INTRODUCTION
A law once meant to protect women from unsafe factories is now seen as a barrier to equality. In post-independence India, under the Factories Act, 1948[1], women were not allowed to work before 6 a.m. and after 7 p.m. This law was enacted for the safety of women and was viewed as a protective provision. During that time, the industrial sector was underdeveloped and women were unsafe from poor working conditions, lighting, lack of transportation, etc. However, after so many years of independence, this provision now seems discriminatory and outdated. Women are now much more active and self-sufficient, and capable of equal opportunities. Recognising this, many Indian states have revised their factory rules, such as Maharashtra[2] and Karnataka[3], and now Meghalaya is following suit, amending the discriminatory practice against women. Under Meghalaya Factories (Amendment) Rules, 2025[4], women are free to work at any time of day if safety provisions are met, like secure transport, CCTV monitoring, compliance with the POSH Act, etc. This helps in promoting gender equality, strengthening the working environment for women. But this reform also comes with major questions, like- will it be effective on the ground level? Will it empower women? Will it protect women in both the rural and urban sectors?
BACKGROUND AND LEGAL CONTEXT
As stated earlier, women were not allowed to work before 6 a.m. and after 7 p.m. to ensure their health, safety, and welfare, but soon this provision turned discriminatory as it restricted equality to women. It did not allow women to work early morning or late night, irrespective of their profession, skills, or consent. The industrial sector of India at that time was highly unorganised and restrictive for women. But eventually, women’s professional place started growing and demanding equal rights for themselves. As the economy grew due to this restriction, women were not able to equally participate in their jobs as their male counterparts, especially in sectors like food processing, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, etc., where full-time shifts are normalised. To address this, Meghalaya came up with modifications to the state’s factory rules. Under this, they permitted women to work after 7 p.m. and before 6 a.m., provided specific conditions are met. Conditions necessary to be followed are safe transportation, proper lighting, CCTV monitoring, and compliance with the POSH Act[5]. This act consolidated gender-neutral employment policies and ensured working towards a progressive society.
NEED FOR THE AMENDMENT AND KEY PROVISIONS
In Meghalaya, the industrial sector is particularly informal, with comparatively lesser participation of women. This was holding the gender and economic growth of the state. One of the main reasons to implement the law was to push gender equality and allow women to work to the best of their potential with full safety. Our constitution under Articles 14, 16, and 16[6] promotes equal opportunity along with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), emphasising neutral labour practice and safety norms. Legalising this state would ensure fair wages, safety, and non-discriminatory opportunities for women. Key provisions of this amendment were mainly the freedom and safety of women, and eradicating the strict conditions imposed on them, along with important provisions like:
- Before assigning the night shift to women, taking their written consent was mandatory.
- It was of the utmost importance to provide safe transportation from the workplace to her residence with proper arrangements.
- The workplace itself had to be a safe place for women to work with security guards and CCTVs, etc.
- The environment sphere has to be in full compliance with the POSH Act guidelines, along with a formal Internal Complaints Committee for any grievance redressal.
- Appointing women managers during late-night shifts or early morning shifts.
Also, the workplace had to inform the local authorities about the working of women during late nights and to submit welfare reports periodically.
A milestone was achieved socially and economically, helping women foster financial stability and a positive reputation, making Meghalaya a progressive state that enhances gender-neutral living conditions. However, just making a law is not enough; the true test lies in its implementation. Whether the state of Meghalaya implements these laws on the ground level is the actual question.
IMPACT AND CHALLENGES
In my view, the Meghalaya Factories (Amendment) Rules, 2025, led to an increase in opportunities for women in sectors like textiles, electronics, etc. The women’s workforce grew rapidly in number after the amendment, and reduced gender disparity. The economy of the state grew steadily as well. But the main concern of the author lies in the enforcement of the law. In a state like Meghalaya, which is already hilly terrain and dispersed population, ensuring safety becomes crucial and difficult to implement. Also, many of the sectors are highly underdeveloped to ensure proper lighting, CCTV, or higher security forces for women. The infrastructure of the state is quite poor, which leads to the protection of women in danger.
Another major problem is the social mindset of the community, which prohibits women from working after a certain time period. Many families do not allow women to work late nights despite legal protection. So, awareness programmes along with legal backing are needed in order to practically benefit from the amendment.
The state also lacks sufficient resources to comply with the laws. If the resource deficiency is not tackled, then it would lead to non-adherence to the amendment. Finally, the workplace needs to ensure equal treatment to women with transparent wages, working hours, and respect.
Now the main challenge of the state is to ensure freedom to work becomes a right not just in letter but in spirit as well.
CONCLUSION
The Meghalaya Factories (Amendment) Rules, 2025, are a very reformative step towards gender equality in the state and for women’s empowerment as well. By helping women reach their true potential in work, the state is moving towards modernism. This bold step goes hand in hand with the economic development of the state, along with protecting women’s professional space. However, just the legal reform is not sufficient to achieve the vision; its practical implementation is crucial to attain success in the state. The government, police, and local authorities all need to work together for the betterment of women in their safety, transportation, wages, etc. The state needs to prove that this law is a way forward for the state and a model for other states as well. The Meghalaya Factories (Amendment) Rules, 2025 stand as a powerful reminder that true equality begins not when women are protected from work, but when they are empowered to choose it — safely, freely, and with dignity.
Author’s Name: Aditi Goyal (Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur)
[1] Factories Act 1948, s 66(1)(b)
[2] Maharashtra Factories (Amendment) Rules 2019
[3] Karnataka Factories (Amendment) Rules 2021
[4] Meghalaya Factories (Amendment) Rules 2025
[5] Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013, s 19
[6] The Constitution of India 1950, arts 14, 15 and 16
