Research

Women in the Workforce: India (Quick Take)

Aug 29, 2022

SOCIETAL NORMS

A recent study found that a majority of people in India profess to believing in gender equality, but their answers to other questions paint a different picture1
  • A majority of both men and women believe that men should be treated preferentially when there are few jobs.2
  • Perceived discrimination against women varies by geography, but, overall, less than a quarter of men and women say there is “a lot of discrimination against women.”3
  • Three-quarters of those surveyed say violence against women is a “very big problem.”4

Traditionally, women have been expected to care for children and the home while the husband works. Paid employment outside the home is looked down upon, and social norms keep many women from seeking to be anything other than a devout wife and mother.5

Though the POSH Act was passed in 2013 to protect women at work, many still face harassment and sexual assault.6

There is a gender population gap that starts at birth due to a cultural preference for sons. For every 100 boys born nationally, 91 girls are born.7

  • Sex-selective abortions and infanticide exacerbate this issue.8
India’s Demographic Skews Young, but Young People Are Not Being Effectively Brought Into the Workforce

India has a large youth population with a median age of 28.7 years old 9 (compared to 38.5 years old in the United States).10

  • Due to the lack of opportunities, 45% of women in India aged 15-29 are not engaged in any education, employment, or training. This contrasts with only 6.5% of men.11

DIVERSITY

India’s Complex Culture is Illustrated in its Diverse Religions and Languages 12
  • The Caste System (Jati) goes back thousands of years and continues to influence access to some jobs. 13
  • The constitution has outlawed caste discrimination for employment and access to education, but not the caste system itself.14
Religions of India

India’s Diversity is a Strategic Asset, But Not for All Women 15
  • India’s multitude of languages, religions, ethnicities, cultures, and geography allow for diversity in thought as opposed to singular ideas.16 However, intersectional discrimination leave some women further behind than other women.17
  • Only 15% of Muslim women are formally employed.18 This figure is lower than Hindu women (27%), Buddhist women (33%), and Christian women (31%).19

LABOR FORCE

The Labor Force Participation Rate for Women Is Declining20

India’s economy is growing exponentially. It is expected to grow from 3 trillion to 8 trillion in the next decade. This growth is due to India’s demographics, urbanization, technology adoption, financial inclusion, and mass consumerism.21

Despite this growth, less than one-quarter (19%) of women aged 15 and older have participated in the labor force as of 202122 (compared to 70.0% of men).23

  • Eliminating the 58 percentage point employment gap between men and women would expand India’s GDP by almost a third—nearly six trillion US dollars by 2050.24
  • Women are underrepresented across sectors, including: core25, which encompasses infrastructure-related sectors like oil and gas (7%); automotive (10%); pharmaceutical and healthcare (11%); and information technology (28%).26
Many Workers in India Are at Risk of Job Displacement27

12 million women may be displaced by automation by 2030.28 This is equivalent to approximately 10% of women’s employment in India.29

LEADERSHIP

Women in India Remain Extremely Underrepresented in Leadership Positions

Only 4.7% of CEOs and 7.7% of board seats were held by women in 2021, a number that has increased just slightly from 3.2% in 2014.30

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Naina Bhardwaj, “Women and Work in India: Trends and Analysis,” India Briefing, April 18, 2022.

Yogima Seth Sharma, “Despite policy support, labour participation by Women still low,” The Economic Times, March 8, 2022.

Aarti Shyamsunder, Alixandra Pollack, and Dnika J. Travis, India Inc: From Intention to Impact (Catalyst, 2015).

 

 

How to cite this product: Catalyst, Quick Take: Women in the Workforce – India (October 28, 2020).

  1. Evans, J., Sahgal, N., Salazar, A. M., Starr, K. J., & Corichi, M. (2022). How Indians view gender roles in families and society. Pew Research Center.
  2. Evans, J., Sahgal, N., Salazar, A. M., Starr, K. J., & Corichi, M. (2022). How Indians view gender roles in families and society. Pew Research Center.
  3. Evans, J., Sahgal, N., Salazar, A. M., Starr, K. J., & Corichi, M. (2022). How Indians view gender roles in families and society. Pew Research Center.
  4. Evans, J., Sahgal, N., Salazar, A. M., Starr, K. J., & Corichi, M. (2022). How Indians view gender roles in families and society. Pew Research Center.
  5. Sivakumar, I. & Manimekalai, K. (2021). Masculinity and challenges for women in Indian culture. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 22 (5), 427-436.
  6. “No #MeToo for women like us”: Poor enforcement of India’s sexual harassment law. (2020, October 14). Human Rights Watch.
  7. Global gender gap report 2022. (2022). World Economic Forum.
  8. Vaze, S. (2021). Un-natural selection: Female feticide in India. Public Health Advocate.
  9. India. The World Factbook.
  10. United States. The World Factbook.
  11. Trehan, D. (2019). India is failing 175 million of its young people. Here is the solution. World Economic Forum.
  12. India. The World Factbook. 
  13. Archana Chaudhary, “Quick Take: India’s Caste System,” Bloomberg, October 29, 2019; “Jati,” Encyclopedia Britannica (March 9, 2016).
  14. Archana Chaudhary, “Quick Take: India’s Caste System,” Bloomberg, October 29, 2019.
  15.  India’s diversity is a strategic asset. (2022). Greater Pacific.
  16.  India’s diversity is a strategic asset. (2022). Greater Pacific.
  17. Sharma, B & Geetha, K. A. (2021). Casteing gender: Intersectional oppression of Dalit women. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 22(10), 0-7.
  18. Zubair, A. (2022, August 3). Muslim women in India allege bias in hiring for jobs. Aljazeera.
  19.  India’s diversity is a strategic asset. (2022). Greater Pacific.
  20. Mazumdar, R. & Chaudhary,  A. (2022, June 1). 90% of women in India are shut out of the workforce. Bloomberg.
  21. India’s growth: critical turning points and geostrategic implications. (2019). Greater Pacific.
  22. World Bank Group. (2022). Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (Modeled ILO estimate) – India [Data set]. The World Bank Databank.
  23. World Bank Group. (2022). Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (Modeled ILO estimate) – India [Data set]. The World Bank Databank.
  24. Mazumdar, R. & Chaudhary, A. (2022, June 1). 90% of women in India are shut out of the workforce. Bloomberg.
  25. The core sector represents the eight areas of India’s infrastructure: coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizer, steel, cement, and electricity. July core sector shrinks 9.6% versus 12.9% contraction in June. (2020, September 1). The Economic Times.
  26. India Skills Report 2020: Reimagining India’s Talent Landscape for a $5T Economy. (2020). Wheebox.
  27. Madgavkar, A., et el. (2019). The future of women at work: Transitions in the age of automation. McKinsey Global Institute.
  28. Madgavkar, A., et el. (2019). The future of women at work: Transitions in the age of automation. McKinsey Global Institute.
  29. Madgavkar, A., et el. (2019). The future of women at work: Transitions in the age of automation. McKinsey Global Institute.
  30. Progress at a snail’s pace: Women in the boardroom: A global perspective. (2022). Deloitte.