For true nari shakti, take jobs where women workers are, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2026 faced obstacles in Parliament despite the Women’s Reservation Act of 2023, which reserves 33% of Lok Sabha seats for women.
• In 2025, India's female labor force participation rate (FLFPR) was approximately 40% (MOSPI) or 32.4% (ILO), lagging behind countries like Vietnam, China, and Nigeria.
• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has a 2026-27 allocation of Rs 9,886 crore, including Rs 3,400 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).
• The apparel sector generates 55 female jobs per Rs 1 crore investment, significantly more than the automobile and steel industries.
• Pearl Global Industries in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, employs 650 workers (90% female) and plans to scale to 3,000 workers by March-April 2027, showcasing the potential of local garment manufacturing.

Detailed Insights:

• India's low FLFPR is a concern, with states like Bihar recording only 24.7% and high dropout rates for girls in schools, hindering women's empowerment.
• The apparel sector offers a viable pathway for women's economic empowerment due to its high job creation potential and ability to absorb skilled female workers.
• The PM MITRA scheme, aimed at creating large-scale textile parks, should be expanded to labor-surplus states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha to bring infrastructure closer to women workers.
• Skilling initiatives need better industry alignment, with firms leading curriculum design and the government ensuring quality, similar to models in China and Vietnam.
• Restructuring employment-linked incentives with higher subsidy rates for women in the initial years of employment can reduce attrition and training costs.
• Developing garment clusters in states with surplus labor can reduce migration and enable women to retain their social ties and community connections.

Key Concepts Involved:

• FLFPR (Female Labour Force Participation Rate): Percentage of women employed or actively seeking employment in the labor force.
• PMKVY (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana): A skill development scheme providing free training and certification to Indian youth.
• PM MITRA Scheme: Scheme to establish integrated textile parks to boost the textile industry through infrastructure development.