After asking to extend the maternity leave to eight-months across government offices, Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi is now looking to ensure that every company – be it private or public – provides daycare facility.
Gandhi wants that every company provides a daycare to its female employees so as to help them raise their children.
The ministry has reportedly written to the corporate affairs ministry and asked them to build consensus amongst all companies and corporates in this regard so they can set up a daycare/creche in view of rising number of working women across all sectors.
Representational Image The Hindu
The WCD ministry have also engaged with FICCI and CII to help them out and build consensus among industry leaders in this regard.
Not wanting to leave the women in any sector behind, the ministry is moving with greater force towards making it mandatory across gram panchayats, construction companies and mining firms.
Representational Image Times of India
The ministry has also proposed that these daycare centres be set up within 4-6 months.
Inadequate maternity leave and the absence of childcare facilities are some of the biggest factors that force women in India to drop out of the workforce once they conceive a child .
