Female Labour Force Participation Rate
May 3, 2024
The female labour force participation rate (LFPR) in India remains among the world’s lowest.
LFPR is defined as the percentage of persons in labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work)in the population.
Current Affairs
Image Credits: PLFS 2022-23
FEMALE LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION IN INDIA
- India has the lowest female labour force participation rate (LFPR) among all the G20 countries
- The Nationally represented data sets of the National Sample Surveys, Employment-Unemployment survey, and the Periodic Labour force survey all point out that the female LFPR has been very low in comparison to male counterparts over the years.
Reasons for the lower participation of Women in the labour market ?
Claudia Goldwin
winner of the Noble Prize in Economics highlights in her research that gender-based discrimination and lower participation of women in the labour market have existed historically and several factors affect the demand and supply of female labour such as ;- Gendered occupational segregation Ex. Pink Collar Jobs like receptionists where women are often preferred
- Inadequate growth of labour demand within sectors predominantly occupied by women.
- Lack of Educational opportunities. Ex. Higher college dropout rate is seen among women compared to men. In developing countries, women get less access to quality education
- Cultural Norms Ex. Women are considered as “Paraya Dhan” meaning belonging to others. Patriarchal norms in society like women cannot go out on their own hinders their chances of growth & development
- Family responsibilities - Ex. Marital Status, Presence of Children, A larger household etc. (34% female leave jobs due to work-life balance issues while only 4% men leave their job for the same reason)
- Overall socio-economic environment hinders women's engagement in labour market. Ex. If most of the neighborhood females are engaged in household work, others are also likely to follow it.
Recent trends in LFPR :
- India's LFPR of 15 years and above age group has shown a steady increase from 23% in 2017-18 to 37% in 2022-23.
- The LFPR has demonstrated rapid growth in the rural areas rising from 24% in 2017-18 to 41% in 2022-23. In comparison Urban Female LFPR changed from 20% to 25% only.
Reasons for rise in women employment :
Factors for rise in women employment
- Technology : Historically women were kept out of the labour market by stereotyping them as "physically weak" and hence unsuited to working outside. Technology changed the nature of work from Physical labour to a Mental Labour.
- Laws : Feminist movements globally resulted in framing of many laws which are "pro-women". Ex 73rd CAA leading to a 33% reservation for womens in PRI led to a rise in their participation. Other such laws are Maternity benefit laws, Altruistic surrogacy laws etc
- Secularisation : Brought a rationality in the society. Religion traditionally was one of the reasons that put restrictions on women. With the decline in the dominance of religion, more women were able to work.
- Rise of non-manual jobs : A different category of service oriented jobs that needed less physical labour Ex Coding , Desk Jobs etc led to a rise in the participation of women in work
- Contraceptive Revolution : Women today have the opportunity to delay birth and have more bodily autonomy. This has given them more opportunities to plan their careers according to their wishes.
- Flexibility : Concepts like "Work from Home" have provided women with more opportunities
Sociological Perspectives on Increased labour force participation :
1. Economic Empowerment:
Amartya Sen
emphasizes that increasing women workforce enhances their economic independence & contributes to overall economic growth.2. Marx had said that one of the positive fallouts of Capitalism will be increased participation of women in labour force. Further the Marxist understanding says that women are employed for lower wages favoring the Bourgeoisie
3. Gender Equality : Greater participation of women challenges traditional roles and promotes a more egalitarian society.
4. Social mobility :
M.N Srinivas
discussed avenues of social mobility. Increased workforce participation provides women with opportunities for upward mobility.5. Family dynamics:
Radhakamal Mukherjee
studied family dynamics. With more women working outside the home, there can be shift in traditional family structure & more symmetrical household responsibilities and decision making will be there.Challenges faced by Women in the Labour Market ?
- Sylvia Walby - Highlighted the
differential pay
along with socio-cultural norms hindering mobility. - Karuna Ahmed - Gave the idea of
"Pink collarisation of jobs"
eg Receptionists, Air hostesses etc - Anne Oakley : Highlights how women are largely involved only in
care economy
. - Lawyer Indira Jaisingh : Pointed out how Laws in India are relatively biased towards men.
- Rosabeth Moss : Highlighted homosociality of men as a reason behind their easy promotions and women not getting upto leadership positions
- Harrasment at workplace , Glass Ceilings and Glass cliffs are other issues being faced by women.
What can be done to improve FLFPR?
- Boost Non-Farm employment such as intensive manufacturing employment
- Scale up the small scale household enterprises by suitable support and awareness
- Formulating a gendered approach framework to reduce the labour market inequalities.
- The recent government initiatives aimed at reskilling women who had left their jobs due to reasons related to marriage, maternity or otherwise.
- Civil Society Organizations working for the upskilling of women in latest skills and technologies Ex. Tata Foundation
- Making workplaces more gender sensitive. One of the provisions of Prevention of Sexual Harassment of women at Workplaces act is gender sensitization.
