During the crisis period, the social security net of women in the informal economy needs to be addressed comprehensively by the government. Examine (200 Words)
Refer - The Indian Express
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 4 years
KEY POINTS
· Social security for all informal workers, including migrants, has been a long-standing demand of unions like the Self-Employed Women’s Association, SEWA, and other national unions.
· The current pandemic has brought home the fact that those states with strong public health systems, decentralised planning and implementation through PRIs with active community participation, and, partnerships with civil society organisations — local cooperatives, unions, collectives and others — were able to meet the COVID-19 challenge and flatten the curve
· There is no getting away from re-committing ourselves to the investments outlined in the HLEG report of 2011 and the more recent NHP 2017—2.5 to 3 per cent of GDP has to be allocated for public health.
· If there is one thing we need to do to support increased female workforce participation, it is full-day child care. Our studies over the years have shown that women’s incomes double as a result of full-day care for their young children.
· We can build on the already existing Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) infrastructure and convert these into centres for overall child development with nutrition, health care, early childhood and value-based education.
· Local women, in our experience, are most suited to running such holistic childcare centres with proper capacity-building training and support, and fair remuneration at minimum wage level.
· Similarly, Mobile Creches has developed low-cost but high quality models of care, including for migrant construction workers. Universal childcare can easily be implemented: It is required now more than ever as we learn of possible declines in nutrition levels and increases in malnutrition in the wake of this pandemic, with families running out of food and cash.
· PMJAY may have made a solid start for some but there are still lakhs of workers who are not eligible due to the enrolment criteria or because they are still struggling to fully comprehend the system — where to go, whom to ask for help and more.
· Recently, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has developed an important set of recommendations to increase the spread of microinsurance, both bundled and unbundled products, in low-income populations. These can be taken forward easily in the current pandemic and post-pandemic period.
· We need to set up a small taskforce of those who have been thinking and working on this subject and have experience of what is required at the grassroots level. This could include trade union and cooperative representatives, those from various collectives like Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
Aradhana Tiwari 4 years
More than 90 per cent of working people in our country are engaged in the informal economy. The most vulnerable among them are women who cannot seek support from even basic social security.
Social security net include - health care, child care, insurance, pension and housing with basic infrastructure like a tap and toilet in every home.
>>> Addressing social security net :
- Health care : Investing in strong public health system will serve as a bulwark for the daily health crises that people face in this
pandemic like situation.
There are evidences that states with strong public health systems, were able to meet the COVID-19 challenge and flatten the curve. Kerala, Goa, Sikkim are the examples.
- Child care : to increase female workforce participation, govt needs to make provision for full-day creches, mobile creches because childcare is an essential service required for poor, working women — indeed, for all working women in India.
- Insurance : There is also the importance of insurance cover for all workers. PMJAY is the right step in this direction, but health insurance is not the only coverage that workers need. They require a comprehensive coverage of life, accident, asset, crop and animal insurance.
- Pension : Pension is well-recognised as another essential aspect of social security. In this direction, IRDAI needs to increase the spread of microinsurance, both bundled and unbundled products, in low-income populations.
- Housing with basic infrastructure : this issue has been addressed to some extent through schemes like PM Awas Yojana (Gramin), PMAY(Urban) and Swachh Bharat mission.
>>> Way Forward :
- set up a taskforce to examine how social security can reach all informal workers in the simplest, most timely and appropriate manner.
- set up a small taskforce of those like SHGs, NGOs, PRI members, etc., who have experience of what is required at the grassroots level.
- needs to deliberate on decentralised and simple implementation mechanisms.
- plan for universal social security.
- issues such as identification of women in informal economy needs to be addressed through portable identity cards and digitalisation.
>>> Conclusion :
We know what we need to do for women in informal economy, now we need to act on it to comprehensively address all the issues faced by them.
IAS Parliament 4 years
Good attempt. Try to include about the role of SEWA . Keep Writing.
Sanjeev Kumar Singh 4 years
Kindly give feedback
IAS Parliament 4 years
Avoid listing out the schemes, points. Try to include about the role of SEWA and mobile creches. Keep Writing.
aswin 4 years
please review
IAS Parliament 4 years
Good attempt. Try to include about the role of SEWA and mobile creches. Keep Writing.,
Sandeep 4 years
Kindly review
IAS Parliament 4 years
Good attempt. Try to mention about mobile creches. Keep Writing.
