Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM) Chairman stated weak labour demand, rather than social norms, has become the key barrier to raising women's labour force participation in India.
- Female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for age 15 years and above stood at 32.8% in May, 2026.
- In rural areas, female LFPR was recorded at 36.7%, whereas it remained almost at the same level at 24.8% in urban areas.
Factors responsible for Low Employment among Women in India
- Limited access to STEM careers: In India women constitute 43% of STEM graduates, but only an estimated 27% participate in the STEM workforce.
- Unpaid labour: Women spent 363 min/day on unpaid work vs. 123 min/day for men.
- Despite women's financial inclusion, the credit-to-deposit ratio is 43% for women compared to 93% for men.
- Wage Inequality: India's wage equality ratio stands at a low 0.5 (where 1 indicates full parity), compared to 0.8 in the Philippines.
Steps taken to increase women participation in workforce
- Industrial Relations Code 2020 mandates adequate representation of women in the Grievance Redressal Committee.
- Maternity Benefits: The maximum period of maternity leave is 26 weeks, of which up to 8 weeks may be taken before the expected date of delivery.
- Safety at Workplace: Initiatives like "She-Box" encompassing various provisions of 'Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013'.
