Women Participation in Workforce

Ministry of Labour & Employment

The data on Employment and Unemployment is collected through Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MOSPI). As per the latest PLFS report available for year 2019-20, the estimated Worker Population Ratio (WPR) on usual status basis for aged 15 years and above both for male and female was 73.0% and 28.7% respectively. Further, the State/UT-wise estimated female Worker Population Ratio (WPR) on usual status basis for aged 15 years and above is at Annexure.

Government has taken various steps to improve women’s participation in the labour force and quality of their employment. A number of protective provisions have been incorporated in the labour laws for equal opportunity and congenial work environment for women workers. These includes enhancement in paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, provision for mandatory crèche facility in the establishments having 50 or more employees, permitting women workers in the night shifts with adequate safety measures, etc.

Employment of women in the aboveground mines including opencast workings has been allowed between 7 pm and 6 am, and in below ground working between 6 am and 7 pm in technical, supervisory and managerial work where continuous presence may not be required.

The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 now subsumed in the Code on Wages, 2019 provides that there shall be no discrimination in an establishment or any unit thereof among employees on the ground of gender in matters relating to wages by the same employer, in respect of the same work or work of similar nature done by any employee. Further, no employer shall make any discrimination on the ground of sex while recruiting any employee for the same work or work of similar nature in the conditions of employment, except where the employment of women in such work is prohibited or restricted by or under any law for the time being in force.

To enhance the employability of female workers, the Government is providing training to them through a network of Women Industrial Training institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes and Regional Vocational Training Institutes.

Annexure

State/UT wise estimated female Worker Population Ratio (WPR) (in per cent) according to usual status for age group 15 years and above for year 2019-20

Sl. No.	State/UT	Female WPR
1	AndhraPradesh	37.6
2	ArunachalPradesh	20.8
3	Assam	14.2
4	Bihar	9.4
5	Chhattisgarh	52.1
6	Delhi	14.5
7	Goa	24.9
8	Gujarat	30.7
9	Haryana	14.7
10	HimachalPradesh	63.1
11	Jharkhand	35.2
12	Karnataka	31.7
13	Kerala	27.1
14	MadhyaPradesh	37.2
15	Maharashtra	37.7
16	Manipur	26.8
17	Meghalaya	44.1
18	Mizoram	34.9
19	Nagaland	31.1
20	Odisha	31.8
21	Punjab	21.8
22	Rajasthan	37.6
23	Sikkim	58.5
24	TamilNadu	38.3
25	Telangana	41.8
26	Tripura	23.5
27	Uttarakhand	30.1
28	UttarPradesh	17.2
29	WestBengal	23.1
30	Andaman&N.Island	25.9
31	Chandigarh	18.8
32	Dadra&NagarHaveli	52.3
33	Daman&Diu	34.8
34	Jammu &Kashmir	33.1
35	Ladakh	51.1
36	Lakshadweep	23.1
37	Puducherry	28.4
	AlI India	28.7