Despite the provisions of the Maternity Benefits Act of 1961, which was revised in 2017 to improve gender equality, Indian women contract workers still encounter legal obstacles while trying to obtain maternity benefits. The experiences of eleven contract nurses working at a tertiary hospital in Karnataka, India, are investigated in this study. Focus group interviews were used to collect the data, and NVivo software was used to facilitate thematic analysis and improve data display.
The results highlight important problems, such as monetary, legal, and procedural difficulties made worse by organizational behaviours including unauthorized service outages and document falsification. Cluster analysis demonstrates how systemic defects impede workers' rights by highlighting interrelated issues including employment verification, contractual duties, and legal restrictions. Despite the existence of statutory benefits, insufficient enforcement measures uphold disparities and put women in hazardous working environments.
The report emphasizes how urgently policies must be put into practice. By offering practical suggestions for increasing maternity leave, guaranteeing fair treatment of contract employees, and promoting workplace diversity, the findings add to the conversation on labor rights