CHENNAI: To introduce gender sensitivity in its planning exercises, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) will soon permit its staff to bring their children to office. CMDA Member Secretary Anshul Mishra said that staff can bring their infants or older children to office and be near them while working.
"Nearly 50 per cent of CMDA staff are women. The creche will be designed by one of the planners incorporating the guidelines mentioned in the Maternity Benefit Act - 2007. The team is assessing requirements of employees and design will start soon," he said.
Mishra said that gender sensitivity and inclusivity will be the dominant themes across the master planning exercises of CMDA. The focus is not only creches but also building safe public spaces. "CMDA has been conferring with experts in the field of gender sensitivity for guidance on setting an inclusive vision for the Third Masterplan. Experts from across the country like Red Dot Foundation and The Gender Lab were invited for discussion. A gender expert has been appointed to the core consulting team to prepare the vision," he added.
Experts and women's groups have backed the initiative. "Working mothers need a lot of support to manage their new life with their baby and job. Create a calm environment where they can be with their babies, feed them, and to rest," says Shreya Gadepalli, founder and managing trustee of Urban Works.
Lauding CMDA's plan to open a creche for its staff, she urged other public institutions to follow suit and become models for the private sector. "Such creches not only help mothers to return to work but also support early childhood development," she added. President of Penn Thozhilalar Sangam Sujata Modi welcomed the move but said it should be rolled out across the State.
"Though Union government departments have creches, State departments don't. The State must ensure that all departments, even those that have only one or two women staff, have creches," she said. On the State's policy for women, Sujata said the policy don't address women's employment issues; this at a time when their participation in the workforce is dwindling.
Shreya said that women's labour force participation rate in India is falling. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey before the pandemic (2018-19), it was just 18.6 per cent compared with 55.6 per cent for men. Labour force participation of urban women has been stagnant at around 16 per cent for the past three decades, says Shreya.
"Many women leave their jobs after marriage. Most end their careers after childbirth. If we want women to be productive members of the workforce and achieve personal freedom through financial freedom we have to understand their needs and help them thrive. Small things can make a big difference," she says.