A Critical Perspective On Firm Soponsored Transportation Policies: Lessons From The Pinjra Tod Movement

In India, liberalization and the onset of globalization have generated substantial opportunities for women. Nonetheless, irrespective of socio-economic status, women are far from attaining gender equity in society or the workplace. While the plethora of variables that contribute to this inequity historically, socially and economically continue to be explored as globalization converges on India, the movement against it slowly trudges along. In this study, we explore the core values and arguments for the recent Pinjra Tod movement afoot at universities in India, which aims for gender-neutral policies on college campuses across India. Subsequently, we compare the movement to similarly justified “safety and security” policies in the work place in India. We argue that while that Pinjra Tod movement is gaining momentum on legitimate grounds in India, this hard earned autonomy on college campuses is swiftly squandered upon employment. We examine transportation policies at BPO/IT companies justified by laws in India around “safety and security” and argue that these are not only inundated with gender bias, but are in direct conflict with many other policies at firms which aim for diversity and equity in the work place. We argue that these gender-biased human resources policies hinder women from advancing in the work place as they limit their interaction outside the workplace in informal networking opportunities that lead to recognition and promotion. More importantly, it devalues independent and autonomous decision making by women, which may transpire to other areas of work. We end with recommendations on how business policies can stay within the law, provide safety and security and advance women with gender-neutral policies.