Lok Sabha Question No. 1612 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-30
Subject: Women Labour Force
Ministry: STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
Asked by: Shri Shyamkumar Daulat Barve

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1612

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.07.2025

## WOMEN LABOUR FORCE

## 1612. SHRI SHYAMKUMAR DAULAT BARVE:

Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that the labour force participation rate of rural women is declining over the years, if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;
- (b) the details of the steps taken by the Government to check this decline.
- (c) whether  the  work  done  by  the  women  in  the  domestic  or unorganised  sector  is  not  properly recorded  in  the  Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) surveys, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to amend this methodology of survey, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the current participation rate of women labour and the details of increase or decrease women participation in labour force recorded during the last five years along with separate data for rural/urban areas;
- (f) whether  the  women  workers  face  any  kind  of  inequality  or receive  lower  wages  in  the labour  market  after  motherhood, which is called motherhood penalty; and
- (g) whether the Government has conducted any study on evaluation in this regard and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS  AND  PROGRAMME  IMPLEMENTATION;  MINISTER  OF STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  OF  THE  MINISTRY  OF  PLANNING AND  MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  CULTURE  [RAO INDERJIT SINGH]

- (a) and (b):  From  the  Periodic  Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS)  conducted

by  the  National  Statistics  Office  (NSO),  Ministry  of  Statistics  and Program Implementation (MoSPI) during July 2019-June 2020 to July 2023-June  2024,  the  estimates  of  Labour  Force  Participation  Rate (LFPR)  according to  usual  status  (ps+ss)  among  rural  females  at  all India level are given below in Table 1:

| Table (1): Labour Force Participation Rate (in per cent) according to usual status (ps+ss) for rural females from PLFS all-India   | Table (1): Labour Force Participation Rate (in per cent) according to usual status (ps+ss) for rural females from PLFS all-India   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Survey year                                                                                                                        | LFPR (in percent) in usual status among rural females                                                                              |
| PLFS, 2019-20                                                                                                                      | 24.7                                                                                                                               |
| PLFS, 2020-21                                                                                                                      | 27.7                                                                                                                               |
| PLFS, 2021-22                                                                                                                      | 27.2                                                                                                                               |
| PLFS, 2022-23                                                                                                                      | 30.5                                                                                                                               |
| PLFS, 2023-24                                                                                                                      | 35.5                                                                                                                               |

- (c): In  PLFS,  coverage  of  economic  activity  includes  any  activity that results in  production of goods and services that adds value to national product. The term 'economic activity' includes:
- i. all  the  market  activities  described  above,  i.e.,  the  activities performed for pay or profit which result in production of goods and services for exchange,
- ii. of the non-market activities,
- (1) all  the  activities  relating  to  the  primary  sector  which  result  in production  (including  free  collection  of  uncultivated  crops,  forestry, firewood,  hunting,  fishing,  mining,  quarrying,  etc.)  of  primary  goods, including threshing and storing of grains for own consumption.

## and

- (2) the  activities  relating  to  the  own-account  production  of  fixed assets. Own account production of fixed assets includes construction of  own  houses,  roads,  wells,  etc.,  and  of  machinery,  tools,  etc.,  for household enterprise and also construction of any private or community facilities free of charge.
2. (d): The  feasibility  of  amending  methodology  of  PLFS  survey  is presently not under consideration of NSO, MoSPI.
3. (e): From the PLFS conducted during July 2019-June 2020 to July 2023-June  2024,  the  estimates  of  LFPR  according  to  usual  status (ps+ss) among females at all India level in rural sector, urban sector and rural+urban combined are given below in Table 2:

| Table (2): Labour Force Participation Rate (in per cent) according to usual status (ps+ss)   | Table (2): Labour Force Participation Rate (in per cent) according to usual status (ps+ss)   | Table (2): Labour Force Participation Rate (in per cent) according to usual status (ps+ss)   | Table (2): Labour Force Participation Rate (in per cent) according to usual status (ps+ss)   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                                              |                                                                                              |                                                                                              | all-India                                                                                    |
| PLFS, 2019-20                                                                                | 24.7                                                                                         | 18.5                                                                                         | 22.8                                                                                         |
| PLFS, 2020-21                                                                                | 27.7                                                                                         | 18.6                                                                                         | 25.1                                                                                         |
| PLFS, 2021-22                                                                                | 27.2                                                                                         | 18.8                                                                                         | 24.8                                                                                         |
| PLFS, 2022-23                                                                                | 30.5                                                                                         | 20.2                                                                                         | 27.8                                                                                         |
| PLFS, 2023-24                                                                                | 35.5                                                                                         | 22.3                                                                                         | 31.7                                                                                         |

(f) to (g): The  estimates  of  'motherhood  penalty'  are  not  available from  PLFS.  However,  the  Government  of  India  has  incorporated  a number of protective provisions in the labour laws for equal opportunity and congenial work environment for women workers. The Code on Social Security, 2020 has the provisions for enhancement in paid  maternity  leave  from  12  weeks  to  26  weeks,  provision  for mandatory  crèche  facility  in  the  establishments  having  50  or  more employees,  permitting women  workers  in  the  night shifts with adequate safety measures, etc.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing 'Palna' component  under  Mission  Shakti  for  all  States/UTs,  under  which providing  day  care  facilities  and  protection  of  children  is  the  main focus  area.  Under  Palna,  Ministry  has  extended  free  services  of childcare through Anganwadi cum Creches (AWCC). The  Equal  Remuneration  Act,  1976  provides  for  payment  of  equal remuneration to men and women workers for the same work or work of similar nature without any discrimination. In  addition,  Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment  in  January,  2024 issued  an  'Advisory  for  Employers  to  Promote  Women  Workforce Participation'. This advisory inter-alia mentions the need for balance between  employment  and  care  responsibilities  for  both  men  and women  including  family  friendly  measures  such  as  paternity  leave, parental leave, family emergency leave and flexible working arrangements. The Union Budget (2024-25) announced setting up of working women hostels  in  collaboration  with  industry,  and  establishing  crèches,  for increasing participation of women in the workforce.

*****