The Indian workforce is undergoing a significant transformation, with an increasing number of women joining diverse sectors. However, several persistent challenges remain, including unstructured skilling initiatives, heightened family and peer pressures, and difficulties in employment retention. These barriers limit women’s access to continuous skill upgradation and the opportunity to contribute to India’s economic growth. Therefore, it is important for both employers and policymakers to rethink and redesign strategies that promote inclusive growth and empower women in the workforce.
Trends in Women Employment and Education in India
According to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), women’s participation in the workforce (age 15 and above) has notably increased from 23% in 2017-18 to 41% in 2023-24. This rise underscores a shift toward greater gender inclusion in employment opportunities.
A closer look at rural and urban participation reveals even more impressive trends. Rural women’s workforce participation surged from 25% in 2017-18 to 48% in 2023-24, while urban women’s participation grew from 20.4% in 2017-18 to 25.4% in 2022-23. This sharp increase in rural women’s engagement highlights a growing desire to enter the workforce, often driven by their willingness to learn new skills. It also signals a valuable, yet underutilised, talent pool in rural areas that can play a crucial role in fostering the nation’s economic development.
The increasing thirst for education among women has been another catalyst in this upward trend. With improved access to quality education, women are pursuing higher levels of education, evidenced by a reduction in the female unemployment rate—from 5.6% in 2017-18 to 3.2% in 2023-24. Furthermore, the proportion of women entering the workforce with postgraduate degrees or higher has risen from 35% in 2017-18 to 40% in 2023-24. This indicates not only an aspiration to advance in education but also a readiness to bring unique perspectives and valuable contributions to the workplace.
Challenges in Skilling and Employment
- High School Education Dropouts: Approximately 22% of girls drop out before reaching Class II, and 44% leave before completing Class X. This highlights the persisting inequalities and the challenges girl students face within educational institutions, including harassment and family pressure which ultimately hampers their ability to continue their education.
- Social Norms and Safety Concerns: Rigid social norms often compel women to prioritise family responsibilities over career aspirations. Additionally, the reluctance of families to allow their daughters to work outside the home or engage in long working hours due to safety concerns remains a significant barrier to increasing women’s participation in the workforce.
- Lack of and Ineffective Resources: In rural areas, training resources and skill development initiatives for women are either scarce or not well implemented. While such programs do exist, they frequently fall short in terms of accessibility and safety, failing to effectively equip women with the skills required for current employment demand.
- Gender-Biased Hiring: Despite organisations advocating for workplace diversity, gender-biased hiring practices persist. Women are often excluded from higher-level positions, including managerial and leadership roles, within the corporate world owing to misconceptions that women cannot be focused and are likely to take out personal time for family commitments.
- Job Retention Challenges: Women frequently encounter workplace discrimination based on gender compounded by a lack of support at the workplace. These factors often result in women leaving their jobs at an early stage, disrupting their career progression and impacting the overall retention rate of women.
Recommendations
- Research and Understand Needs: It is crucial to thoroughly research and understand the unique challenges women face when entering or re-entering the workforce. By doing so, personalized upskilling programs can be developed, tailored to address these challenges and support women in achieving their career goals.
- Accessible and Flexible Skilling Programs: Upskilling programs for women should prioritize accessibility and flexibility, ensuring they are designed with considerations for safety, ease of transport, and the ability to adapt to evolving circumstances. These programs must be structured in a way that allows women to participate without the risk of harm or discrimination.
- Life Skills Training: Tailored sessions focusing on essential life skills such as communication, self-confidence, negotiation, and decision-making can significantly empower women. Such training equips them to excel in the workplace, enabling their advancement into higher positions within the corporate sector.
- Private Sector Collaboration: Collaboration with private skilling institutions is key to upskilling women with industry-specific skills. This partnership will enable women to enter male-dominated sectors, thereby promoting diversity and making a substantial impact on India’s economy.
- Gender-Responsive Workplace: It is imperative for organizations to develop and allocate resources that are responsive to the needs of women. Additionally, proactive measures should be implemented to promote diversity and equity in hiring practices, career progression, and retention, ensuring long-term, sustainable employment opportunities for women.
Women in the 21st century are increasingly seeking to become independent and self-sufficient. Over the years we are witnessing a steady increase in the interest to pursue an education and participate in the workforce. Notably, more rural women have demonstrated a desire to gain employment and acquire new skills as compared to urban women. Therefore, addressing the challenges that prevent women from seeking education and employment is imperative. We must facilitate skilling initiatives for women and create workplace environments that help them grow and actively participate in the economic growth of the country. According to The Nudge Institute’s report adding 400 million women to the workforce by 2047 could contribute an additional $14 trillion to India’s economy. This would require significantly increasing the current female labour force participation to 70%.
References
