Mission. Workers are selected among women in the community, aged 25-45, with completed secondary studies. WESO 2023 made a sad commentary that even though ASHAs were appointed by the government they were not recognised as employees and were only paid “incentives” that were linked to achieving certain targets. Following protests by these workers several states introduced a fixed wage component and the central government also increased the incentives that it contributes.

WESO 2023 said that many of the ASHAs reported that they sometimes paid for transportation costs of the patients they bring to hospitals. So even the little money they made, a share of that sometimes spent on job-related costs, the report said.

Furthermore, the report said, ASHA workers reported that they received their payments with delays. They face other occupational challenges besides low and delayed payments. One of them is a heavy work-load.

Asha workers have been agitating across the country, but Modi government is yet to give them status of “Workers” with full benefits as per law. As recent as in February 2024, ASHA workers of Uttar Pradesh organised a three-day mega strike, alleging that they don’t get more than Rs2000 per month since they don’t get wages but only performance-based incentives. How can these women run their household by so low an income? There are also differences in their earnings across the states. Maharashtra offers the highest compensation at Rs 4,000/month, followed by Delhi at Rs 3,500, Haryana at Rs 3,000, and Bihar at Rs 2,000.

This is how Modi government is empowering women of this country in reality, though they have been claiming great works being done for women, and a wave of women-led development has come, and in their third term there would be rise of women power in India. PM Modi’s big talks and his actual works for women are contradictory. (IPA Service)