The importance of social norms in determining women’s employment

Data from the economic census shows a huge variation in share of women employed per 100 hired workers not just among but also within states

The issue of low and declining women’s workforce participation has loomed large for the Indian economy for several years now. The explanations for this phenomenon have varied, largely as a result of the huge heterogeneity across the country, not just in terms of women’s employment outcomes, but also the multiplicity of factors that potentially contribute to women’s employment outcomes. In the State of Working India 2023 report, we examine a few of these.

Declining women’s workforce participation has loomed large for the Indian economy for several years now