The discourse on gender and labour force participation has undergone a significant transformation, with an increased focus on understanding the factors that are responsible for the disparity between men and women’s gender workforce participation. While the rise and fall of women’s workforce participation has been heavily documented, the major reasons that have been identified are: larger macroeconomic uncertainties, limited access to decent work, restrictive social norms, caregiving expectations and barriers to quality education, and/or the lack of flexible jobs that are determined by who can and cannot enter or stay in the workforce. This project focuses on the relationship between these socio-cultural and economic factors. The project seeks to understand the manner in which individual agency interacts with household dynamics and community norms to shape work aspirations and opportunities for women.
The primary research question of the study is: What are the factors that determine gendered work force participation at the household level? To answer for this question, the team is in the process of undertaking:
- a comprehensive review of the factors, determinants, and pathways that contribute towards gendered workforce participation (GWFP)
- analysis of the impact that macroeconomic factors such as access to education and training programmes, skill development, provision of safe and accessible transport, or sector-specific macroeconomic policies have on gendered participation in the workforce
- examination of the nature and influence of household bargains or decision-making as influenced by the composition of the household members and their specific socio-economic characteristics (such as age, working status, education levels, gender etc.)
- a comparison of the gendered intra- and inter-sectoral labour practices of specific industries (such as within and across manufacturing, service, or agriculture) to examine gender-specific factors, determinants and pathways that enhance and restrict gendered work force participation, and
- document systematically the time poverty of individuals within the household (across generations) and its contribution to the household decisions related to gendered workforce participation. This study will be conducted in four study states: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya, and Karnataka.
Photo: Tessa Thomas/CBPS Fieldwork