Modi makes pre-election push to empower India's women

NEW DELHI -- India's government is renewing a drive for women's empowerment, including greater participation in the workforce, just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi gears up for his reelection campaign.

The South Asian nation of 1.4 billion people faces calls to address a skewed worker gender ratio that economists say undermines its development and social welfare. Fresh guidelines aimed at employers, released by the Labor Ministry at the end of January, reiterate implementation of longstanding legislation on women's work conditions, such as maternity benefits and allocations for nurseries.