During this period, percentage of women engaged in the informal sector on usual status basis rose from 55 per cent in the urban areas in 2021-22 to 56.5 per cent in 2023-23. In rural areas, it rose from 61.6 per cent to 65.5 per cent.

Working conditions for women workers were also very bad with 57.3 per cent of them had no written job contacts even when they were engaged as regular wage or salaried employees. In urban areas, 59 per cent of female workers, and in rural areas 54.6 per cent had no written job contracts.

Percentage of regular/ salaried female employees not eligible for paid leave were 45.9 per cent in 2023-24, more than 43.5 per cent in 2022-23. The deterioration was more pronounced in the rural areas where it rose from 41.9 per cent in 2022-23 to 47.1 per cent in 2023-24. In urban areas, it rose from 44.6 per cent to 45.2 per cent during this period.

The average earning for the female casual workers were much less than the male workers in all the four quarters of the survey year (July to June). Female workers eared Rs 293 in the first three quarters per day, which rose to only Rs 306 per day in the last quarter. As against this, male casual labours earned Rs 439 in the first quarter, Rs 451 in the second and third quarter and Rs 459 in the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, female workers in the urban areas earned Rs364 per day and in rural areas Rs 299 per day, while male workers earned Rs 537 and Rs 444 respectively.

As for the self-employed women are concerned, they earned Rs 5803 per month in the last quarter as against Rs 16,723 earned by male workers in the 4thquarter of the assessment year. In urban areas self-employed women earned Rs 8492 per month as against Rs 23480 per month by their male counterpart. In rural areas, female self-employed workers earned Rs 5218 as against Rs 14564 per month by males.

Female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) on CWS (current weekly status) was still only at 27.1 per cent in 2023-24, which was 23.7 per cent in 2022-23, and only 20.5 per cent in 2021-22. In urban areas FLFPR was 20.8 per cent and in rural areas it was 29.6 per cent in 2023-24.

Female workers population ratio (FWPR) in 2023-24 on CWS basis was only 25.7 per cent – in urban areas 19 per cent and in rural areas 28.4 per cent.

The data for percentage distribution of female workers in usual status basis shows that in 2023-24, self-employed female workers were 67.4 per cent – 42.3 per cent in urban areas and 73.5 per cent in rural areas. Out of these self-employed women 30.7 per cent were own account worker and employer while 36.7 per cent were helper in household enterprise.

Own account female workers and employer in 2023-24 in urban areas were 28.5 per cent while only 13.8 per cent were helper in household enterprises. These figures for rural areas were 31.2 per cent and 42.3 per cent respectively.

It was a very pathetic condition for female workers that only 15.9 per cent of them were in regular wages / salaries – 49.4 per cent in urban areas and only 7.8 per cent in rural areas. Female casual labour in India were 16.7 per cent in 2023-24 –8.3 per cent in urban areas and 18.7 per cent in rural areas.

PLFS 2023-24 shows that 64.4 per cent female workers were engaged in agriculture, 0.1 per cent in mining & quarrying, 11.6 per cent in manufacturing,0.2 per cent in electricity and water etc,3.7 per cent in construction,6.1 per cent in trade, hotel & restaurant, 1.1 per cent in transport, storage & communications, and 13 per cent in other services.

Unemployment rate among female workers on CWS basis was 5 per cent in 2023-24 – in urban areas it was 8.7 per cent and in rural areas it was 3.9 per cent.

The current PLFS (2023-24), however, does not present the other aspects of women labour and workforce in the country, such as Army, Navy and Air Force employed only 3.97%, 6% and 13.69%. A Rajya Sabha reply in 2023 said that total number of women judges in the Supreme Court and High Courts were 3 and 111, respectively. This is about 10% and 14% of the total number of judges appointed in both the judicial bodies, respectively. Women in police force in 2020 were 10.3 per cent. In 2023, there were 14 per cent women in parliament and only 9 per cent in state assemblies. MSMEs employ 20 per cent women while 20.5 per cent women own MSMEs.

Highest share of women is in agriculture at 63 per cent, while among MNGREGA workers 57 per cent are women. A total of 53 per cent women workforce are in unorganised sector. A NITI Aayog report says that 80 per cent of rural women are engaged in agriculture and their total share in agriculture work is 63 per cent.

It is therefore imperative that India must focus on encouraging women in getting quality, salaried and regular jobs, if the country really wants to empower women. (IPA Service)