More women work but in informal and less secure jobs, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• Women's workforce participation in India nearly doubled from 104 million in 2017-18 to 201 million in 2025, with the female worker population ratio rising from 22% to 38%.
• Most of this increase is concentrated in rural India, primarily in agriculture and informal sectors like own-account and unpaid family work.
• The share of rural women in agriculture rose from 70.7% to 73.3%, while men's share in the sector declined.
• Average weekly working hours have fallen for women, indicating that much of the new employment is marginal and low in intensity.
• The wage gap persists, with rural women earning roughly 45% of what rural men earn, a decline from 53%.
• Unpaid care work remains a significant barrier, with women spending an average of 3.7 hours more per day than men on domestic work, as per the 2024 Time Use Survey.

Women Workforce.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• The surge in women's employment is largely absorbed by agriculture, a sector from which structural transformation typically expects workers to move out.
• Outside agriculture, women's employment gains are concentrated in informal sectors like garments, retail, and construction, dominated by micro and own-account enterprises.
• The decline in average weekly working hours for women, especially rural women, suggests that much of the new employment is part-time or seasonal.
• The widening gender gap in working hours in manufacturing (e.g., textiles) indicates women remain in home-based, piece-rate, or own-account work rather than regular factory jobs.
• The widest hourly earnings gaps are found in sectors employing most women, such as tobacco manufacturing, education, textiles, and crop production.
• Childcare and household commitments are cited by 60% of women as reasons for not being in the labor force, a stark contrast to men.
• Taking up paid work does not significantly reduce women's burden of unpaid domestic and care work, which remains high for working women.
• Policy recommendations include affordable childcare, paid paternity/shared parental leave, and MSME policies that incentivize hiring women and provide support like finance, technology, hostels, and transport.
• Creating paid work for rural women close to home through place-based enterprise clusters, livelihood missions, and women-led producer organizations is crucial.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Worker Population Ratio: The percentage of the population that is employed.
• Informal Sector: Economic activities that are not regulated or protected by the state, often characterized by low wages and lack of social security.
• Unpaid Care Work: Domestic and caregiving tasks performed without monetary compensation, primarily by women.
• Structural Transformation: The shift of an economy from reliance on agriculture to manufacturing and services.