Context

It has been proven time and again that when more women enter the workforce, economies grow faster. Studies conducted in various nations have proven that there is a direct correlation between greater gender diversity and higher GDPs.

Daily News Analysis (DNA) For UPSC IAS Main Exams Current Affairs Preparation

Women and Economy

  • Economic resources and decision-making power
    • By empowering women, we increase their right to economic resources, as well as their decision-making powers.
    • This, in turn, benefits their households and their communities.
  • Human Capital
    • Women begin investing more in their children’s education, the quality of human capital improves, and we as a nation reap the benefits of economic prosperity.
  • Poverty Eradication
    • When women are empowered, the battle to eradicate poverty is more fruitful.

Daily News Analysis (DNA) For UPSC IAS Main Exams Current Affairs Preparation

Reason for low workforce participation of women in India

  • Lack of employment opportunities
    • The nature of economic growth in the country has meant that jobs were not created in large numbers in sectors that could readily absorb women, especially for those in rural areas.
  • Effect of household income on participation
    • Despite inadequate job creation, household incomes did rise, which potentially reduced women’s participation, especially in subsidiary activities (“income effect”) due to change in preferences.
  • Measurement
    • Finally, though most women in India work and contribute to the economy in one form or another, much of their work is not documented or accounted for in official statistics, and thus women’s work tends to be under-reported.
    • In India, a substantially high proportion of females report their activity status as attending to domestic duties.

Daily News Analysis (DNA) For UPSC IAS Main Exams Current Affairs Preparation

What needs to be done?

  • Creation of jobs
    • Women’s labour force participation and access to decent work are important and necessary elements of an inclusive and sustainable development process.
  • Improve labour market outcomes
    • Policy makers in India and throughout the region should take a comprehensive approach to improving labour market outcomes for women through improving access to and relevance of education and training programs, skills development, access to child care, maternity protection, and provision of safe and accessible transport.
  • Awareness
    • A policy framework encouraging and enabling women’s participation should be constructed with active awareness of the “gender-specific” constraints that face most women.
    • Gender responsive policies need to be contextually developed.

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