Explore our annual collection of factsheets for state-wise analysis of women’s workforce participation in India. Using data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), these factsheets highlight trends in female labor force participation, employment types, and earnings gaps. They provide valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and the public on the evolving landscape of women’s work in India.
Women in
Leadership
At IWWAGE, we view women’s leadership as a critical driver of women’s economic empowerment and inclusive national development. Despite comprising nearly half the population, women remain underrepresented in decision-making roles across economic, political, and social spheres. Strengthening women’s leadership across sectors and levels is essential to ensuring that policies, institutions, and markets reflect women’s lived realities and deliver equitable outcomes.
IWWAGE’s work on women in leadership focuses on:
Advancing women’s representation in decision-making
Promoting women’s leadership across grassroots governance, entrepreneurship, corporate leadership, and policy and research institutions to strengthen inclusive growth and governance.
Addressing structural barriers to leadership
Examining gaps in mentorship, sponsorship, networks, skills, and access to resources that limit women’s upward mobility, particularly in sectors such as technology, finance, manufacturing, and the informal economy.
Strengthening leadership pathways in the informal economy
Supporting women in informal and precarious work to transition from participation to leadership through skills development, entrepreneurial support, and access to economic opportunities.
Enabling gender-transformative institutions
Highlighting how women’s leadership in public spaces and governance leads to more responsive policies on equal pay, workplace safety, maternity benefits, and family-friendly work arrangements.
Leveraging evidence for policy and practice
Drawing on IWWAGE’s extensive experience in Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) to inform policies, programmes, and institutional reforms that foster women’s agency and leadership.
Key areas of engagement include:
- Women’s entrepreneurship
- Local governance and political leadership
- Leadership in finance, business, and economics
Factsheet
Women’s Workforce Participation in India: Statewise Trends
- November , 2020
- Nidhi Gyan Pandey, Sona Mitra
This factsheet examines Maharashtra’s socio-economic landscape, highlighting its strong economic performance with the highest GSDP in India. Despite this, the state faces gender disparities, with a sex ratio of 958 females per 1,000 males and an urban female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) of just 16.8%. Rural FLFPR is higher, driving the state’s overall rate to 31%, but urban gender inequalities in employment persist.
This factsheet examines Maharashtra’s socio-economic landscape, highlighting its strong economic performance with the highest GSDP in India. Despite this, the state faces gender disparities, with a sex ratio of 958 females per 1,000 males and an urban female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) of just 16.8%. Rural FLFPR is higher, driving the state’s overall rate to 31%, but urban gender inequalities in employment persist.
Factsheet
Female Labour Force Participation Rate and Earnings Gap in India
- July , 2020
- Anjana Thampi, Sona Mitra
Explore our annual collection of factsheets for state-wise analysis of women’s workforce participation in India. Using data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), these factsheets highlight trends in female labor force participation, employment types, and earnings gaps. They provide valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and the public on the evolving landscape of women’s work in India.
Explore our annual collection of factsheets for state-wise analysis of women’s workforce participation in India. Using data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), these factsheets highlight trends in female labor force participation, employment types, and earnings gaps. They provide valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and the public on the evolving landscape of women’s work in India.
Factsheet
Trends in Female Labour and Workforce Participation – Karnataka
- April , 2020
- Aneek Choudhary , Bidisha Mondal
Karnataka, despite being India’s IT hub, has a lower female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) than the national average. While women’s literacy exceeds 68%, many are engaged in unpaid household work or casual labour. Recent developments, like the ‘Shakti’ scheme, have positively impacted FLFPR by providing safe and affordable transportation, leading to increased workforce participation. However, disparities remain, as highlighted by the PLFS 2023-24 survey. This factsheet explores the trends, challenges, and policy implications affecting women’s participation in Karnataka’s labour market.
Karnataka, despite being India’s IT hub, has a lower female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) than the national average. While women’s literacy exceeds 68%, many are engaged in unpaid household work or casual labour. Recent developments, like the ‘Shakti’ scheme, have positively impacted FLFPR by providing safe and affordable transportation, leading to increased workforce participation. However, disparities remain, as highlighted by the PLFS 2023-24 survey. This factsheet explores the trends, challenges, and policy implications affecting women’s participation in Karnataka’s labour market.