Statutory Benefits, Perceived Gender Equity, Social Support, and Well-Being: Evidence from Women in India’s Manufacturing Sector.

Statutory benefits, perceived gender equity, and social support shape the subjective well-being of women employed in India’s manufacturing sector. A cross-sectional survey design with (N-250) women workers from the manufacturing sector in Dharwad, Karnataka, India. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), tested direct and indirect pathways linking statutory benefits, perceptions of gender equity, and social support to subjective well-being. The results revealed that both statutory benefits (β = 0.13, p < .01) and perceived gender equity (β = 0.28, p < .001) had significant direct effects on well-being. Social support emerged as the strongest predictor (β = 0.57, p < .001) and partially mediated the relationship between perceived gender equity and well-being, highlighting its critical buffering role. Interestingly, statutory benefits did not significantly predict social support (β = 0.03, p = .344), suggesting that while formal policies may directly enhance well-being, they may not automatically foster supportive interpersonal environments. These findings emphasize that improving workplace well-being for women requires more than policy compliance. Organizations must cultivate cultures that reinforce fairness and support. The study contributes to the broader discourse on workplace equity by highlighting how formal benefits and perceived interpersonal dynamics together influence psychological outcomes for women in industrial employment.