Oxfam discrimination report: Why women and Muslims earn less in India

Key Facts

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Indian work places are dominated by men Indian women face discrimination in the job market and earn less than men even when they have the same qualifications and experience, a new report says.
"The inequality for women and other social categories is not just due to poor access to education or work experience but because of discrimination."
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, In most jobs, women are paid lower wages compared to men According to Indian government data, in 2020-21 women made up only 25.1% of the labour force, which is not just considerably lower than many other countries such as Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa, but also a huge decline within the country from 42.7% in 2004-05.
"The fall-out of discrimination in Indian society is not just social and moral but also economic, leading to adverse consequences to society," Mr Behar says, adding that the government, political parties, policymakers and civil society must work together to build a discrimination-free India.