Women and Men in India 2024 Report

Labour Force Participation: Encouraging Uptick with Persistent Gaps

• Female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) rose to 41.7% in 2023–24, up from 23.2% in 2017–18.
• Despite this, it remains:
  • Below male LFPR: 77.2%
  • Below global female average: ~50% (World Bank)
• Interpretation: Progress made, but structural inequities in access, opportunity, and support persist.

Wage Trends: Narrowing Gender Pay Gap

• Urban women saw the highest wage growth at 5.2% between Jul–Sep 2023 and Apr–Jun 2024.
• Rural and urban wage gaps narrowing, indicating positive momentum toward wage equity.

Unpaid Work Burden: A Barrier to True Workforce Participation

• Women spend 236 minutes/day on unpaid domestic work vs. 24 minutes/day for men.
• Reflects the “dual burden” of paid employment and unpaid care responsibilities.
• Indicates that economic gains are diluted by social norms undervaluing domestic labour.

Entrepreneurship: More Women Owning Businesses

• Rise in female-headed proprietary establishments in:
  • Manufacturing
  • Trade
  • Services
• Reflects increasing women entrepreneurship and breaking of traditional gender roles.

Financial Inclusion: Growing Access but Regional Disparities

• As of March 2024:
  • Women hold 39.2% of bank accounts
  • Account for 39.7% of deposits
• Growth in female-owned demat accounts (3x increase from 2021 to 2024)
• However, access is geographically concentrated in southern and eastern India.

Panchayats Perform, Lok Sabha Lags

• Gender parity achieved in panchayati raj institutions.
• Only 13.6% of 18th Lok Sabha members are women.
• Downward trend in elected women despite increase in women candidates.
• Indicates a representation gap at national legislative levels.

Mobility, Safety, and Societal Constraints

• Key obstacles include:
  • Public safety concerns
  • Cultural perceptions of gender roles
  • Family-imposed restrictions
• Addressing these requires:
  • Gender-sensitive public safety policies
  • Mass awareness campaigns to shift societal norms

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