Economic Survey calls for policies to promote flexible work to increase female workforce

New Delhi, Women workers continue to face structural barriers, including limited mobility and inflexible work arrangements, the Economic Survey 2025-26 said on Thursday, advocating policies to promote flexible work, equal pay and protection against harassment to increase female labour force participation.

Highlighting that factors like lack of affordable housing and inflexible work arrangements conflict with caregiving responsibilities primarily shouldered by women, the Survey underscores the need for a multi-pronged policy approach to tackle these challenges.

"Policies should promote flexible work, hybrid models, and gender-responsive standards, including maternity benefits, equal pay, and harassment protection," stated the Survey.


Evidence from the survey also highlights that the combined time spent on paid and unpaid activities by female members is higher than that of men.

Female household members spend significantly more time on unpaid activities than men. While women participating in paid work contribute a considerable amount of time, their overall participation remains lower than that of men.

The estimates highlight the dual burden of work on female workers in terms of caregiving activities and unpaid work, which may explain their desirability or inclination towards flexible work models.

India has witnessed a positive trend in Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) in recent years, rising from 23.3 per cent in 2017-18 to 41.7 per cent in 2023-24, alongside a decline in Unemployment Rate (UR) from 5.6 per cent to just 3.2 per cent, reflecting a shift toward greater inclusion and economic empowerment.

Employment patterns have important gender dimensions. The proportion of women engaged in self-employment or contributing to household enterprises, especially in rural areas, is relatively high. The findings of the Time Use Survey (TUS) conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) enable the measurement of the time individuals spend on different activities.

According to the TUS 2024, as quoted by the Economic Survey document, women are the main caregivers, with 41 per cent of females aged 15-59 years participating in caregiving for their household members; male participation in this age group was 21.4 per cent.