Odisha Govt provides support to women employees with Extra Casual Leave (10 days)

Announcement:

• The Odisha administration led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has extended an additional 10 days of casual leave to women employees working in government ministries.
• The decision respects the various responsibilities of women and seeks to provide them with a better work-life balance.

Previous Right:

• Earlier, all government employees in Odisha got 15 days of casual leave every year.

New ownership:

• As per the latest notification, women employees will be allowed a total of 25 days of casual leave every year.

Reason:

• The decision recognizes the problems women face when managing household, childcare and elder care responsibilities in addition to their jobs.
• This is to reduce the stress caused by these responsibilities.

Maternity Leave Benefits:

• Also, the state government has announced that women working in unaided educational institutions will be given 180 days paid maternity leave.
• This includes teachers of 2,560 new aided high schools, 940 higher secondary schools and 138 madrasas in Odisha.

Impact:

• These policies will have a positive impact on the lives of female government officials, increasing job satisfaction, productivity and well-being.
• They represent the government’s commitment to women’s empowerment and gender equality.

Broad initiatives:

• Odisha has a long history of progressive policies for women, including being the first state in India to announce 33% reservation for women in government posts in the 1990s.
• A number of programs have been initiated to increase women’s socioeconomic status, representation in decision-making positions, and educational and economic opportunities.

Conclusion:

The Odisha government’s decision to provide more casual leave and maternity benefits demonstrates its commitment to create a more friendly and enabling environment for women employees, ultimately improving their overall empowerment and gender equality in the region.