New Delhi, Jan. 31 -- The Economic Survey 2024-25 pressed for relaxing state-level curbs against women participating in some factory jobs, and building adequate safeguards against arbitrary administrative action.

The Survey tabled in Parliament on Friday said that many states prohibit women from various factory processes. The 10 most populous states collectively impose 139 prohibitions on women in specific factory processes considering them to be dangerous, but inter-state comparison and scientific literature show that these prohibitions are enforced without evidence of special health risks to women workers.

"For example, some states allow women to participate in abrasive blasting used to clean metal surfaces, but others prohibit women ...