Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Tamil Nadu urged to support women guest workers beyond factories
Many women from other parts of India move to Tamil Nadu to work in factories that make clothes, electronics, cars and other goods.
They come because there are many jobs and because the state is considered safer for women.
But having a job is only part of the story.
These workers also need safe places to live, safe ways to travel to work, and places where they can leave their young children while they work.
Some women feel worried about traveling late at night for evening shifts.
Experts say women should also get chances to become supervisors and managers, not just stay in assembly-line jobs.
Industries minister S. Keerthana says factory areas need proper facilities, not just land and buildings.
If these things improve, more women will stay in their jobs, which helps both families and the state's economy.
Tamil Nadu's manufacturing hubs rely on lakhs of women guest workers from other states and districts across sectors like textiles, garments, electronics, footwear and automobiles.
Experts say retaining women workers requires safe transportation, affordable hostels, crèche facilities, healthcare support and clear pathways for career advancement.
Former DGP R. Sekar said Tamil Nadu's crime rate against women is many times lower than the national average, boosting the state's attractiveness to women workers.
Former Freshworks CHRO Suman Gopalan noted women remain under-represented in supervisory, technical and managerial roles despite being well-represented on factory floors.
Industries minister S. Keerthana said industrial parks must evolve from land banks into fully functional, investment-ready industrial ecosystems.
- Who
- Women guest workers from other states and districts employed in Tamil Nadu's manufacturing sector, along with experts including former DGP R. Sekar, former Freshworks CHRO Suman Gopalan and industries minister S. Keerthana.
- What
- A push to improve accommodation, transport, childcare, healthcare and career advancement so women guest workers are retained in manufacturing jobs, not just hired.
- When
- Not specified in the articles.
- Where
- Tamil Nadu, India — including industrial clusters in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Krishnagiri, Sriperumbudur, Oragadam and Hosur.
- Why
- To sustain and expand women's participation in the workforce as Tamil Nadu pursues electronics, electric vehicles and advanced manufacturing, since wages alone do not determine whether women stay.
- State
- Tamil Nadu, India
- Key manufacturing sectors
- Textiles, garments, electronics, footwear, engineering and automobiles
- Industrial clusters
- Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Krishnagiri, Sriperumbudur, Oragadam and Hosur
- Key legislation
- Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 1998
- National ambition
- India to become a developed nation by 2047
- Reported safety record
- Crime rate against women many times lower than the national average (per former DGP R. Sekar)
- Key challenge
- Shortages of affordable accommodation in industrial clusters that depend heavily on guest workers
- Future opportunity
- Rapid expansion of electronics and electric vehicle manufacturing, requiring continuous upskilling