The Tamil Nadu government has amended the Tamil Nadu Factories Rules, 1950, amending the rules for providing jobs to women in hazardous factories.

The Tamil Nadu government has taken a major decision to grant women equal rights. The government has amended the Tamil Nadu Factories Rules, 1950, to allow women to perform approximately 20 jobs that have previously been considered "hazardous" and prohibited from performing. Furthermore, it proposes to amend the rule requiring written consent from female employees who wish to work night shifts.

more dangerous job than one

Last month, the Labor Welfare and Skill Development Department issued a draft notification amending the Tamil Nadu Factories Rules. Any objections to this were to be submitted to the government within 45 days of the September 9 notification. The hazardous occupations recommended for women include electrolytic processes, lead processing, glass manufacturing, and the manufacture or treatment of lead. However, the government intends to amend the regulations to prohibit pregnant women from working in these occupations. 

Many more are included in the list.

Hazardous gas and petroleum generation, blasting, tanning and dyeing of raw hides and skins, graphite powdering, printing presses and type foundries using lead materials, cashew processing, dyeing, stencilling and painting of mats, rugs and carpets in coir and fibre factories, and pottery are also included in the list of jobs in which women can now work. 

While women in Tamil Nadu already perform many hazardous jobs, such as seaweed harvesting and fishing, they are now being allowed to work in high-noise and high-vibration environments. This means they will likely be working with toxic gases, petroleum, and chemicals in the future. However, this also has its drawbacks, including the risk of injury from seaweed harvesting, the risk of disease from fishing, and the health problems associated with working in factories with hazardous materials.