The Government of India’s its Women and Men in India report found that female casual labourers employed in works other than public works earned significantly less than their male counterparts.
At the national level, women in rural areas earned an average daily wage of Rs 261 compared to Rs 388 earned by men.
In urban India, women earned an average of Rs 324 per day, while men earned Rs 468.
Anil started working at a petrol pump in Ranchi two months ago, filling fuel in vehicles. In return, he earns around Rs 10,000–11,000 per month. The 22-year-old does not carry the burden of supporting his family, but he took up the job to earn some extra pocket money.
However, at the same petrol pump, despite having two to three years of experience, Priti and Anita earn only Rs 7,000–8,000 a month for doing the exact same work of filling fuel in vehicles. The question here is: Why is there a difference of Rs 3,000–4,000 in wages despite equal working hours and the same work?
Responding to this question, 23-year-old Anita and 21-year-old Priti say, “We know that boys here are paid more than us. But even knowing this, we cannot complain to the pump owner or manager. If we do, there is a possibility that we may lose our jobs. And if we lose our jobs, how will we pay rent and support our families?”
Anita is from Tatisilwai, located about 25 kilometres from Ranchi. Because of the distance, she lives in Ranchi in a rented accommodation along with her two sisters and a brother. Both her parents passed away several years ago. Similarly, Priti comes from a village in the Ranchi district. Her father is no longer alive, and she too lives in Ranchi on rent with other members of her family.
Across the urban areas of Jharkhand’s capital, Ranchi, women and girls constitute the majority of employees working at petrol pumps. At several pumps, their ratio compared to men is as high as 90:10. For example, according to the manager of the petrol pump where Anita and Priti work, only five out of a total staff of 37 are men.
According to the Jharkhand Petroleum Dealers Association, there are around 1,600–1,700 petrol pumps across the state, while Ranchi’s urban area alone has around 40–45 pumps. The association also acknowledges that women employees outnumber men at most petrol pumps in Ranchi city, with an average ratio of around 70:30.
Assistant Professor Swati Narayan of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, views this high representation of women at petrol pumps as a sign of women’s empowerment. However, when it comes to the gender wage gap, her perspective becomes sharply critical.
Having worked extensively on labour rights issues in Jharkhand, Swati Narayan says that Jharkhand is among the few states where women have been given opportunities to work at petrol pumps. At the same time, she argues that discrimination based on gender directly violates the Central Labour Code.
Swati Narayan says, “Most petrol pumps operate under public sector oil companies. Men and women working there should receive the same wages. If such discrimination occurs in a small shop or local mall, it may be difficult to put significant pressure on the owner. But in the case of petrol pumps, there should certainly be pressure to ensure equal wages for men and women. The new Labour Code of 2019 clearly states that salaries or wages cannot differ on the basis of gender.”
In recent years, women’s representation as workers in the formal sector has certainly increased. Yet India remains one of the countries where women continue to have limited access to public-sector employment. In such a context, seeing more women than men working at petrol pumps in Ranchi is undoubtedly encouraging. At the same time, it raises uncomfortable questions about the double standards reflected in gender-based wage discrimination.
Surprisingly, however, Ashok Singh, President of the Jharkhand Petroleum Dealers Association, denies the existence of any such discrimination. According to him, “Earlier, there were hardly any women employees. Most staff members were men. Since women have only started joining in significant numbers in recent years, while male employees have often been working for many years, their salaries may naturally be higher. But as far as I know, boys and girls who operate fuel nozzles and fill petrol receive equal salaries.”
Outlook India spoke to employees—both male and female—at nearly a dozen petrol pumps across Ranchi city. Although their experience, duties and working hours were largely similar, significant differences in salaries were evident.
This disparity in gender-based wages is not confined to petrol pumps. It is visible across almost every sector. Bhuvneshwar Kevat, State President of the Jharkhand unit of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions, says women receive lower wages in virtually every field.
“Whether it is construction work or agricultural labour, women are paid less than men. And the wage gap is not minor—it ranges between 25 and 30 per cent. Labour laws and even the Constitution talk about equality and equal pay for equal work. But on the ground, this unequal system has persisted for decades.”
The gender wage gap in Jharkhand is not limited to small shops, petrol pumps, construction sites or farms. It can also be seen in large corporate retail chains. While investigating complaints of wage discrimination, Outlook India visited a Smart Bazaar outlet in Ranchi, where we met 25-year-old Amit Mahato.
Amit explained, “I have been working here for two years. My job is simply to pack items from online orders. We work nine-hour shifts and receive Rs 16,500 per month. But Anjali and Aarti, who have been doing the same work here for five years, earn only Rs 13,500. I don’t understand why salaries are different when the work is exactly the same.”
Women Bear the Double Burden
According to Bhuvneshwar Kevat, women workers in Jharkhand face a double disadvantage. On one hand, they are paid less than men for the same work; on the other, many do not even receive the minimum wages prescribed by law.
As per the Jharkhand Labour Department, revised minimum wages came into effect across the state on April 1, 2026. The rates were divided into different categories of workers. Unskilled workers were entitled to daily wages ranging between Rs 501 and Rs 552. Semi-skilled workers were to receive between Rs 526 and Rs 579. Skilled workers were entitled to Rs 694–763, while highly skilled workers were to be paid between Rs 800 and Rs 881 per day, depending on the region.
Most labourers working in the informal sector fall under the unskilled or semi-skilled categories. Petrol pump workers are generally classified as semi-skilled labourers. By that standard, some male workers may receive wages close to the prescribed minimum because of their experience. But, according to labour activists, a large number of women workers earn barely half of what the law considers the minimum wage.
Workers employed in construction, agriculture, shops and malls are also part of the informal sector. Here, discrimination against women is often treated as normal. To understand the reality behind the numbers, Outlook spoke to women working as agricultural labourers.
The Biggest Exploitation Happens in Farm Labour
Fifty-one-year-old Mewa Lakra lives in Ratu block on the outskirts of Ranchi. After the death of her husband, she became responsible for supporting her mother-in-law, father-in-law and two sons. To make ends meet, she works either as a daily-wage labourer in the construction sector or, during the agricultural season, on the farms of other landowners.
Mewa explains, “I work in agriculture only when there is no work available in construction. The worst exploitation of women happens in farm labour. For paddy transplantation, women receive only Rs 250 for a full day’s work, while men are paid Rs 500 for the same job.”
Swati Narayan sees this disparity as evidence of a labour market structurally designed against women.
According to her, “The fact that women are finding work more easily today is not necessarily a sign of progress. In many cases, it reflects a strategy adopted by contractors, shop owners and landlords. It reminds me of child labour. Earlier, employers preferred hiring children because they could be paid very little. Today, many employers prefer women for a similar reason—they can get the same work done by paying them 30 to 50 per cent less than men.”
Swati believes that gender-based wage discrimination exists across virtually every sector in India. Therefore, she argues, there is an urgent need for a strong nationwide women workers’ trade union capable of challenging such discrimination. Unfortunately, she notes, no such powerful movement has yet emerged.
The Numbers Tell the Same Story
Government data also appears to support Swati Narayan’s observations. According to official statistics, gender-based wage inequality remains deeply embedded across India’s labour market.
The Government of India’s Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), in its Women and Men in India 2022 report based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2021–22, found that female casual labourers employed in works other than public works earned significantly less than their male counterparts.
At the national level, women in rural areas earned an average daily wage of Rs 261 compared to Rs 388 earned by men. In other words, women earned 32.7 per cent less than men in rural India.
A similar pattern existed in urban India. Women earned an average of Rs 324 per day, while men earned Rs 468. This meant women’s wages were 30.7 per cent lower than those of men.
Migration, Low Wages and Jharkhand’s Labour Crisis
Bhuvneshwar Kevat says that the gender wage gap in Jharkhand is even wider than in many other states. He also points out that Jharkhand remains one of the lowest-paying states in the country, a factor that contributes significantly to migration.
According to one study, nearly 4.5 million migrant workers from Jharkhand are employed outside the state in search of work. Most of them belong to the informal labour force.
The Jharkhand Labour Department, meanwhile, estimates the number of migrant workers at around 1.9 million. Of these, only about 250,000 have been formally registered by the government.
Kevat says, “If workers received better wages here, they would not migrate, whether within the state or outside it. This is especially true for women. Whenever we raise these issues, the Centre blames the state government, and the state government blames the Centre. In the end, both avoid taking responsibility for it.”
Construction Work: More Labour, Less Pay
Construction workers in Jharkhand are classified as part of the informal sector. Trade unions claim that nearly 40 per cent of workers in this sector are women.
Regardless of where they work, women labourers consistently receive lower wages than men. In local labour terminology, women are often referred to as reza while men are called kuli.
Forty-five-year-old Jhariya Tirkey tries to explain the reality. More than a decade ago, she left her village in Gumla district. Frustrated by her husband’s alcoholism and irresponsible behaviour, she moved to Ranchi with her children and began working as a daily-wage labourer.
Jhariya says, “We wake up at six in the morning and gather at road intersections in Ranchi in search of work. At construction sites, women often work harder than men. Yet we receive only Rs 500 a day, while men are paid Rs 650.”
She continues, “Because in this way, when we searched for work, it was available for only about fifteen days a month; therefore, we eventually started working under a contractor to get more days of work. But the contractor pays only Rs 450 a day, even though he provides work for twenty-five days a month. In that sense, contractors exploit us even more.”
A Persistent Pattern of Inequality
The stories and statistics emerging from Jharkhand reveal a labour market where gender-based wage discrimination remains widespread. Women continue to receive lower remuneration than men for the same work, and in Jharkhand, the disparity appears particularly severe.
According to MoSPI’s Women and Men in India 2022 report (PLFS 2021–22), gender wage inequality among casual labourers engaged in work other than public works remained persistent throughout the year in Jharkhand.
The divide was evident across multiple quarters. During July–September 2021, women in rural Jharkhand earned an average daily wage of Rs 258 compared to Rs 351 for men. In urban areas, women earned Rs 369 per day, while men earned Rs 377.
During October–December 2021, rural women earned Rs 305 daily, while men earned Rs 349. In urban areas, women received Rs 350 per day compared to Rs 404 earned by men.
The gap widened further during January–March 2022. Rural women’s average daily wages fell to Rs 220, while men earned Rs 340. In urban areas, women earned Rs 320 compared to Rs 387 earned by men.
Between April and June 2022, rural women earned Rs 283 per day, while men received Rs 321. Urban women earned Rs 348, compared to Rs 394 earned by men.
These figures show that gender-based wage inequality was not just an isolated incident but a consistent pattern across both rural and urban Jharkhand.
Equal Work Must Mean Equal Pay
Jharkhand Labour Commissioner Sandeep Singh agrees that workers performing the same job should receive the same pay, regardless of gender.
Speaking to Outlook, he said, “If such discrimination is taking place, it must be monitored. We need to identify the sectors where it is occurring. I will seek information on this issue, and action will be taken. We need to determine whether this is limited to one city or prevalent across Jharkhand. For that, we will conduct a general survey with a representative sample size and examine whether a large-scale gender pay gap exists.”
According to the Labour Department, Jharkhand has approximately three million workers. Of these, around 1.65 million are employed within the state’s informal sector, while nearly 1.25 million work in construction. More than 200,000 people are employed in other states.
Equality in Law, Inequality in Reality
Indian law is unambiguous on the principle of equal pay. The doctrine of “Equal Pay for Equal Work” is enshrined in Article 39(d) of the Constitution of India, which forms part of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP).
The provision directs the State to frame policies that ensure men and women receive equal remuneration for work of the same nature, thereby preventing discrimination in wages on the basis of gender.
The objective is to promote gender equality in the workplace, protect women’s economic rights and guarantee equal compensation for equal labour.
Yet the experiences of women across Jharkhand show a stark contrast between legal principles and lived realities. While equality exists in constitutional provisions, labour laws and government regulations, gender-based discrimination remains on the ground.
From petrol pumps and shopping malls to farms and construction sites, women continue to perform the same work as men while receiving less pay. Their stories reveal that the gender wage gap is not just a statistical indicator but a daily reality shaping the lives of thousands of working women across Jharkhand.
(Some names have been changed)
