Jayashri Roy
The
Indian labor market displays several striking features: very low rates of
female labor force participation; considerable variance in rates of female
labor force participation across Indian states; and a large share of both women
and men working in the informal sector.Various types of people work at various
types of jobs. A substantial portion of
India's workforce historically has been made up of women. The work
participation rate of women of India is showing a downward
trend in the last few decades. It also signifies that women’s entry or
exit of labour market is influenced by non-economic factors also. The study finds that
there is neither quantitative nor qualitative improvement in women’s employment
over time on account of structural changes in the economy. There is no
major occupational diversification in women’s employment despite structural
shift of the economy from primary to tertiary sector. Agriculture is still the
leading sector in women’s employment. Overcrowding of workforce in agriculture
largely as wage labourers, lower earnings, poor literacy levels, large-scale
informal employment and most self-employment in the form of unpaid work are
indications of women’s disadvantaged position in the labour market. Women are
primarily seen as ‘caregivers’ for the family, even when they contribute to the
family’s financial needs. This paper tries to find out that the position of
women in workplace and in the family.
family, society, working class, women labour, Socio-economic scenario
VOL.15, ISSUE No.3, September 2023