It is estimated that almost 400 million people — more than 85% of India’s working population — are employed in the unorganised sector. Of these, at least 120 million are women. The unorganised sector contributes approximately 50% of India’s GDP (NCEUS, 2008), yet ensuring a violence-free workplace across a sector that is often scattered, informal and fragmented remains a profound challenge.

If genuine protection for women is to be achieved, the law must reach every workplace. The POSH Act, 2013 affirms that it is the duty of every employer to provide a safe working environment: “Appropriate work conditions should be provided in respect of work, leisure, health and hygiene to ensure that there is no hostile environment towards women at workplaces.”

In rural areas, unorganised labour is deeply stratified along lines of caste and community. The Act requires employers to organise workshops and awareness programmes, assist women in filing criminal complaints where necessary, and treat sexual harassment as misconduct under service rules.

A study by Oxfam India found that 17% of working women in India reported experiencing sexual harassment at the workplace. High incidence was observed across both organised and unorganised sectors. The study — conducted jointly with the Social and Rural Research Institute (IMRB International) — identified the three industries most unsafe for women as: construction and daily labour (29%), domestic work (23%) and small-scale manufacturing (16%).

Notably, 26% of respondents were the sole earning members of their families — a reminder that economic vulnerability compounds the risk and makes it harder for women to speak up or walk away from harassment.

This sector witnesses violence in silence. It falls to activists, civil society organisations and NGOs to amplify these voices and ensure that justice reaches every woman who endures a hostile, offensive or abusive work environment.