According to the Labour Force Participation Distillation Report based on Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data of the last few years, it is estimated that only 110 million women will join the workforce by 2047, leaving a gap of 145 million women to meet the target.
The report reveals significant disparities between men and women in terms of job security and recovery. Women are seven times more likely to lose their job and eleven times more likely to not recover after a job loss. By 2020, nearly half of the women who were employed in 2019 had dropped out of the workforce, the report said.
Women are predominantly employed in low-productivity sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing, where opportunities for advancement are limited. In the construction sector, women make up just 12 percent of the workforce and often earn less than men in unskilled roles. The COVID-19 pandemic has made these issues worse, forcing many rural women to re-enter the workforce due to reduced income or the loss of primary earners, highlighting the fragility of female employment.
The report identifies three key pathways to increasing female labour force participation.
- Redefining work through platform jobs and digital microwork could activate fractual employment.
- Enhancing entrepreneurial opportunities through digital commerce infrastructure could boost the sector.
- Removing barriers such as mobility and digital access is crucial to improving women’s participation in the labour market.
“India's demographic dividend and dream of a $30 trillion economy cannot be realised without promoting women's participation in the workforce,” Kanishka Chatterjee, director and chair of The/Nudge Prize, said, according to PTI.
He noted progress, but stressed the need for urgent and sustained action to address economic, social and cultural barriers. /The Nudge Prize team analysed all PLFS data across the last two cycles from different sectors that are contributing to or witnessing high growth rates to prepare this report.
“When we looked at the PLFS data, we understood what the supply side was or where women or men work today. But there is no other data indicator available to clearly see what the demand side indicators are in India, who will hire women or who might be better suited for women to take up jobs or pursue their entrepreneurial journey,” the report said.
It says, “If we are to address or pay attention to the labour force participation rate, one of the key things to consider is to take a holistic approach. Not just looking at how much labour is available and what skills are available, but also looking at what is driving the demand today – and that is what we have said in the report as well.”