Adopt sectoral approach to increase women's participation in workforce: CII

A sectoral approach could be appropriate to increase participation of women in the workforce, industry body CII has suggested.

Noting that manufacturing sub-sectors with high employment elasticity could be a major employment provider for women, CII said,"Other upcoming sectors of interest for women include construction, communications, and financial services".

The industry body in a statement further said greater participation of women in the workforce is a win-win situation as this will significantly boost India's growth prospects and also improve socio-economic conditions.


CII also emphasised the need for encouraging and facilitating women entrepreneurship, improving workplace conditions such as the provision of safe and inexpensive transport, clean washrooms, affordable childcare, equal pay etc.

In the Fifth Annual Employment-Unemployment Survey (2015-16) published by the Labour Bureau, the industry pointed out that over the last two decades, India has witnessed a continuous decline in its Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR), which stood at only 27.4 per cent in 2015-16.

It also noted that the proportion of women in the manufacturing sector is higher than that of men in both rural and urban areas.

"About 29 per cent of urban women are engaged in the sector as compared to 22 per cent of urban men. In rural areas, 9.8 per cent of women are engaged in the sector as compared to 8.1 per cent of men," CII observed.