Expansion of Markets and Women Workers: A Case Study of Indian Garment-Manufacturing

Abstract

The literature on the gendered implications of expansion of markets for employment often looks at women workers as the victims of the trade liberalization process resulting from discrimination in the labour market. However, discrimination is a complex process taking different forms in different contexts leading to different outcomes. This study suggests that in the context of a dynamic industrial activity of a poor labour surplus economy, discrimination against women can take place outside the labour market. For example, employment depends on education and skills to which women have unequal access. The study is based on selected firms of Indian garment- manufacturing industry.