What’s the news?

• In a concerning revelation, India grapples with one of the world’s lowest female labor force participation rates, while rural women face widening gender wage gaps and continue to make substantial, often unpaid, contributions to the economy.

Central idea

• As the International Day of Rural Women approaches, it is essential to shed light on the grim reality that India is grappling with. India not only records one of the lowest female labor force participation rates (LFPR) globally, but also ranks lower than most South Asian nations, trailing only Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Rural Women’s Employment Landscape

• Low Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR):

• India has one of the lowest female LFPRs globally. The LFPR for women in the working-age group (15–59 years) is just 35.6 percent, and this figure varies significantly between rural and urban areas.
• In rural regions, the LFPR is comparatively higher at 39.3 percent, while in urban areas, it is much lower at 26.5 percent, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data for 2021–22.

• Self-Employment and Agriculture:

• A significant portion of rural women in India are engaged in self-employment, particularly in agriculture and allied activities.
• Nearly three-fourths of rural working women are involved in these sectors, which include crop cultivation, livestock rearing, and related tasks.
• Agriculture remains a crucial source of livelihood for many rural women.

Gender Wage Gap in Rural India

• Higher Gender Wage Gap in Rural Areas: Rural women working as regular and casual wage laborers face a more pronounced gender wage gap compared to their urban counterparts. This wage disparity is particularly significant in the rural employment sector.
• Self-Employed Women’s Earnings: Self-employed rural women, particularly those engaged in agriculture and related activities, earn significantly less than self-employed men in similar roles. The self-employed rural women earn less than half of what self-employed men earn, indicating a substantial gender earning gap.
• Worsening of the Gender Wage Gap: The gender wage gap for self-employed women has deteriorated from 2017 to 2021. This means that the income divide between rural men and women is widening over time.

Unpaid and underpaid labor

• Unpaid Domestic Chores: A significant portion of rural women’s work involves unpaid domestic chores. While there has been a decline in the proportion of women engaged in these chores from 60 percent in 2017–18 to 46 percent in 2021–22, one-third of rural women will still remain involved in unpaid domestic chores in 2021–22.
• Time Allocation: The Time Use Survey conducted in 2019 reveals that, on average, rural women spend over five hours daily in unpaid domestic services and more than two hours in unpaid caregiving services. This is substantially more than the time men spend on these activities, highlighting the unequal distribution of domestic and caregiving responsibilities.
• Contribution to Agriculture: Rural women also make substantial unpaid contributions to agriculture. They spend over seven hours daily growing crops for both household use and the market in 2019, which is a critical but unpaid aspect of their work.

Land Ownership Disparity

• Women face a substantial gender disparity in land ownership in rural areas.
• The agriculture census of 2015–16 revealed that only 14.7 percent of operational landholdings were owned by women.
• Moreover, women’s landownership is concentrated in the marginal and small holding categories.

Government Initiatives in the Context of Rural Women’s Employment

• MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act): MGNREGA is a significant government initiative aimed at providing rural women with income-generating opportunities. It guarantees 100 days of wage employment per year to rural households, helping increase the labor force participation of rural women.
• PM-SYM (Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan): This scheme is designed to offer financial security to unorganized sector workers, including rural women. It encourages them to save for retirement by providing a pension after the age of 60, thereby ensuring economic well-being in their later years.
• PMJDY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana): PMJDY promotes financial inclusion among rural women by encouraging them to open bank accounts. This initiative allows women to save money, receive government benefits directly, and access credit facilities for income-generating activities.
• PMKVY (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana): PMKVY focuses on skill development for rural youth, including women, to enhance employability. It offers training programs in various sectors to equip them with the necessary skills for job opportunities.
• Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao: This campaign encourages the education and welfare of girls in rural areas, indirectly empowering rural women by reducing gender disparities and promoting education among girls.
• National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM): NRLM aims to reduce poverty among rural women by promoting self-employment and entrepreneurship. It provides training, financial support, and market access, empowering women to start and run their own businesses.
• Support for Training and Employment Programs for Women (STEP): STEP is another initiative focused on skill development and employment for disadvantaged women in rural areas. It offers training in various trades to enhance their employability.

Addressing the issue of unpaid labor in rural India requires a multi-faceted approach

• Recognition: There is a need to recognize and value the significant contributions of rural women to unpaid domestic chores and agriculture. Acknowledging this work is crucial for appreciating its economic and societal importance.
• Gender Equity: Promoting gender equity in domestic and caregiving responsibilities is essential to reducing the burden on rural women. Encouraging men to share these responsibilities can free up women’s time for productive activities.
• Economic Empowerment: Empowering rural women through education, skill development, and access to income-generating opportunities can help them transition from unpaid to paid work, improving their economic status.
• Policy Support: Government policies should be designed to address the gender disparities in unpaid labor and provide support mechanisms, such as access to affordable childcare and elderly care facilities, to reduce the time spent on unpaid caregiving.

Conclusion

• The contributions of rural women in India, whether unpaid, unaccounted, or underpaid, are the backbone of the country’s rural economy. Only by acknowledging the hidden work of rural women and bridging the gender gap in land ownership and access to support schemes can we truly empower the rural women of India and pave the way for a more equitable future.

Also read:

Women and India’s Labour force: Bridging the Gap

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