Women Workforce Participation in India, Government Initiatives and Significance

Women workforce participation in India reflects challenges of gender disparity, social norms, and economic barriers, while highlighting opportunities for empowerment and inclusive growth.

Sakshi Gupta Last updated on August 28th, 2025 01:22 pm Leave a comment

Table of Contents

Context: India has seen a significant rise in female workforce participation, as highlighted by Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data.

Women Workforce Participation in India: Current Status (PLFS Data)

Workforce Participation Rate (WPR): Women’s WPR rose from 22% in 2017-18 to 40.3% in 2023-24.
Unemployment Rate (UR): Fell from 6% (2017-18) to 3.2% (2023-24).
Rural vs Urban: Female employment grew by 96% in rural areas and 43% in urban areas.
Educated Women Workforce: Employability of female graduates ↑ from 42% (2013) to 47.5% (2024).
- Postgraduates’ WPR ↑ from 5% (2017-18) to 40% (2023-24).
Entrepreneurial Growth: Share of women-owned MSMEs rose from 17.4% (2010-11) to 26.2% (2023-24), generating 89 lakh jobs (FY21–23).

Government Initiatives to Increase Women’s Participation

Scheme / Initiative	Focus Area	Impact on Women
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana: NRLM	Rural livelihoods, SHGs	Created 87 lakh+ women SHGs, promoted entrepreneurship at the grassroots
Skill India Mission	Skill development	Job-ready skills for women in new sectors (IT, healthcare, manufacturing)
Namo Drone Didi	Technology in agriculture	Training women to use drones for agri-services, enhancing rural incomes
PM Mudra Yojana	Microfinance & credit	68% of loans sanctioned to women; supported small-scale businesses
Stand-Up India	Entrepreneurial loans	Bank loans for women (and SC/ST), boosting business ownership
PM SVANidhi	Street vendors support	44% beneficiaries are women; access to working capital loans
Startup India	Innovation & startups	~50% of registered startups have at least one woman director
EPFO Payroll Expansion	Formal sector jobs	1.56 crore women added to the formal workforce in the last 7 years
e-Shram Portal	Unorganised sector workers	16+ crore women registered; enabled access to social security schemes
Maternity Benefit Act, 2017	Workplace support	Extended paid leave to 26 weeks; better work–life balance
Gender Budgeting	Resource allocation	↑ 429% in the last decade; ₹4.49 lakh crore allocated in FY 2025–26
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao	Education & awareness	Increased girl enrollment in schools, empowering the future workforce

Significance of Rising Women Workforce Participation

Economic Growth & Productivity: Greater female participation expands India’s labour pool, raising productivity.
- Equal participation could boost India’s GDP by nearly 27% (World Bank).
Social Empowerment: Women’s earnings improve family nutrition, education, and healthcare.
- Enhances women’s voice and decision-making power in households and society.
Gender Equality & Inclusiveness: Marks a shift from women as beneficiaries to women as drivers of development.
- Increasing representation in startups, corporates, and MSMEs helps break gender stereotypes.
National Development Goals: Rising participation strengthens India’s march towards Viksit Bharat 2047 (70% women workforce participation).
- Contributes directly to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 5: Gender Equality & SDG 8: Decent Work and Growth).

About the Author

Sakshi Gupta

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Greetings! Sakshi Gupta is a content writer to empower students aiming for UPSC, PSC, and other competitive exams. Her objective is to provide clear, concise, and informative content that caters to your exam preparation needs. She has over five years of work experience in Ed-tech sector. She strive to make her content not only informative but also engaging, keeping you motivated throughout your journey!