Discuss the various economic and socio-cultural factors responsible for India having one of the lowest female labour force participation rates in the world. (15     marks, 250 words)

Answer:

The female labour force participation (FLFP) rate, indicating women iat work or looking to work, in India has fallen from 36 percent in 2005-06 to 24 percent in 2015-16, as per the Economic Survey of India 2017-18. According to a World Bank report, India has lowest FLFP lowest in BRICS and G20.

Economic reasons for low rate

•        Stable family income: General increase in income levels of men allows women to pursue higher education or leave jobs to focus on other activities.

•        More expenditure for company: Companies, especially smaller ones, find it expensive to provide maternity /child related benefits to women and hire them less.

•        Mechanisation of farms: This lead to defeminisation of agriculture as fewer hands are needed.

•        Structural problems: Women are not able to find jobs they are looking for, and there is also an estimated gender pay gap in India.

Socio-cultural reasons

•        Patriarchal hurdles: These include lesser focus on girl's education and employability skills, refusing women permission to work, fear of letting women become independent thus reinforcing the sexual division of labour ( Women in private sphere and men in public sphere).

•        Women in charge of child care: Women are forced to leave job or lose career progression for child delivery and post-partem care. Also, high TFR rates in India confine women to the private sphere of family and household.

•        Safety issues: Like gender violence during mobility and at work

•        Employer bias: Due to continuing stereotypes of men being more efficient and flexible.



Way ahead:

Increasing the participation of women in the labour force would significantly boost the Indian economy and also improve the status of women. India must take up measures like

•        Supply side reforms: Better employability through Vocational Education and Training (VET) and soft skills needed in the 21st century.

•        Demand side reforms: Incentivising companies for pro-women diversity index as seen from Budget 2018 incentives to employers for hiring women. More formalisation of labour sector for better social security and reducing pay gap are also needed.

•        Civil society activism by ensuring gender sensitive education in society. Eg - Saksham scheme for adolescent boys is a gender sensitivity campaign which strikes at the root cause.

Promote entrepreneurship: Increasing women's access to digital technologies and financial products will strengthen financial statuses of women and encourage entrepreneurship.