The female labour participation rate for next 15 years is estimated to be around 23.3 percent, however, the comparative numbers of other countries highlight how skewed the gender ratio in the labour market is in India at present, according to a study by the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), a key implementation agency for skills training in India.
In 2019, India remained behind other Asian countries including Vietnam, China, Singapore, and Bangladesh in terms of female participation and enrollment in the labour force.
From a global perspective, female involvement in the labour force has been declining gradually over the last decade, from 49.09 percent in 2009 to 47.66 percent in 2019.
According to NSDC projections, the number of women entrants between the age group of 15-30 are expected to increase by over twelve million (1.29 crore) in and after 2023.
Experts suggest that a major shift would happen in the youth population in 10-15 years, something which is already being seen in the 15-19 age group. Many female candidates in this age group are not actively working in labour, instead choosing higher education.
According to an expert, with the changing education pattern, female labour participation should be watched closely for the 20-34 year age group.
The study also found that 52 percent of male entrants and 42.6 percent of female entrants are projected to be in the age group of 15-20 years.
Between 2019-2023, women from the Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh states would contribute highly to an increase the female labour force in India.
NSDC, a public-private partnership working under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, is using study projections to modify its skills-training modules.
