Indian-American women earn more on average when compared to non-Hispanic white men in the US, according to a new report.
However, compared to Asian American men, Asian American women only make 78 cents on the dollar, which is the largest gender gap among the racial and ethnic categories studied, the report by US Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) said.
The smallest gender gap was among African Americans - black women earn nearly 90 cents on the dollar compared to black men.
More than half of Asian Americans over 25 have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to only 33 per cent of non-Hispanic whites.
About 72 per cent of Indian Americans have four-year college degrees, and a whopping 40 per cent have some professional or graduate degree.
This means that Indian Americans are more likely to have advanced degrees than white Americans are likely to have finished college, the 'Washington Post' reported.
About 21.8 per cent of Asian Americans also have graduate or professional degrees, compared to 12.8 per cent of non-Hispanic whites. This could explain the apparent advantage that Asian women have over men, the report said.
Economist Mark Perry wrote in his blog that Asian women working full-time earned only about 3 per cent less per week (USD 841) than the average full-time male worker (USD 871) in 2014, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Asian women working full-time in 2014 earned more per week on average than black (USD 680) and Hispanic men (USD 616).
The women, the survey says, find it difficult when it
comes to their accoutrement as "nothing fits" their size as largely caps, shoes, track suits and dungarees are made keeping in mind the male body.
As women have smaller palms, it is like a challenge for them to get a firm grip on the weapon issued to them, like a pistol or an INSAS rifle, it added. Hence they have sought gender-friendly gadgets and clothes.
The survey says women personnel, especially in the constabulary, find it uncomfortable while travelling in heavy vehicles and trucks to report for work particularly during menstruation or pregnancy. Some of them felt the traditional 'cross belt' on the uniform should be done away with as it is "inconvenient" during toilet usage.
The survey also says the family life of these women in 'khaki' suffers as there have been cases of infertility and broken marriages.
While women in border guarding forces say they have to remain away from kids for a long time when posted in frontier areas, they are also unable to breastfeed their young ones due to duty timings and lack of support infrastructure.
It added that the reasons for a woman personnel taking leave are, at times, "deliberated and ridiculed".
With women constituting a smaller part than men in a police unit or establishment, they have to do more duty and it gets difficult for them to either secure "leave or timely leave".
The surveyed women also said they wanted more "dignified and elegant" uniforms.
The survey, which was discussed at length during the January 6-8 conference, also made recommendations which have been submitted to the government.
While it has been suggested that there should be state- funded special health checkup for women personnel like pap smear tests (for cervical cancer), mammography (for breast cancer) and tests for estimation of bone density, it has been recommended that sanitary pad dispensers should be installed at all women posts and portable toilets be provided to them under the 'Swachh Bharat' mission.
It has also been recommended that more creches, school pickup and drop facilities for children and clean living quarters and toilet facilities be provided to them.
