NHRC issues notice to Centre, Tamil Nadu government over “serious issue of discrimination” at Foxconn’s iPhone factory

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the central government and Tamil Nadu state authorities following reports of discriminatory hiring practices at Foxconn's biggest Apple iPhone manufacturing plant in the country near Chennai. The commission's action comes in response to a Reuters investigation that uncovered systematic exclusion of married women from assembly line jobs at the facility.
"NHRC observes that the matter, if true, raises a serious issue of discrimination against married women causing the violation of the right to equality and equal opportunity," the commission stated as quoted by PTI.The NHRC has requested a detailed report within a week from both the labour ministry secretary and the Tamil Nadu chief secretary.

The Reuters conducted an investigation at Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur between January 2023 and May 2024, which revealed that Foxconn, a major supplier for Apple, had been rejecting married women applicants for iPhone assembly jobs. Dozens of job seekers, advertisements, and WhatsApp discussions, showed that Foxconn's third-party recruiters explicitly stated that only unmarried women were eligible for assembly jobs.
Hiring agents and HR sources cited family responsibilities, pregnancy risks, and higher absenteeism as reasons for not hiring married women. S. Paul, a former human resources executive at Foxconn India, told Reuters: "Risk factors increase when you hire married women." He explained that the company's view was that there were "many issues post-marriage," including that women "have babies after marriage."

In response to the allegations, Apple acknowledged lapses in hiring practices in 2022 and claimed to have worked with Foxconn to address the issues. Meanwhile, Foxconn has "vigorously refuted" the allegations of employment discrimination based on marital status or gender.
While Indian law doesn't specifically bar companies from discriminating in hiring based on marital status in the private sector, legal experts suggest such practices could be challenged. Several women's groups have called for investigations into the matter.
The human rights commission emphasised that gender equality is not only required by the Indian constitution but also by international treaties and covenants. It has directed state authorities to ensure all companies follow labour law norms and regulations.