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EDITORIALS

Declining Female Labour Force Participation


Demand- as well as supply-side factors constrain the labour force participation of rural women.

T
he female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) in India According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
has been one of the lowest among the emerging economies and Development time use data, Indian women currently spend
and has been falling over time. This has resulted in a de- 352 minutes per day on domestic work. This is 577% more than
crease in the ratio of working females to the population of fe- what men spend on unpaid work. This is a supply-side constraint
males in the working age group. The FLFPR in India fell from that needs redressal. This is crucial as it is the poor who suffer dis-
31.2% in 2011–12 to 23.3% in 2017–18. Further, the FLFPR for ru- proportionately from “time poverty” vis-à-vis the non-poor. The
ral areas declined by more than 11 percentage points in 2017–18. burden of domestic work and unpaid care further inhibits wom-
Although there has also been a decrease in the labour force par- en’s ability to acquire skills for better jobs, leading to a
ticipation of rural males, the rate of decline was much sharper vicious cycle of women being kept out of the labour force. Thus,
for rural women. Not only are women withdrawing from the la- there is a need for the provision of amenities and basic infrastruc-
bour force, they are also being outcompeted by men in the existing ture as well as childcare facilities and care homes for the elderly
jobs in rural areas. This situation necessitates a deeper under- that would facilitate the entry of women in the labour force.
standing of issues that hinder female labour force participation. But, such state policies, which were recently introduced, are
Low participation of women in the labour force in India is targeted towards organised women workers. The Maternity
attributed to the lack of employment opportunities, rising edu- Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016 entitles a woman working in the
cation levels and household incomes, and problems in measure- organised sector to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave. With re-
ment, such as under-reporting of women’s work. However, rural gard to childcare, the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017,
distress in recent times has affected women the most as income- has created a provision to provide for crèche facilities in every
generating opportunities have disappeared. The problem of establishment having 50 or more workers. For the unorganised
labour demand constraints or the lack of suitable job opportuni- sector, however, such options are limited. Although workers un-
ties is acute for women in rural India, with a fall in the der the MGNREGA are entitled to free onsite childcare provided
availability of farm jobs and the lack of economic opportunities by their employers, this is not enforced in reality. Severe cuts in
in non-farm employment. Mechanisation of farm and non-farm expenditure related to the centrally sponsored National Crèche
activities has also reduced opportunities for work. Scheme had led to the closure of crèches across the country.
Given that rural women tend to prefer flexible timings and Higher expenditures on the existing policies, such as the
opportunities for work closer to home, the Mahatma Gandhi MGNREGA and the Integrated Child Development Services,
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 as well as providing vocational training to suit the rapidly
does provide 100 days of such work at a predetermined wage for changing production process would give a boost to the FLFPR.
public work projects. But, a 2018 study has found that the “care Targeted policies by the state, such as providing job quotas and
economy burden,” that is, time spent on unpaid economic credit to women, have increased female participation in the
activities performed at the household and community levels by labour market.
women is one of the important determinants of the FLFPR. So, The factors hindering the FLFPR in rural India, therefore, call
the time spent on unpaid work, especially on unpaid care and for the addressing of the constraints related to labour demand
domestic chores has hindered women’s participation in the as well as formulating appropriate gender-responsive employ-
labour force. This is more so in rural societies, which have rigid ment policies that would reduce the burden on women with
segregation of gender roles dictated by patriarchal norms that regard to unpaid care and work. This is because, apart from
are further perpetuated by religious taboos and cultural biases. demand-side constraints and inadequate state-level interven-
Of late, with a reduction in family sizes and distress migration tions to address them, women’s low work participation and dis-
of rural males, the burden of unpaid work on women has been proportionate burden of unpaid care work are the result of
increasing disproportionately. structural rigidities having roots in sociocultural practices.

Economic & Political Weekly EPW APRIL 20, 2019 vol lIV no 16 9

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