Here’s why women’s education doesn’t translate to employment in India

Mar 21, 2021, 11:59 IST

Representative image.BCCL

Authored by: Akshita Sharma

India’s growing economy has witnessed an ever-declining female labour force participation (FLFP) for the past two decades. Only one-fifth of the female population was part of the workforce in 2019, which is one of the lowest globally. But at the same time, India has also witnessed improvements in gender parity in education, higher literacy rates and a downfall in fertility rates.

Thus, the following is puzzling: if the gender parity in education is as high as it has ever been, women are more literate, the fertility rates have fallen to the lowest in India’s history, then why are women still withdrawing from the workforce? There are, undoubtedly, other factors at play that are constraining women’s economic participation.

A ‘Big Push’ policy strategy is needed to bring women into the workforce in large numbers. This will encourage employers to build a more gender-integrated workplace.

It must be noted that even though social norms only partially explain India’s low FLFP, challenging and mitigating them will be highly beneficial for women in the labour market. The transformation of norms will be an intergenerational process, requiring continuous strategic actions.

Paternity leaves must be at par with maternity leaves, and subsidised day-care services must be made available.

The World Bank

Shift gender norms that define what women’s work should be, through behaviour change communication and media campaigns in their families and communities.

Pixabay

Ensure women’s control over their own money and provide capital in-kind instead of cash transfers.

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation 2019

Ensure social security for female workers in the informal sector and women’s safety at work and while commuting.

BCCL

Physical security of women

BCCL

Unfavourable labour laws

BCCL

Organisations must diversify women’s jobs away from those that are extensions of domestic care work.

BCCL

Working women should be celebrated

BCCL

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Here’s why women’s education doesn’t translate to employment in India

Paternity leaves must be at par with maternity leaves, and subsidised day-care services must be made available.

Shift gender norms that define what women’s work should be, through behaviour change communication and media campaigns in their families and communities.

Ensure women’s control over their own money and provide capital in-kind instead of cash transfers.

Ensure social security for female workers in the informal sector and women’s safety at work and while commuting.

Physical security of women

Unfavourable labour laws

Organisations must diversify women’s jobs away from those that are extensions of domestic care work.

Working women should be celebrated