The women of India are far from claiming their share in the growth of the nation that is working towards becoming a $5-trillion economy by 2024-25. As per statistics, only 32% of the workforce within the country are women, even after completing 73 years of independence. The women participation in various Central government jobs is as low as 10.93% out of a total of 30.87 lakh employees. For many years, the percentage of women selected year-year-after year for the coveted civil services examination has been less than 25%.
The daughters of the nation should be encouraged to empower themselves by accessing quality education, attempt and achieve the myriad job opportunities available to them across sectors, aim and work towards entrepreneurship and more. The Constitution of India provides equal rights for all also ensures equal pay for equal work. The women in India have come a long way from being financially dependent on the male members of the family and the time has come to encourage them to claim their share in nation-building by being a part of the government and public sector framework. It is not without reason that it is said that some of the best career opportunities for women exist in the government and public sector and that they should be supported to break the ground with one of the prestigious career option as available in the public sector.
The following are some of the reasons as to why India should support its daughters to secure jobs in the public sector.
- Job security - Job security helps people in pursuing other things such as enhancing skills while performing as desired by their employers at the same time. It has been found that employees in public sector work better irrespective of their gender because of their guaranteed extended stay in a specific organization and in-case of government sector jobs, job security is the best advantage. Layoffs are very rare in the government sector and government employees are rarely fired which makes it a desirable option for women. Individuals who want to grow career-wise further can learn new things that can help propel them to the next level in the career and job security accelerates this process.
- Equal growth opportunity - A woman’s career equality and leadership is imperative for the attainment of an equal employment opportunity. But, are women getting equal opportunities? Government sector jobs offer equal growth opportunities for male and female employees associated with the organization. In the government sector, promotions are based on long-term benefits which means one can groom and grow depending on their performance unbiased of gender, resulting in assuring equal opportunities for women who can grow in their career at par with men.
- Lucrative salary – Salary is the monetary motivation linked with any career path that an individual chooses to pursue. In most societies pay level is regarded as an important indicator for status, success, and also happiness. Employees will be much more invested in their jobs and in the company they work for if they feel valued by that company. The two most important things to look out for while on a job-search are satisfaction and remuneration. Almost all government and public sector jobs offer a handsome salary to its employees which are disbursed on time every month without delays like in the unorganised sector.
- Work-life balance - Work-life balance is how to create a healthy and supportive work environment, which allows employees to have a balance between professional and personal life. Government jobs are a blessing for girls and women as work-life balance becomes easy while in government jobs which creates engaged and happy workers enjoying work-life.
Few job opportunities that girls can explore in the government sector:-
- SSC CGL- Staff Selection Commission (SSC) is a Government of India organization that conducts the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination for recruiting staff at multiple levels in various ministries and Central Government departments, including their subordinate offices. This exam is one of the most coveted and sought-after exams in the country. This not only assures job security and work-life balance along with financial stability but also helps to build social status and career progression.
- Bank Clerk/ Bank Probationary Officer (PO)- Government jobs, especially in the banking sector is highly coveted and considered a very reputable and stable opportunity. Both posts have a high opportunity for growth for dedicated employees. Both bank PO and clerk is conducted by the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). While the exams conducted by SBI is for recruiting candidates only for the State Bank of India, the exams conducted by IBPS is for recruiting candidates for all the Bank PO and Clerk vacancies. In the case of both Bank PO and Clerk, there is ample opportunity for growth.
- Defence- Defence jobs are introduced by various government agencies, which recruit candidates through Entrance examinations and other tests. Candidates from all over the country, with 10th, 12th, ITI, diploma, engineering and other graduation qualifications apply for defence jobs. Indian defence consists of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Indian Navy.
- Assistant professor- Teaching is a skill that naturally comes better to women as they can understand students' mental and emotional needs, which make women a better choice for being a professor.
- Air India Cabin Crew- A job role breaking the stereotypes where women get the opportunity to travel along with career growth along with work-life balance and good monetary motivation. Air India conducts a recruitment process for hiring cabin crew through Air India Recruitment notifications.
Though many institutes and organizations provide coaching for appearing for the country's coveted public sector jobs, there has been a lack of concerted effort in encouraging women aspirants to take up efforts to prepare for job examinations in the public sector. Women candidates especially from rural areas face constraints in appearing for multiple examinations as they have to arrange for transportation and places to stay in places that are far away. The edtech service providers in the country can contribute towards removing possible constraints girl students face when preparing for government examinations such as lack of resources, lack of access to quality education, social barriers of moving out of home town for preparation, and more through scholarships and empower the girls to have accessible recourses for preparing for government sector jobs.
Ashutosh Kumar, CEO, and Co-Founder- Testbook.com