11/03/2021 - Society

KEY POINTS

According to ILO estimates, India’s FLFP has declined from 32% in 2005 to 21% in 2019.

Economic Survey 2020 estimates that 60% of women between 15-59 years are engaged in full-time housework as compared to 1% of males.

Reasons for declining trend

·        Mechanisation of agriculture

·        Emergence of technologies that automate routine work.

·        Lack of flexible work opportunities.

·        Discrimination at the workplace as well as concerns regarding safety.

Comprehensive approach

·        Better data to capture women’s contribution to the economy through paid and unpaid work more accurately.

·        For instance, gender-disaggregated data from the annual Periodic Labor Force Survey can help develop more targeted policies for women in rural and urban areas.

·        Women’s access to and enrolment in higher education must be prioritised.

·        Economic Survey 2020 highlighted a strong correlation between the level of education and domestic work, with only 5.3% of highly educated women in the age group 15-59 years engaged in full-time domestic duties.

·        The implementation of various progressive legislations and policies like the Maternity Benefit Act and Code of Wages needs to be monitored rigorously through audits.

·        Skill training programmes that enable women to venture into non-traditional occupations should be emphasised.

·        To ensure equity of access and opportunity, 50% of placements provided through skill development programmes should be allotted for women.

·        Infrastructure has a major role to play in enabling more women to join and remain in the workforce.

·        Aspects that require special attention include residential hostels and safe public transport options in towns and cities. 

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