Female Labor force participation rate rose during 2017-18 to 2022-23

Context: Female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR)
increased in almost all states in India during 2017-18 to 2022-23, with rural
areas seeing larger gains than urban areas. Rural female LFPR rose to 41.5% from
24.6%, while urban LFPR rose to 25.4% from 20.4%. Among the eastern states,
rural Bihar had the lowest LFPR, in the northeast there has been improvement in
female LFPR in the rural areas with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh leading among
the states of the region. The northern states, Punjab and Haryana have recorded
low female LFPR.

Key points

·      
Overview: The Central Government is planning to bring out a
National Policy document on female labour force participation (FLFP) with a
focus on providing an enabling atmosphere like a viable care economy structure.

·      
Female
Labour Force Participation (FLFPR) Rate: Female labour force participation (FLFPR) rate refers to women (over 15
years) who are either working or looking for a job.

·      
FLFP Rate
in India: The Periodic Labour Force
Survey for 2022-23 highlights that the FLFPR for prime working age group (15
years & above) has increased from 23% in 2017-18 to 37 % in 2022-23.

Ø  In Rural areas - 36.6% of females aged 15 years &
above are participating in the labour force, as against 78.2% male in 2021-22.

Ø  In Urban areas - 23.8% of females aged 15 years &
above are participating in the labour force, as against 74.7% male in 2021-22.

Ø  From 2017 to 2022, women’s LFPR increased relative to
men, in rural areas because of the larger engagement of rural women in
agriculture and allied activities.

Ø  Only four states, namely Assam, Bihar, Haryana, and
Delhi, have a FLFPR below 25%, with Delhi recording the lowest rate at 14.8%.

·      
Necessary
factors for National Policy on FLFP: Unpaid care work - Women must bear the burden of unpaid care
work (taking care of children, elderly family members, and household chores).
It is often undervalued and not recognised as work, which limits women’s
ability to participate in paid employment.

Limited job opportunities - Women often face discrimination in the job market,
and there are fewer job opportunities available to them compared to men. For
example, the technology and finance sector.

·      
Conclusion: These strategies can contribute to meeting goals of
SDG 1 (end poverty); SDG 3 (ensure healthy lives); SDG 4 (ensure inclusive and
equitable quality education); SDG 5 (achieve gender equality) etc.