Lok Sabha Question No. 4941 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-16
Subject: Work Participation by Women
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: RANGASWAMY DHRUVANARAYANA, PREM DAS RAI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4941

TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.12.2016

## WORK PARTICIPATION BY WOMEN

## 4941.  SHRI R. DHRUVA NARAYANA: SHRI PREM DAS RAI

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there is a low rate of recognized work participation by women in the country's workforce  vis-a-vis  their  population  and  it  is  declining  since  the  past  decade  in  the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  it  is  true  that  India  is  ranked  the  second  lowest  in  Asia  Pacific  for  female representation at a senior management level and if so, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to motivate women to participate and take up organised and recognised work options and to provide equal opportunity to them at par with men in entrepreneurship for their economic and social upliftment?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)

(a) & (b)      Ministry of Labour and Employment has informed that Labour Bureau has been entrusted the task of conducting Annual Employment-Unemployment Surveys (EUS) and as per the Usual Principal and Subsidiary Status (UPSS) survey for persons aged 15 years and above, there is a mix trend in Labour Force Participation Rate and Worker Population Ratio which is given below :

| Survey/Sector      | Labour Force Participation Rate*   | Labour Force Participation Rate*   | Labour Force Participation Rate*   | Labour Force Participation Rate*   | Worker Population Ratio#   | Worker Population Ratio#   | Worker Population Ratio#   | Worker Population Ratio#   |
|--------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|                    | Male                               | Female                             | Transgender                        | Person                             | Male                       | Female                     | Transgender                | Person                     |
| 2 nd EUS (2011-12) | 77.9                               | 30.0                               | -                                  | 55.4                               | 75.9                       | 28.5                       | -                          | 53.6                       |
| 3 rd EUS (2012-13) | 77.2                               | 26.5                               | -                                  | 53.1                               | 74.5                       | 25.0                       | -                          | 51.0                       |
| 4 th EUS (2013-14) | 75.7                               | 31.1                               | -                                  | 55.6                               | 73.5                       | 29.6                       | -                          | 53.7                       |
| 5 th EUS (2015-16) | 75.5                               | 27.4                               | 48.8                               | 52.4                               | 73.3                       | 25.8                       | 47.2                       | 50.5                       |

*Number of persons Employed and unemployed per 1000 persons on Total population #Number of persons employed per 1000 persons on Total population

- (c)    There is no official information about such ranking of India.

(d)  In order to provide social security benefits to the workers in the unorganised sector including domestic workers, the Government has enacted the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008. The 2008 Act stipulates formulation of suitable welfare schemes for unorganised workers on matters relating to : (i) life and disability cover, (ii) health and maternity benefits, (iii) old age protection, and (iv) any other benefit as may be determined by the Central Government through the National Social Security Board. Various Schemes, formulated by the Government to provide social security cover to the unorganized workers, listed in the Schedule I of the said Act are as under :

- i. Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (Ministry of Rural Development)
- ii. National Family Benefits Scheme (Ministry of Rural Development)
- iii. Janani Suraksha Yojana (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)
- iv. Handloom Weaver' Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (Ministry of Textiles)
- v. Handicraft Artisans' Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (Ministry of Textiles)
- vi. Pension to Master Craft Persons (Ministry of Textiles)
- vii. National Scheme for Welfare of Fishermen and Training and Extension (Department of Animal Husbndary, Dairying & Fisheries)
- viii. Aam Admi Bima Yojana (Department of Financial Services)
- ix. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)

The  Government  has  also  launched  the  Atal  Pension  Yojana,  Pradhan  Mantri  Jeevan Jyoti  Bima  Yojana  and  Pradhan  Mantri  Suraksha  Bima  Yojana  for  all  citizens  especially targeting unroganised workers to provide them comprehensive social security.

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