Govt takes first step to curb gender bias in recruitment

The centre has directed all government appointing authorities to ensure the presence of women officers in selection committees and recruitment boards to ensure there is no bias against women during hiring. Accordingly, it will be mandatory for all ministries and government departments to have at least one woman member in recruitment panels for 10 or more vacancies, where women candidates will be expected to apply.

“Even where the number of vacancies is less than 10, no efforts should be spared in finding a lady officer for inclusion in selection committees,” said the central directive, issued by the department of personnel and training (DoPT) under the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions. In the event of a woman officer not being available in a ministry or department, a woman officer from another ministry or department must be found to ensure compliance.

Also, wide publicity has to be given to all appointments in government so that more women get to know about the opportunities. Publicity must also be ensured for all women-friendly policies and concessions or facilities for women pertaining to appointments.

The DoPT, following gender equity practice in developed countries, said job advertisements must invariably mention prominently that the “government strives to have a workforce which reflects gender balance and [to which] women candidates are encouraged to apply”.

Monitoring will be strict: All government offices have been told to submit a consolidated report on posts and employees, both group-wise and gender-wise, and report the number of women recruited following the directive.  

While women activists have welcomed the move, they feel it is a token gesture since gender balance should first be ensured at the selection committees. “Why only one woman in the selection committees? Why can’t there be an equal number of men and women in them? These are boys’ clubs, as of now, and heavily biased against women,” said Ranjana Kumari, director, Centre for Social Research, Delhi. “Take the bureaucracy, for example. It has only 13% women at the top level. So, the government has to take a comprehensive measure instead of taking small steps.”

The government, on its part, has announced to bring in a bill providing reservation for women in government jobs. President Pratibha Patil had in a speech to parliament last month outlined the government’s 100-days agenda, in which she said: “[A] concerted effort [will be made] to increase representation of women in central government jobs.”