G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting

G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting

Part of: GS Prelims and GS III – International Relations

In news 

• Recently, the Union Minister for Labour and Employment has said that India is making collective efforts to reduce gender gaps in labour force participation.
  • He was delivering the Ministerial Address on Declaration and Employment Working Group Priorities at G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting.
  • The Employment Working Group deliberated upon key issues, including women employment, social security and remote working.

Initiatives Highlighted by India

• Educational and Skilling Efforts:
  • India is strengthening its educational and skilling efforts to ensure quality education from preschool to senior secondary stage through national Educational Policy, 2020.
• National Skill Development Mission: Aims to create convergence across sectors and States in terms of skill training activities.
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana: Enables the youth to take up industry related skill training to assist them in securing better opportunities.
• Digital educational content has been made available on various e-learning platforms like DIKSHA, SWAYAM.
• Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana: The government is paying up to 24% of wages towards EPF contributions for new employees as well as those who lost their jobs in the pandemic and are being re-employed.
• New Code on Wages, 2019: India will reduce gender-based discrimination in wages, recruitment and conditions of employment.
• Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana: It provides financial support to women entrepreneurs to start small enterprises. There are around 70% of women in this scheme.

The G20 Roadmap Towards and Beyond the Brisbane Target has been set as

• Increasing 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.
• Addressing discrimination and gender stereotypes in the labour market.

About G20

• It is an informal group of 19 countries and the European Union, with representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
• Members: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and the European Union.