Indian Bank Denies Having Hiring Policy Against Pregnant Women, Says “Not Engaged In Gender-Discriminatory Practices”
Pregnancy is a new chapter in a woman’s life. It’s also a very special time for a woman when she needs all the care, love and pampering in the world but having said that, it doesn’t mean that she is ill or unfit. Pregnancy is not a disability. For a very long time, doctors have been asking pregnant women to eat healthy, exercise and work to stay fit. And we’ve all seen our favourite celebs work through their pregnancy and do yoga and whatnot to stay active and fit. But this hasn’t stopped the misogynists in our society from using pregnancy as an excuse to hamper the career of a woman. Recently, Indian Bank issued new hiring guidelines according to which a woman who is more than 12 weeks pregnant will be declared ‘unfit’ for work until her full pregnancy term is over. Apart from this, the candidate will be re-examined for a fitness certificate from a medical professional six weeks after the date of labour. Ever since the news came out, there has been public outcry over the sexist rule. The Delhi Commission For Women issued a notice to the Indian Bank and asked it to revise the “misogynistic” hiring policy but the bank has claimed that it has no discriminatory policy against women.
The DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal had issued a notice to the Indian Bank and asked them to revise their policy but despite the notice, on Monday, the bank said that it has not made any changes to the recruitment policy while adding that no female candidate has been denied employment. Rubbishing the rumours, the Indian Bank said the media has interpreted that the bank has a new policy which is discriminatory towards women but the fact is that it has not made any changes to its existing guidelines. Further, the bank stated that it has always been “progressive” and has a “proactive approach” towards empowering female employees while adding that they’re an important part of their workforce. Sharing the stats, the Indian Bank said that 29% of its workforce is female, making it “one of the best in the banking industry”. The bank went on to add that no female candidate has been denied employment by the bank due to pregnancy while adding that the “bank is not engaged in any gender-discriminatory practices,” as quoted by NDTV.
Also Read: Delhi Commission For Women Issues Notice To Indian Bank Over “Misogynistic” Policy Of Not Hiring Pregnant Women
The Indian Bank further added that considering the public sentiments in the case, they state that a woman who is less than 12 weeks pregnant is considered fit for joining the bank and post 12 weeks, the woman requires a fitness certificate from a registered medical practitioner certifying that the woman is fit to work. Well, okay then.
AIDWA Condemns Indian Bank For Not Hiring Eligible Female Candidates Because They Are Pregnant
