The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has criticised the Tamil Nadu government for failing to address allegations of discrimination against married women in the recruitment process at Foxconn India’s iPhone manufacturing plant in Sriperumbudur. According to a Reuters report, the NHRC has called for a re-investigation into the matter, citing inadequacies in the state government’s earlier inquiry.
"The commission has no hesitation in stating that the authorities concerned have failed to identify and understand the core issue,” NHRC observed, as per the report.
The NHRC noted that the reports filed by Tamil Nadu labour officials were "routine and casual" and failed to address the core issue of discrimination. The matter first came to light following a Reuters investigation in June 2024, which highlighted several violations of Apple’s and Foxconn’s supply chain policies prohibiting discrimination.
The investigation revealed that married women were routinely barred from entering the factory premises during recruitment. Security guards allegedly questioned women about their marital status, citing reasons such as family responsibilities, pregnancy, and higher absenteeism as justifications for not hiring them. A former HR executive at Foxconn attributed the bias to "cultural issues" and the perceived "risk factor" associated with hiring married women, including potential complications arising from maternity.
In July 2024, Tamil Nadu government officials visited the plant and questioned its executives about employment practices. However, their findings were not disclosed publicly. Later, state officials submitted a report giving Foxconn a clean chit, stating that no discrimination was found. They highlighted that 6.7% of the 33,360 women employed at the factory were married and that workers hailed from six districts.
Officials also claimed to have interviewed 21 married women at the plant, all of whom reportedly denied experiencing discrimination in wages or promotions. However, the NHRC criticised this approach in November, arguing that the percentage of married women employed was insufficient to determine whether discriminatory recruitment practices were in place. The commission emphasised that the inquiry needed to focus on the experiences of women during the hiring process, not just their conditions post-employment.