Lower-educated women driving India's female workforce expansion: Study

Women with lower educational attainment have emerged as the primary drivers of India's expanding female workforce, according to findings from the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (Icrier). The analysis highlights a counterintuitive trend in the country's labour market dynamics, where less-educated women are entering the workforce at higher rates than their more qualified counterparts.

The research underscores persistent structural challenges that continue to shape women's employment patterns across Indian industries. Wage gaps between male and female workers remain a significant deterrent to women's workforce participation, while disproportionate household and caregiving responsibilities limit employment opportunities for many women regardless of their educational background.

The Icrier report indicates that these barriers operate across multiple economic sectors, suggesting that the issue extends beyond individual industries or skill categories. Despite overall growth in female labour force participation, the composition of this growth reflects deeper inequalities in India's employment landscape.

The findings suggest that policy interventions addressing wage parity and the distribution of unpaid domestic work may be critical to achieving more inclusive and sustainable female workforce participation in India. Experts point to the need for targeted measures that support women across all educational levels while addressing the systemic factors that constrain their economic participation.