Why India's female labor force participation lags behind G20 peers
What's the story
India's female labor force participation rate (FLFPR) will take at least two decades to match that of its G20 counterparts, a Reuters poll has found. The survey also suggested that lowly-paid self-employment is inflating an already low rate. Despite a recent increase in the official FLFPR from 27.8% to 31.7%, it still falls short of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's target of reaching 70% by 2047. Safety concerns and unpaid care work are major deterrents for women applying for jobs here.
Comparison
FLFPR lower than Bangladesh, Bhutan
India's FLFPR is still far behind its G20 peers, with World Bank data showing it lower than even neighboring Bangladesh and Bhutan. The G20 average stands at around 50%. A majority of economists and policy experts surveyed by Reuters believe that it will take India a minimum of 20-30 years to reach a rate comparable to other G20 economies.
Concerns
Job crisis more severe than in countries with similar GDP
Ashwini Deshpande, a professor at Ashoka University, stressed that the nature of work women are engaged in is not what one would call good jobs. She added that the job crisis is more severe than in nations with similar GDP levels. Deshpande also noted that when the jobs are scarce, men get priority everywhere.
Employment status
Only 15.9% working women in India have regular jobs
The latest PLFS survey found that just 15.9% of working women are in regular wage or salaried jobs with contracts, a steady pay, or benefits. Around 73.5% of rural working women and more than 40% with jobs in urban areas are self-employed. This has led many economists to believe that the official data masks the real picture of female labor force participation in India.
Barriers
Deterrents for women applying for jobs
Safety issues and care work without compensation are major deterrents for women applying for jobs, even when they are available. According to the Time Use Survey, women spend nearly five hours a day on household work—over three times as much as men. Sangeeta Shroff, former professor at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, said that childcare and lack of suitable facilities serve as constraints for women in this regard.