Syllabus
GS Paper 3 – Indian Economy – Issues relating to development and employment.
Context
A better female labour force participation rate can improve overall family income and welfare, especially in rural India.
Source
The Hindu| Editorial dated 22nd July 2024
Focus on female employment to counter unemployment
Addressing unemployment is a significant challenge in India, and focusing on female employment can play a crucial role in mitigating this issue. The upward trend in female labour force participation rate (LFPR) , especially in rural areas, presents an untapped opportunity for employment generation. This analysis explores the current trends, challenges, and potential strategies for enhancing female workforce participation to counter unemployment.
Current Trends in Female Employment
- Overall Female LFPR:
- Rural Areas: Increased from 24.6% in 2018 to 36.6% in 2022.
- Urban Areas: Rose from 20.4% in 2018 to 23.9% in 2022.
- This increase highlights a growing trend of women entering the workforce, especially in rural areas where economic opportunities are often limited.
- Global Comparison: Female LFPR in India remains low compared to the world average of 53.4% (2019).
- Despite recent improvements, India’s female LFPR is still significantly below the global average, indicating a large potential for growth.
- Unpaid Family Labour:
- In 2022, 36.5% of females were engaged in unpaid family work compared to 9.3% of males.
- A large number of women are involved in unpaid family labour, highlighting the need for formal employment opportunities that can recognize and compensate their work.
Challenges in Female Employment
- Gendered Employment Choices
- Study in Bhuj, Gujarat: Women prefer traditional home-based work like bandhani, embroidery, and fall beading due to flexibility and low income.
- Women choose these traditional occupations because they allow them to balance household responsibilities with earning opportunities, even if the income is relatively low.
- 30% of women continue traditional occupations due to a lack of other options.
- The limited availability of diverse job opportunities forces many women to stick to low-income, traditional work.
- Entrepreneurship and Market Access Barriers:
- Capital Access: Limited access to capital restricts women’s ability to start and expand businesses.
- Social Norms: Restrictive social norms and male dominance in local businesses impede female entrepreneurship.
- These barriers prevent women from pursuing entrepreneurial ventures and gaining financial independence.
- Work Environment
- Safety and Facilities: Lack of safety, toilets, and crèches in workplaces hinders female employment.
- Inadequate workplace facilities make it difficult for women to work outside the home, limiting their employment opportunities.
Opportunities for Enhancing Female Employment
- Role of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) : SHGs can provide skill training and market linkage.
- SHGs empower women by enhancing their skills and connecting them to markets, thereby improving their economic status.
- Case Study: Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS) supports women’s economic activities.
- KMVS serves as an example of how SHGs can successfully promote women’s employment and economic independence.
- Irrigation and Employment:
- Upper Gangetic Plains Study: Expansion of less dominant irrigation sources increases women’s wages and decision-making abilities.
- Improved irrigation infrastructure can lead to better employment opportunities and empowerment for women in agriculture.
- West Bengal Case: Women engaged in farming, pisciculture, nursery, and vermicompost due to improved water access.
- Access to water resources enables women to participate in diverse economic activities, reducing migration and increasing family welfare.
- Reduced Female Migration: Increased local employment opportunities prevent the need for women to migrate for work.
- Keeping women close to home while providing employment improves family welfare and social stability.
- Professional Work: Working in professional environments enhances women’s agency and challenges regressive gender norms.
- Professional employment not only provides financial benefits but also empowers women socially and culturally.
- Support for Home-Based Work: Enhances family income and women’s status within the family.
- Home-based work allows women to contribute economically while managing household responsibilities, improving their overall status.
Policy Measures to Enhance Female Employment
- In Rural Areas
- Resource and Market Access: Public policy should focus on providing more access to resources (such as water) and markets (to buy inputs and implements and to sell produce).
- Enhancing resource and market access in rural areas can create new economic opportunities for women.
- In Urban Areas
- Workplace Facilities: Mandate safety, toilets, and crèches in small and medium units to improve work environments.
- Ensuring that workplaces are safe and accommodating will encourage more women to join the workforce.
- Collectives and Federations
- Economic Activities: Supporting women through collectives and federations can drive female employment.
- Collective efforts can provide women with better economic opportunities and bargaining power.
- Programs like Lakhpati Didi, aiming to increase SHG women’s annual income to ₹1 lakh or more, can play a crucial role.
- Such initiatives can significantly boost women’s incomes and contribute to overall economic development.
Conclusion
Enhancing female labour force participation rate (LFPR) is a viable strategy to counter unemployment and improve family income. Public policy should focus on increasing access to resources and markets in rural areas, and mandating better workplace facilities in urban areas. Supporting women through SHGs and economic initiatives can further drive female employment, contributing to overall economic growth and gender equality.
Related PYQ
Economic growth in the recent past has been led by increase in labour productivity. Explain this statement. Suggest the growth pattern that will lead to creation of more jobs without compromising labour productivity? [ UPSC Civil Services Exam – Mains 2022]
Practice Question
“Discuss the potential of enhancing female employment to counter unemployment in India? [150 words]