Female Labor Force Underrepresentation
Observational StudyClinical Trial
Women in India face severe structural barriers to entering the formal workforce, leading to exceptionally low national labor participation rates. High social costs and mobility restrictions associated with rural-to-urban migration limit women's transition into urban employment opportunities.
Picture this
High migration barriers act like a heavy lock on urban job markets, trapping rural women in low-paying informal farm labor because moving away means sacrificing social safety nets and facing social isolation.
What the evidence says
Female labor force participation in India was 27 percent in 2018 (roughly half the global average) and continues to decline, with migration spells remaining shorter and less frequent compared to males.
- Who was studied
- Macroeconomic aggregate data on working-age women in India.
- How
- Cross-sectional observational trend analysis referenced in study context.
What to do
Establish targeted psychosocial and migration support programs to lower social costs and increase female participation in formal urban manufacturing.
From the source
"At 27 percent, female labor force participation in India was roughly half of the global average in 2018 and continues to decline."
Alleviating_Loneliness_Among_Female_Migrant_Garment_Workers_in_India.pdf