The two women standing near the entrance to the iPhone factory in southern India were visibly distressed.

Parvathi and Janaki, sisters in their 20s, had come to the Foxconn plant, a major supplier for Apple, for job interviews in March 2023 after seeing ads on WhatsApp. However, a security officer at the main gate stopped them, asking if they were married. Upon confirming they were, they were turned away.

“We didn’t get the jobs as we both are married,” Parvathi later shared in an interview from her village. She added that even the auto-rickshaw driver who brought them to the Foxconn facility warned them that married women were not hired, but they decided to try regardless.

A Reuters investigation revealed that Foxconn systematically excluded married women from jobs at its main iPhone assembly plant in India, citing their greater family responsibilities. S. Paul, a former HR executive at Foxconn India, mentioned that the company's executives verbally instructed their Indian hiring agencies about these recruitment rules. These agencies, responsible for scouting candidates, conducting interviews, and employing them, followed these guidelines.

Foxconn’s preference for not hiring married women was attributed to “cultural issues” and societal pressures, according to Paul, who left the company in August 2023. He highlighted that post-marriage, women often have babies, increasing "risk factors" for the company.

Paul's account was supported by 17 employees from more than a dozen Foxconn hiring agencies and four current and former Foxconn HR executives, with most sources speaking anonymously. These sources cited family duties, pregnancy, and higher absenteeism as reasons for the exclusion. Additionally, the metal jewelry worn by married Hindu women could interfere with production.

However, the exclusion was not absolute. During high-production periods, Foxconn occasionally hired married women to address labor shortages. In some cases, hiring agencies even helped female candidates conceal their marital status.

In response to Reuters' questions, Apple and Foxconn acknowledged issues with hiring practices in 2022 and claimed to have addressed them. However, discriminatory practices documented by Reuters in 2023 and 2024 were not addressed by the companies. Neither Apple nor Foxconn clarified if the lapses in 2022 related to married women.

While Indian law doesn’t prohibit companies from discriminating based on marital status, both Apple and Foxconn have policies against such discrimination in their supply chains.

Apple asserted that it maintains the “highest supply chain standards in the industry” and noted that Foxconn employs some married women in India. Foxconn refuted allegations of employment discrimination.

The factory's hiring practices bring scrutiny to one of India's high-profile foreign investments. Apple views India as an alternative manufacturing base to China amidst geopolitical tensions, and the Indian government sees Foxconn’s iPhone factory as key to moving the country up the economic value chain. However, the discrimination against married women undermines these goals.

Modi's administration has tried to overhaul labor laws to make hiring and firing easier and to prevent gender-based discrimination. However, these measures, still unimplemented, do not address marital status discrimination specifically.

Reuters' investigation between January 2023 and May 2024 involved over 20 trips to Sriperumbudur and conversations with dozens of jobseekers. A review of candidate pamphlets, job ads, and WhatsApp discussions showed that recruiters explicitly stated only unmarried women were eligible for assembly jobs. The ads did not mention hiring men.

For some Indian women, a job at Foxconn is a path out of extreme poverty, offering food, accommodation, and a monthly paycheck of about $200. Foxconn outsources its hiring to third-party vendors who are responsible for recruiting and employing the workers. These vendors manage the payroll and are paid about $10 to $15 per employee monthly.

Apple and Foxconn require their suppliers to adhere to strict codes of conduct prohibiting discrimination. Foxconn stated that it enhanced its hiring processes in 2022 and took corrective action against agencies posting non-compliant ads. However, Foxconn did not specify the number or location of married women hired in their latest round of hiring.

Despite Modi’s initiatives to boost female labor participation, official data shows it remains low. Companies like Ola Electric also focus on hiring women, running one of the largest women-only automotive plants.

Many women in India remain confined to household chores despite the country's economic growth. Modi has emphasized removing barriers that restrict women's access to jobs and markets. Apple and Foxconn play a crucial role in this goal, with Apple positioning India as a significant manufacturing hub.

Most iPhones made in India are produced at the Sriperumbudur plant, which employs thousands of women. Foxconn's hiring practices, driven by concerns over metal ornaments and societal norms, hinder its compliance with stated global standards of inclusion.

Legal precedent exists regarding the dismissal of married women due to absenteeism. In 1965, India's Supreme Court ruled against a company's practice of terminating married women, stating no convincing reason for the rule.

Foxconn has faced scrutiny over its work environment, particularly in China. In India, protests erupted at the Sriperumbudur plant in December 2021 after a food poisoning incident, leading to temporary production halts and Apple placing the plant on probation.

Reuters spoke to several women, including Priya Darshini, who were rejected by Foxconn’s hiring vendors due to their marital status. Darshini's inquiries about child care and salary were met with the response, "Married not allowed."

Recruiters instructed candidates to conceal their marital status to secure jobs. Some married women successfully worked at Foxconn by hiding their marital status and not wearing metal ornaments.

Foxconn's discriminatory hiring practices highlight the challenges faced by multinational companies in upholding their global standards while expanding in conservative regions.

- Reuters