Current Affairs Brain Booster for UPSC & State PCS Examination

Topic: G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting

Why in News?

• Union Minister for Labour and Employment Santosh Gangwar has participated in the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting

Key Highlights

• The Employment Working Group deliberated upon key issues, including women employment, social security and remote working.
• In 2014, G20 Leaders pledged in Brisbane to reduce the gap in labour force participation rates between men and women by 25% by 2025, with the aim of bringing 100 million women into the labour market, increasing global and inclusive growth, and reducing poverty and inequality.
• In recent years, almost all G20 countries made progress in terms of equal opportunities, participation of women in the labour market and reduction of the gender pay gap.
• The process of reducing gender inequalities has slowed down due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy.
• The measures implemented by G20 countries helped to mitigate the employment and social impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Yet, evidence from many countries shows a disproportionate impact on women.
• Acknowledging the risk of increasing gender inequalities in labour markets and societies, G20 Leaders at the Riyadh Summit called for a roadmap to achieve the Brisbane goal along with improving the quality of women’s employment.
• In response to this call, the G20 Roadmap Towards and Beyond the Brisbane Target has been has been set as:

• ˆIncreasing the quantity and quality of women’s employment;
• Ensuring equal opportunities and achieving better outcomes in the labour market;
• Promoting a more even distribution of women and men across sectors and occupations;
• Tackling the gender pay gap;
• Promoting a more balanced distribution of paid and unpaid work between women and men; and
• Addressing discrimination and gender stereotypes in the labour market.

Efforts by Government of India

• India is making collective efforts to reduce gender gaps in labour force participation.
• The country is also ensuring education, training, skilling, entrepreneurship development and equal pay for equal work.
• The duration of paid maternity leave has been increased from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.
• Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana provides financial support to women entrepreneurs to start small enterprises.
• Collateral free loans worth Rupees 9 thousand billion have been disbursed under this scheme. There have been around 70% accounts of women in this Scheme.
• The new Code on Social Security may now include even self-employed and all other classes of work force into the folds of social security coverage.
• A voluntary and contributory pension scheme introduced in 2019 for the unorganised sector workers provides for minimum assured pension after the age of 60 years.

About G20

• The G20 is made up of 19 countries and the European Union.
• The 19 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, and the US.