"Empowering women is central to building a Viksit Bharat": Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya

New Delhi [India], April 28 : Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, on Tuesday graced 'SwigStree: Celebrating Women on the Move', a landmark initiative organised by Swiggy to recognise the resilience and courage of its women delivery partners.

According to the Ministry of Labour & Employment, the event brought together women delivery partners from Swiggy Food Marketplace and Instamart who have overcome significant socio-economic hardships to earn a dignified livelihood and support their families.

While addressing the gathering, Mandaviya underlined that the equitable participation of women in the workforce is both a social imperative and an economic necessity. "Empowering women is central to building a Viksit Bharat," he affirmed.

Mandaviya said, "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has witnessed new, enabling opportunities opening up for women, leading to a transformative improvement in female employment indicators. The Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) has risen from 23.3% in 2017-18 to 40% in 2025. The Female Worker Population Ratio (FWPR) has correspondingly increased from 22 % to nearly 39% over the same period. Further, the Female Unemployment Rate (FUR) has declined from 5.6% to 3.1%, indicating that women who seek employment are now more successfully finding it."

He also stressed the nearly three-fold expansion in India's social security coverage in the past decade, from 19% in 2015 to over 64.3% in 2025, reflecting the outcome of sustained policy action across domains like labour law reform, digital inclusion, and targeted welfare delivery.

Mandaviya drew attention to the four Labour Codes that were made effective last November, and emphasised the transformative reforms they introduce.

He highlighted that the Code on Social Security (CoSS) 2020, for the first time, formally recognises gig and platform workers. These workers, many of whom are women, now have a legal identity and access to social security, he said.

"The principle of equal pay for equal work has been enshrined in the Codes, a landmark step towards eliminating wage discrimination based on gender," he added.

The Labour Codes also provide for work-from-home provisions, maternity leave entitlements, and the establishment of crèche facilities at places of employment, measures that directly address the structural barriers that have historically prevented women from sustaining their participation in the workforce, Mandaviya further elaborated.

Mandaviya spoke of the unique potential of gig and platform work in furthering women's economic empowerment. Platform-based employment, he observed, offers flexibility aligned with a worker's time, inclination and personal circumstances. Praising women delivery partners, he remarked, "Women delivery partners are not only supporting their families but also driving societal progress, inspiring future generations, and strengthening the nation's economic and social fabric."

At the event, the Union Minister felicitated women delivery partners across Swiggy Food Marketplace and Instamart, who demonstrated extraordinary courage and perseverance to provide for their families. Sriharsha Majety, Co-founder and Group CEO, Swiggy, and other dignitaries were also present at the event.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor