Working women: Not a rare specie
The number of working women in urban areas is the highest in 25 years. 2.5 crore precisely.
By Mitu Jayashankar, TNN |
BANGALORE: The number of working women in urban areas is the highest in 25 years. Every morning, about 2.5 crore urban women set out to work in India. They march from their homes to garment factories, banks and financial institutions, IT companies, BPO offices, schools and colleges, retail companies and so on in search of a livelihood and economic independence.
According to a recent employment survey of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), the work participation rate of women workers reached its highest in 2004-05. The survey shows that 16.6% of urban women are now engaged in an economic activity-the highest in 25 years. More than 42% of this lot have a regular job as opposed to 31.8% in 1983. In several sectors like apparels, textiles, education, leather and leather goods and hotels, women form a significant proportion of the total workforce.
The share of women in the new high-paying knowledge industries is also on the rise. According to Nasscom, of the 1.6 million employees in the Indian IT industry, approximately 30% are women. By 2010, Nasscom predicts that the number will rise to 45%. In the BPO sector, women make up for 50% of the workforce.
But nowhere is the contribution of women workers more evident than in the apparel and textile sector. India’s readymade garment industry contributes around 16% to the total export earnings; women, of course, have played a big role in that. In 1999-2000, the number of women employed in the sector stood at 4.36 lakh.
According to a recent employment survey of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), the work participation rate of women workers reached its highest in 2004-05. The survey shows that 16.6% of urban women are now engaged in an economic activity-the highest in 25 years. More than 42% of this lot have a regular job as opposed to 31.8% in 1983. In several sectors like apparels, textiles, education, leather and leather goods and hotels, women form a significant proportion of the total workforce.
The share of women in the new high-paying knowledge industries is also on the rise. According to Nasscom, of the 1.6 million employees in the Indian IT industry, approximately 30% are women. By 2010, Nasscom predicts that the number will rise to 45%. In the BPO sector, women make up for 50% of the workforce.
But nowhere is the contribution of women workers more evident than in the apparel and textile sector. India’s readymade garment industry contributes around 16% to the total export earnings; women, of course, have played a big role in that. In 1999-2000, the number of women employed in the sector stood at 4.36 lakh.
Download
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
Download
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
ADVERTISEMENT
