Why is women’s participation in Indian economy declining despite increase in education?

Several recent reports have begun to show that women’s economic participation in India has been declining over the past decade. A World Bank analysis shows that women’s labour force participation has declined from 37% to 27% in the 2005-2012 period. While India’s economic development grows rapidly, women’s share as paid workers has declined. This rate of female labour force participation is lowest among all G20 countries (except Saudi Arabia) and puts India in the bottom 10% among the 187 countries of the world. The faster rate of decline has occurred for rural women in the country.

This trend is even more surprising in the face of growing enrollment and completion rates in primary and secondary education for women. A new generation of ‘rurban’ girls is also successfully completing post-secondary education. Female enrollment in district level colleges at undergraduate level has increased enormously during the past decade. Parents are willing to invest in the higher education of their daughters nowadays, largely because these girls have been fighting within their families to study further.

But, why is this increase in education of girls not commensurate to increase in their economic participation? Why is women’s economic participation declining in the country?

Two kinds of macro answers have been provided so far. First, higher caste and class status pushes educated women to stay at home. This is a reflection of the patriarchal mind-sets of continued expectations that women will do unpaid care work at home. Second, there are not enough paid employment opportunities for women near their homes. They find it difficult to commute long distances.

These explanations are not adequate if you ask this question from the eyes of a young girl who has finished high school or a young woman who has completed her college education with flying colours. She is restricted from taking up employment away from home for fear of violence, sexual harassment and bullying that she may face. Her family is ‘willing’ to let her work near their home only. Moving to another town is simply ruled out, especially if she is still unmarried. Once she is married, the question becomes why she should take up work away from her husband’s home at all?

The threat of violence, sexual harassment and intimidation is so widespread that girls begin to fear themselves. Their experiences of growing up, going to school and college have been full of daily instances of ‘eve-teasing’ (which happens 24/7) while using public transports and at public events. They frequently hear stories of girls who have been sexually assaulted and raped by boys and men in their own neighbourhoods.

Lack of safety while travelling to and at workplaces has also been acknowledged by the World Bank report as one of the main causes for the decline in female labour force participation in India. Girls are afraid to be mobile, both for education and work. While opportunities for education have increased near their homes, work opportunities are created where macro economic development occurs.

Answers to these problems have to be seen through the eyes of these girls!

Prevention of harassment and violence against girls and women in public spaces is critical to increasing female labour force participation rates in India in the coming decade.

On Basant Panchami, as we worship Goddess Saraswati ( goddess of learning and knowledge), it may well be that Saraswati alone is not enough for Indian girls. We may have to invoke Goddess Kali (goddess that destroys evil) if Indian girls and women have to secure the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi (goddess of wealth).

The author is Founder-President PRIA and UNESCO Chair on Social Responsibility of Higher Education.