According to data collected from 2017-18, women’s involvement in India’s workforce has grown dramatically over the years. As per the most recent Annual PLFS Reports, the percentage of women in the estimated Worker Population Ratio (WPR) that indicates employment, increased from 22 per cent in 2017–18 to a strong 40.3 per cent in 2023–24. For women aged 15 and over, the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) increased from 23.3 per cent in 2017–18 to 41.7 per cent in 2023–24. The data shows that throughout the course of the six-year period, the percentage of employed women increased steadily.

The government’s top objective is creating jobs and enhancing employability. To encourage and boost women’s employment, the government has implemented a number of programmes. In order to provide women workers with equal opportunities and a welcoming workplace, the government has included certain provisions in labour legislation, such as paid maternity leave, flexible work schedules, and equal pay.

The government is implementing several schemes in place to boost women LFPR as well as the overall LFPR such as Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), Stand-UP India Scheme, Startup India, Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Women in Science and Engineering- KIRAN (WISE-KIRAN), SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) and Production Linked Incentive.

Through a network of Women Industrial Training Institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes, and Regional Vocational Training Institutes, the government is also offering training to women workers in an effort to increase their employability. In addition to other policy initiatives, the Budget also announced the establishment of working women’s hostels in partnership with the industry and creches to encourage women to enter the workforce.
Image source: Indian Express, India Today, Reuters