Chennai, March 7: Women's employment in urban India has increased by 10 percent between 2017-18 and 2023-24, reaching 28 percent among working-age women (15-64 years), according to a new white paper launched by the Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, on the eve of International Women's Day. This marks the highest level of women's employment in urban India in the last 25 years.
The rise in female employment is attributed to significant social changes, including greater gender parity in education, delayed marriages, and smaller family sizes. However, the report highlights that India is still far from closing the gender gap in paid work, with many women remaining excluded from the labor market.
In 2023-24, over 89 million (8.9 crore) urban women remained outside the workforce. Additionally, more than 19 million graduate-educated urban women were not utilizing their skills due to personal preferences or social constraints, such as childcare responsibilities, long commutes, or the demands of certain jobs.
The report also points out that, beyond household and caregiving responsibilities, other barriers to women's employment include relocation after marriage and limited access to convenient, fast commuting options, even among highly educated women.
While the employment rate among men aged 30-49 was a striking 97 percent in 2023-24, gender inequality persists. The report also noted that urban women in their forties had the highest employment rate among women in urban India, at 38.3 percent in 2023-24.
Suresh Ramanathan, Dean of the Great Lakes Institute of Management, cautioned that there is a risk of a "diversity backlash" if quality job creation does not accelerate to accommodate both genders. He explained that if job creation remains sluggish, an increase in female employment alongside male joblessness could lead to societal resistance to workplace diversity, as the social norm expects men to be the primary earners.
The report further emphasized that gender disparities persist even in highly educated households. Despite the rise in female employment, gender gaps remain evident in earnings, career growth, and domestic responsibilities. To address these challenges, the Institute recommended scaling job creation, continuous skills development, and behavioral interventions to promote shared family responsibilities. Legal interventions to reduce domestic violence and policies that support inclusive, fair recruitment and career progression were also highlighted as essential steps to advancing women's employment.
Vidya Mahambare, Professor of Economics and Director of Research at the Institute, noted, "While women's workforce participation in urban India is rising, it is not yet translating into true gender parity in earnings, career growth, and domestic responsibilities."
(With agency inputs)
