A Woman’s Dignity vs A Giant Corporation — The Neera Mathur Story
A Woman’s Dignity vs A Giant Corporation — The Neera Mathur Story In the early 1990s, a young and qualified woman named Neera Mathur applied for a job with the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), one of the country’s most prestigious public sector organizations. She cleared the written exams, aced the interviews, and was offered the job. Like all candidates, she had to fill out a detailed declaration form. One question on the form caught her off guard: "Are you pregnant? If yes, how many months?" Feeling uncomfortable and shocked, Neera still filled in the form and joined the job. Soon after, she availed maternity leave as she was, in fact, pregnant. This decision triggered a storm. LIC claimed that Neera had concealed her pregnancy, accusing her of dishonesty. They terminated her employment, saying she was physically unfit and untruthful at the time of appointment. Neera was stunned. She had been a meritorious candidate. Was being pregnant a crime? Did that mean women...