Status of Women Workers in India

Abstract

Status of women is an important indicator of development for any nation. Women’s work participation is considered as an indicator of status. It is observed that the work participation of women is low as is their status in comparison to men. Women are concentrated in agricultural sector largely as labourers. They are excluded from higher forms of economic activities. Women are mostly placed in low-status work such as causal work in both rural and urban areas. Their status in self and regular employment is also low, despite the increase in post-reform period. The present study is an attempt to explore the issues and implications of women work in India. The paper is organized into six sections. After introducing the issues in the opening section, next describes the data and concepts used in the study. Subsequently, the disparities between male and female labour force participation and workforce participation is discussed separately. The following sections discuss the status of employment for males and females and the industrial classification of workforce for males and females. Section seven present the condition of employment and unemployment for males and females and the final section provides the conclusion.