Lok Sabha Question No. 2519 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-01
Subject: ILO Concern over Gender Gap on Workforce
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: SUDHEER GUPTA, K. ASHOK KUMAR, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, GOKARAJU GANGA RAJU, ADVOCATE NARENDRA KESHAV SAWAIKAR, VIJAY KUMAR S.R., KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, SUSHMITA DEV, JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2519

TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 ST  AUGUST, 2016

## ILO CONCERN OVER GENDER GAP ON WORKFORCE

## 2519.  SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI K. ASHOK KUMAR:

DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD:

DR. GOKARAJU GANGA RAJU:

ADV. NARENDRA KESHAV SAWAIKAR:

SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

KUMARI SUSHMITA DEV:

SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

## Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of estimated employment and their workforce participation rate for male and female in rural and urban areas during the last three years in the country;
- (b) whether the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has expressed concerns over lesser female labour force participation in the country;
- (c) if  so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the average female  labour  force  participation  in  the  country  as  compared  to  other countries during the said period; and
- (d) the  corrective  measures  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  in  this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA)

(a): As per the result of most recent three labour force surveys on employment and unemployment conducted  during 2004-05, 2009-10 and 2011-12 by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the estimated employment and workforce participation rate on usual status basis is given below:

| Estimated Employment (in crore)           | Estimated Employment (in crore)           | Estimated Employment (in crore)           | Estimated Employment (in crore)           | Estimated Employment (in crore)           |
|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| Year                                      | Rural                                     | Rural                                     | Urban                                     | Urban                                     |
|                                           | Male                                      | Female                                    | Male                                      | Female                                    |
| 2004-05                                   | 21.95                                     | 12.43                                     | 9.06                                      | 2.47                                      |
| 2009-10                                   | 22.98                                     | 10.57                                     | 10.44                                     | 2.56                                      |
| 2011-12                                   | 23.49                                     | 10.20                                     | 10.98                                     | 2.74                                      |
| Workforce Participation Rate (in percent) | Workforce Participation Rate (in percent) | Workforce Participation Rate (in percent) | Workforce Participation Rate (in percent) | Workforce Participation Rate (in percent) |
| 2004-05                                   | 54.6                                      | 32.7                                      | 54.9                                      | 16.6                                      |
| 2009-10                                   | 54.7                                      | 26.1                                      | 54.3                                      | 13.8                                      |
| 2011-12                                   | 54.3                                      | 24.8                                      | 54.6                                      | 14.7                                      |

(b)  &  (c):  As  per  International  Labour  Organisation  (ILO)'s  estimates  and projections the female labour force participation rate (aged 15 years and above) in country was 36.8% during 2005 and 28.6% during 2010 which has declined to 26.8% during 2012.  The decline in female labour force participation rate may be attributed  to  factors  like  increase  in  level  of  income  in  rural  areas  due  to increase  in  real  wages,  increased  educational  attendance  and  higher  level  of participation in education and insufficient formal wage employment opportunities etc. The Female  Labour force participation rates in other countries are given at Annex.

(d): The Government has taken several initiatives to improve the employability of youth including women. A new Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship  has  been  established  to  coordinate  the  skill  activities  in  20 Ministries  running  skill  development  schemes  across  70  sectors.  Government has implemented the National Career Service having a portal (www.ncs.gov.in) for  online  registration  and  posting  of  jobs  for  job-seekers  and  provide  other employment  related  services.  Government  has  also  taken  measures  through schemes such as National Rural Livelihood Mission, National Urban Livelihood Mission etc. will enhance the skill potential of rural and urban females and make them employable. Statutory provisions have been made in certain Labour laws for  organizing  child  care  centers  for  the  benefit  of  women  workers,  The Factories Act, 1948, the Beedi & Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966 and the Building and other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and conditions of Service) Act, 1996. The Mines Crèche Rules, 1966 provide  for  establishment  of  crèches  for  the  benefit  of  women  workers.  The Plantation Labour Act, 1951 provides that the women workers be provided timeoff  for  feeding  children  and  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 also provides for child care facilities at worksite.

*****

Statement referred to in reply to part (b & c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No 2519 due for reply on 01-08-2016.

Female Labour force participation rate in other countries

| Country                   |   Female Labour Force Participation Rate (in percent) |   Female Labour Force Participation Rate (in percent) |   Female Labour Force Participation Rate (in percent) |
|---------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
|                           |                                                2005   |                                                2010   |                                                2012   |
| Afghanistan               |                                                  16.4 |                                                  16.5 |                                                  17.5 |
| Australia                 |                                                  57   |                                                  58.7 |                                                  58.8 |
| Bangladesh                |                                                  48.1 |                                                  42   |                                                  42.4 |
| Brazil                    |                                                  59.1 |                                                  57.6 |                                                  56.1 |
| Canada                    |                                                  60.9 |                                                  61.8 |                                                  61.6 |
| China                     |                                                  66.9 |                                                  63.7 |                                                  63.8 |
| Egypt                     |                                                  20.5 |                                                  22.7 |                                                  22.1 |
| France                    |                                                  50.1 |                                                  50.9 |                                                  51   |
| Germany                   |                                                  50.6 |                                                  52.8 |                                                  53.7 |
| India                     |                                                  36.8 |                                                  28.6 |                                                  26.8 |
| Indonesia                 |                                                  50   |                                                  51.9 |                                                  51.2 |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of |                                                  19.4 |                                                  16   |                                                  16.1 |
| Israel                    |                                                  55.4 |                                                  57.1 |                                                  58   |
| Italy                     |                                                  37.8 |                                                  37.8 |                                                  39.1 |
| Japan                     |                                                  48.4 |                                                  49.4 |                                                  48.2 |
| Korea, Republic of        |                                                  49.5 |                                                  49.3 |                                                  49.8 |
| Macau, China              |                                                  59   |                                                  65.5 |                                                  65.5 |
| Malaysia                  |                                                  44.2 |                                                  43.8 |                                                  46.6 |
| Mexico                    |                                                  41   |                                                  43.8 |                                                  45.1 |
| Myanmar                   |                                                  75.4 |                                                  75.8 |                                                  75.6 |
| Nepal                     |                                                  80.4 |                                                  79.8 |                                                  79.7 |
| New Zealand               |                                                  60.3 |                                                  61.5 |                                                  62.1 |
| Pakistan                  |                                                  19.3 |                                                  23.9 |                                                  24.1 |
| Philippines               |                                                  49.8 |                                                  50.2 |                                                  50.5 |
| Portugal                  |                                                  55.4 |                                                  55.8 |                                                  54.6 |
| Saudi Arabia              |                                                  17.5 |                                                  18.3 |                                                  20.1 |
| South Africa              |                                                  46.7 |                                                  43.8 |                                                  44.6 |
| Spain                     |                                                  45.9 |                                                  51.4 |                                                  52.5 |
| Sri Lanka                 |                                                  34.4 |                                                  34.6 |                                                  32.9 |
| Turkey                    |                                                  23.4 |                                                  27.6 |                                                  29.4 |
| United Kingdom            |                                                  54.9 |                                                  55.8 |                                                  56   |
| United States             |                                                  58.3 |                                                  57.6 |                                                  56.7 |

Source: The Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM) by the ILO