Women and work: issues and concerns

When men share tasks such as cooking, cleaning and childcare, women’s time spent on unpaid household work and their workload can decrease. This can leave them more time for paid work, education, skill development or rest. Option B is the closest distractor but is incorrect because sharing work generally reduces, not increases, women’s total burden. Exam tip: Link equal sharing of household work with women’s economic participation.

A mobile phone can help women obtain information about jobs and training, contact family or employers, use digital payments, and seek help in emergencies. Therefore, option A is correct. Access to a phone supports economic participation and safety; it is not meant to reduce safety or make women leave work opportunities. Exam tip: Link digital access with livelihood, information, and safety.

When wages or salary are delayed, a woman worker may struggle to meet daily needs, household expenses and savings. Therefore, the main concern is economic insecurity. Promotion or skill development may matter, but they are not the direct consequence of delayed payment. Exam tip: Link timely payment with economic security and livelihood.

Role models provide visible examples of women succeeding in different fields. They encourage other women to challenge stereotypes, consider new careers and develop confidence in their abilities. Limiting opportunities or reducing wages is not the role of a role model. Exam tip: include points such as inspiration, confidence and breaking stereotypes.

Fair work requires recognition of women labour and rights. In exams write equality and dignity.

Proper work hours help women health and participation. In exams write work-life balance.

A safe and respectful workplace allows a woman to work without fear or discrimination. This increases her confidence and encourages her to continue working regularly. Increased insecurity and absenteeism are more likely outcomes of an unsafe or disrespectful workplace, not a supportive one. Exam tip: Link workplace safety and respect with confidence, participation and continuity of work.

Skill upgradation helps women progress in a changing market. In exams write skill upgradation.

If information about jobs, training, application deadlines, or interviews does not reach a woman in time, she may be unable to apply and can miss employment opportunities. Income does not increase automatically; it requires work or another source of income. Exam tip: mention timely access to information as an important issue affecting women’s work.

A safe and clean workplace helps protect women workers from accidents, unhygienic conditions and workplace risks. It supports their health, dignity and ability to work, so option A is correct. Increasing production alone is not the main purpose of workplace safety. Exam tip: Remember the three linked ideas—safety, health and dignity.

Providing clean drinking water at the workplace is a basic facility linked with workers’ health, hygiene, and safe working conditions. It is not related to wage deduction or exclusion from work. Exam tip: Remember drinking water, toilets, rest areas, and safety as essential workplace facilities.

Timely information about jobs, vacancies, training and application deadlines helps women identify suitable opportunities and apply for them. If the information arrives late, the application deadline may already have passed. Keeping a record of skills can be useful, but it does not by itself ensure access to employment opportunities. Exam tip: include the points ‘identifying opportunities’ and ‘applying on time’.

A wage slip generally records the gross wage, deductions and amount payable or paid. It helps a woman worker verify her payment and serves as evidence if she needs to raise a claim or complaint about underpayment or unfair deductions. It does not automatically give extra wages. Exam tip: Remember a wage slip as written proof of wages and transparency in payment.

Rest helps the body and mind recover, reduces fatigue and stress, and helps a working woman maintain her work efficiency. Therefore, option A is correct. Reducing income or work opportunities is not the purpose of rest. Exam tip: Link rest with health, stress management, and work efficiency.

Safe entry and exit routes help ensure a woman’s personal safety, convenient movement and equal access to work. Therefore, option A is correct. Reducing wages or limiting employment opportunities is not the purpose of providing safe routes. Exam tip: Treat safe access as an important feature of women-friendly working conditions.

Practice gives learners repeated opportunities to apply a skill, improving proficiency, speed and confidence in work. Reducing the duration of training is not the purpose of practice; regular hands-on experience is needed for effective skill development. Exam tip: When writing benefits of skill training, mention ‘proficiency’ and ‘confidence’.

Learning to price her work enables a woman to ask for fair payment based on her time, skills, material costs and effort. It also improves her ability to estimate income and make financial decisions. A work’s value does not become zero, nor does pricing mean stopping payment. Exam tip: Link fair pricing with economic empowerment.

Good lighting makes pathways, machines, tools and work areas clearly visible. It reduces risks such as slipping, collision and cuts, and helps women perform tasks accurately. Adequate lighting cannot replace training. Exam tip: Include sufficient lighting, ventilation and safety measures as features of a safe workplace.

When a woman has less worry about childcare during working hours, she can concentrate better and continue working more regularly. Therefore, improved focus and continuity in work is the correct effect. Skill does not reduce automatically; regular work may instead build experience. Exam tip: Link childcare support with women’s work participation and continuity.

Skill training improves women’s competence, respect creates a positive work environment, and equal opportunities build confidence to progress. Therefore, option A is correct. Discrimination, low wages, and suppressing complaints create insecurity and discouragement rather than confidence. Exam tip: Mention skills, respect, equal opportunity, and a supportive workplace as measures that build confidence.