Women Workers in India: Why So Few Among So Many?
IMF Working Papers, March 16, 2015
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Bibliographic details
- Authors: Sonali Das, Sonali Jain-Chandra, Kalpana Kochhar, Naresh Kumar
- Published: March 16, 2015
- Series: IMF Working Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781498315005.001
Authors and publication
- By Sonali Das, Sonali Jain-Chandra, Kalpana Kochhar, Naresh Kumar
- March 16, 2015
- IMF Working Papers, Working Paper No. 2015/055, Issue: 055, Volume: 2015
- Pages: 31
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781498315005.001
- ISBN: 9781498315005
- ISSN: 1018-5941
Research question and data
- Examines determinants of female labor force participation in India, noting India has one of the lowest participation rates for women among peer countries.
- Uses extensive Indian household survey data to model labor force participation choices of women conditional on demographic characteristics and education.
- Also analyzes influence of state-level labor market flexibility and other state policies.
Key findings
- The main finding: a number of policy initiatives can help boost female economic participation in the states of India, including increased labor market flexibility, investment in infrastructure, and enhanced social spending.
- Modeling considers demographic characteristics, education, state-level labor market flexibility, and other state policies as determinants of female labor force participation.
Policy implications and recommendations
- Increase labor market flexibility at the state level to raise female labor force participation.
- Invest in infrastructure to facilitate women's economic participation.
- Enhance social spending targeted at barriers to female labor force participation.
Subject classifications and keywords
- Subject: Gender, Gender diversity, Labor, Labor force, Labor force participation, Wages, Women
- Keywords: daily wage, East Asia, employment pattern, entrepreneurial activity, Female labor force participation, Gender diversity, Global, India, informal labor markets, job contract, Labor force, Labor force participation, labor market regulation, OECD's employment legislation index, predicted wage, substitution effect, wage, wage determination, wage employment, Wages, Women, worker, WP
Source: Women Workers in India: Why So Few Among So Many?, IMF Working Paper No. 2015/055